Week 9

We start with NFL player Jason Taylor and his partner Edyta Sliwinska. We see they have to pick their dances out of a hat this week, out of styles they did before but with new routines and new music. They pick from a hollowed out disco ball with a red lining, and Jason says “Yes!” as they draw the Foxtrot and the Paso Doble. Edyta says that since they danced the Foxtrot early on in the competition this is their chance to show how he has improved. They go right to training for the dance. Edyta sees that he is tired and worn by this time in the competition so she gives him a football style pep talk about going after the competition, and then shows him a video message from former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino who tells Jason all his Miami fans are rooting for him. He says all the ex-footballers and ex-golfers there also like him and tells him not to let two actors and a figure skater beat him. Jason says that this week he is charging for the end zone and sacking anyone in his way.

He gets up from a chair and joins Edyta to start the Foxtrot to the classic song “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.” They start with some roll outs and back of Edyta and some underarm turns, showcasing his frame, before going into some turning basics and progressive walks. They break apart and then walk back together to go into some more turns. Jason has some arm work here and really shows off his lines well. Muscles are one thing and muscle memory another, and Jason is showing a lot of poise in the way he is carrying himself, on top of his strength. He slides her through his legs, and then she sits on his knee before going into a layback on his knee to complete the dance. The crowd cheers, but there are three other people we need to hear from so we go on to the judges.

Tom Bergeron says “It’s time to check the Head Judge Welly-Meter” so we start off with Len Goodman. Len says he has to tell Jason something. Len says that Jason is a Miami Dolphin, and like a Dolphin glides through the sea, that’s how Jason glides across the floor doing that dance. Len said it was fabulous and he loved how Jason did his footwork as well as the choreography of the dance. Bruno Tonioli tells Jason that he is lucky to have Edyta driving him so hard because it is “paying dividends.” Bruno said that the first time he got on Jason for lack of movement but that the movement was there tonight, as well as showmanship, as well as praising Edyta for her Arabesque. Carrie-Ann said things were off to a good start because all three judges agreed. She told Jason that he always had fantastic posture which set him apart from the others but that tonight he had movement too. Before the scores came back, Jason was asked about dancing tonight as opposed to when he started out, he said it felt like years even though it was only some weeks ago, and praised Edyta as a teacher, He also said his confidence had been built up. Asked about being friends with Cristian if they both make the finals, he joked that would have to be over, then he said the great thing was meeting people and making good friends while dancing. (In my experience, that has always been a nice part of this TV show for dancing, one of the cool things beyond the sparkle and the media stuff of the show is that it seems to show that part of dance every year.)

Jason and Edyta’s scores come back: 9 + 10 + 9 = 28. The 10 is from Len Goodman!

Next up are Broadway Actress Marissa Jaret Winokur and her dance pro partner Tony Dovolani. They draw the Quickstep and the Rumba for their dances. As they practice for the Rumba, former “Dancing Stars” competitor and partner of Tony Dovolani Stacy Kiebler comes by. Marissa said that Tony and Stacy were her favorite couple to watch so she is glad to have Stacy come to give her inspiration for getting into the finals. Stacy gives her tips like imagining Len Goodman there instead of Tony for the Rumba because Len is sexier. Marissa says that she’s dancing tonight for the people who believed in her out there. Then they come out to Quickstep.

Their Quickstep is set to music about going around the world. They start with her in front of him, both facing ahead, and do a cute action where one bobs down and the other up in a piston like sequence, before going into a crossing motion in turn, stepping out in front of each other. Then they do a little side by side “Broadway stage” style move before going to closed position. They do some nice passes and hopping turns before going into a move where her takes her around while she pivots on one leg with the other leg stretched out. They Quickstep around, then she spins out and back in to a long drag by Tony across the floor. She does a kick and then spins to a close and they finish the dance. They high five each other and the crowd likes it, so then it is on to the judges.

Bruno is first and says that she started off like a Choo Choo train and then moved like the Orient Express, but that she missed a Jete turn that was obvious to him. He says that in the Semifinal stage, they look at things like that. The fans boo but Brono says it is the Semifinals. Carrie-Ann Inaba is next. Carrie-Ann says that “someone is getting crabby” and tells Marissa that she has turned into an unlikely contender. Carrie-Ann said it was a good Quickstep, and that the hold of the dance can be restrictive compared to some of the dances that allow for more creativity out of the hold. Tom Bergeron presses Carrie-Ann about time but she insists on getting some more compliments in for Marissa before they go on to Len. Len says that Bruno took up all the time. Len also says he is considering the difficulty of her dance and the hold requirements as opposed to others who are dancing the Viennese Waltz or the Foxtrot. Len said he wasn’t sure about the body contact being there right but that for the technical and difficult dance she did alright. They go over to Samantha Harris and Marissa says she and Stacy Kiebler had fun making fun of Tony. Ms. Harris says “No more fun, it’s time for the scores.” Unintentional double meaning, perhaps, but the scores come back 9 + 9 + 8 = 26. The 8 is from Bruno. Not too bad, and Marissa is happy and thanks the judges. Marissa says she missed one step but as for the rest, it was the hardest dance she’d ever done. Then she reminds everyone to vote.

Up third this evening is Actor and Chilean Pilot Cristian De La Fuente, dancing with his partner, two-time “Dancing Stars” Champ Cheryl Burke. They have picked the Viennese Waltz and the Samba. Cheryl says “Oh no!” The Samba had been the dance that Cristian was doing with her when he ruptured his biceps tendon. Cristian has some worries training but Cheryl urges him to think of it as a new dance and to have fun with it. Cristian also hits the street with a sandwich board on his chest and back, with their picture and the words “Will Dance for Votes.” Cristian gets some support, including from a guy who bronzes himself like a statue and performs on the street, and says he has six votes and has 20 million to go. They dance with some fans they meet and then go back to the studio. Cheryl sees him having fun and says that since she has been to the finals before she knows that Cristian has what it takes to get there. Then they’re off to the ballroom to dance the Viennese Waltz. They break apart, then together, roll to close and they are off. The song talks about a satellite, and Cheryl has a bit of the NASA look with a silver gown. He has a brown suit with a silver tie. They do nice turning basics and what is fascinating is even with less use of his injured arm in some areas, Cristian is maintaining a great frame and holding his arm in position for choreography and arm extensions very well. Cristian rolls Cheryl around well with his arms, included one sharp one armed lead of her into a rolling move. Their footwork is smooth, precise and well coordinated. Near the end, Cristian embraces her with one arm and does a smooth drag motion across the length of the dance floor, then he dips her across his knee to finish the dance. Then we go on to the judges.   

Carrie-Ann speaks first, and she says that one thing she liked was there was a moment where Cristian seems stressed out in his dances then he breaks out and does OK. She says that “The movement was great. Great speed, great rotation, very sweet and very sound.” Len Goodman says “Better content, better movement, better mix of steps, better marks.” Bruno tells them that they play off each other beautifully to deliver the wow factor in the Viennese Waltz. Tom Bergeron congratulates them then says that he loves Cheryl’s dress, but is anyone missing a weather balloon? I’m not sure, not many weather balloons look like that. I think the outfit’s cute.

Cristian and Cheryl’s scores come back: 9 + 9 + 9 = 27.

It’s fascinating to see Cristian’s arm work. I really started thinking about arm work in dances after talking with Tim Eum about it a while back, about how it is supposed to relate to the body and the mechanics. With Cristian he’s not only dealing with the pain of an injury but a physical difference, the loss of function of the entire biceps tendon. That he is pulling off the coordination here is all the more impressive. It’s hard enough with a fully functional arm at this level.

This brings Olympic Figure Skating Champion Kristi Yamaguchi and her partner Mark Ballas to the ballroom to dance the fourth and final dance of the ballroom round tonight. They’re ready to dance, she has a cute red and gold dress and he’s got a black suit. He hides behind her and showcases his partner as they wait backstage. Usually we guys wait until we start dancing to rely on that… They show Kristin and Mark drawing an 8 from Carrie-Ann for their Samba last week. Kristi says that they have had a couple lower scores lately and with the finals coming up they want to leave everything out on the dance floor. They pick Tango and Jive for their dances this week. One of the dancing duo jumps up and down and screams with happiness like a little girl. Then Kristi does the same. In the practice studio, Kristi admits feeling a little pressure with the Jive because in their last Jive, they got a “Perfect 30.”  Mark agrees, and says that while some will think they are lucky to draw the Jive again, he feels that the Judges will be watching them closely come dance time. As for the Tango, he says that last time they got three nines so there is definitely room to improve. (As opposed to the room to go down, but one must always think positive and I dig their approach!) To get feedback on their Tango styling and techniques, Mark takes Kristi to a high level ballroom class so they can do a few steps and get feedback from other dancers, who Mark calls “The toughest critics.” Instructor Heather Smith, a 5 time Ballroom champ herself, offers some posture advice to Kristi. Kristi says she hopes she remembers it all so she can “Tango my way back to the top.”

They come out in the ballroom to dance and they do not disappoint. Their Tango is sharp and precise, with quick but sharp footwork, as well as closeness. Kristi hangs very well with Mark as usual and the dance is simply blazing fast and very sharp. The ending is cool as they go close for what appears to be the prelude to a kiss but their noses stop about a half an inch apart and they just smile at each other.  The crowd likes it. Then it is on to the judges. Tom Bergeron says “Wow.”

Len says that the audience loved it and that Bruno was making all kinds of “ooh ahh” noises. He also said that Kristi got her drama back with it. He said the hold and posture were fine but for him the dance was a bit “hectic” with all the activity. Carrie-Ann disapproves, and Bruno does as well, saying he is “going balmy.” Len says Bruno’s the one “going balmy with a hair cut like that.” Bruno says she “squeezed every drop of drama, passion, sex appeal out of that dance.” He also said their footwork was fabulous. Carrie-Ann said that her last Tango lacked passion and her last dance wasn’t up to par but she loved this Tango. Carrie-Ann got up to do her dance but had to stop a bit to make sure she didn’t jump out of her outfit. After an adjustment she stood and cheered them. Tom Bergeron said that after the break we would get their scores and Carrie-Ann would get her dress unhooked from the chair. After saying we would see Len visit the couples as they trained for the Latin round when we get there, we went to break. After the break the scores came back.

Kristi and Mark’s Tango scored at 10 + 9 + 10 = 29. The 9 was from Len Goodman. Afterwards, Kristi thanked the Ballroom class that helped her, saying that they had all tweaked her body in various ways, and then breathed. With Edyta Sliwinska and Jason Taylor watching from the couch kind of blank faced behind them after that, we went on to the next round.

To start us off for the Latin Round, Len Goodman gives us his “Master Class” as he gives tips to those remaining in the Semifinals. All would have a step in their dances that he would assign them and help them with. For Jason Taylor in his Paso Doble, it would be a step called the “Salvador.” For Kristi Yamaguchi, Len wanted to see her work on her Ronde action in the Jive, so he assigned her a move called that Arkansas Pull-Through  where Mark would send her out and pull her back and past him, under his arms. For Cristian De La Fuente, Len assigned Promenade Runs for his Samba. Marissa got help with her Cucarachas for her Rumba, with Len trying to get her to emphasize her hip and body action. At the end of his “Secret Agent” assignment, he is talking with Tom Bergeron by videophone and we see that Len has Australian dance pro Kym Johnson in the limousine with him. When we come back to the ballroom, host Tom Bergeron says he hopes that for Kym’s sake she was channeling “Dr. No.”

Then it was time for the first dance of the Latin round and the fifth of the night. NFL player Jason Taylor comes out with his partner Edyta Sliwinska to do the Paso Doble, He starts on the dance floor and she is on the stage, crouched on the ground. They go to the floor and start their dance. They do strong Paso steps with some Flamenco action put in, striking the dramatic style of poses Len that talked to them about. Then he spun Edyta out in one of her spins over the stage, before sliding her forwards and backwards across the floor and standing over her to end the dance.

Then it is on to the judges. Judge Bruno Tonioli says that he has the strength and momentum of “Iron Man” and that he had the Matador flavor, and that these are among things the Paso needs. Judge Carrie-Ann Inaba said that he did more difficult steps than she expected and that he did well, and this was what they like to see in a Paso Doble. Head Judge Len Goodman told Jason that he attacked the dance like he attacks Quarterbacks and that like the price of gas Jason was going up, up, up.

Jason and Edyta’s scores came back: 9 + 9 + 9 = 27. The total for both dances is 28 + 27 = 55.

The second dance of the Latin round will be from Tony Award winning Broadway Actress Marissa Winokur and her dance pro partner Tony Dovolani. They come out and Rumba to the song “Just the Two of Us.” Marissa sports a black sequined dress with sheer black sleeves, and they go into a slow Rumba with smooth coordination between them and some very creative leaning dips, including one where she faces out towards the audience in a flying pose while he takes her all the way to the floor and back, and another where he dips her out sideways and then brings her back in. They do an around the world body roll to end it. After the dance, there is a bit of a problem with them getting disengaged, as Tom Bergeron asks them to come over for the interview. She is a bit flustered and says that she got caught on his sequins along his pant leg trim and they got stuck together.

We then go to the judges. Judge Carrie-Ann Inaba tells Marissa that this is the semifinals and that she isn’t excited by that dance. She says that Marissa fought back when she called her boring, and respects that, but that this dance didn’t do it for the Semifinals. Judge Len Goodman says that the Rumba is not a “wow” dance like the Samba; that it was slow and precise, and that Marissa did that. Judge Bruno Tonioli called the slow dance “Sexy in the City.” Carrie-Ann then came back in and said that it wasn’t good enough for the semifinals, where one of the couples left will be the winner.

Marissa and Tony’s scores came back: 8 + 9 + 9 = 26. The 8 was from Carrie-Ann. Added with their previous scores it was a total of 52. (26 + 26 = 52.)

Afterwards, Marissa thanked her fans for taking them this far and she also asked them to keep voting.     

Dance number three of the Latin Round, and number seven overall, would bring Actor and Chilean Air Force Pilot Cristian De La Fuente back to the dance floor, along with his partner, two-time “Dancing Stars” Champion Cheryl Burke. They will be doing the Samba, a dance which Cristian injured himself doing a couple of weeks ago. Now with only one fully usable arm due to a completely torn biceps tendon, he is hanging in the competition and will be doing the steps Len taught him, as well as everything else he can do to keep going. He comes out in a blue shirt and black pants. Cheryl has a black and tallow dress with a light blue “slip” style trim and blue shoes to match it. They dance to a song about a guy talking about his love, and her answering “Si” to everything. (Which is interesting as Cheryl and Cristian did a bit of a riff on that in one of their skits earlier in the year.) They start with some good hip action and go into a series of well-coordinated steps and underarm turns. They also do a move where the woman gets sent across and then the man, in a sort of progression, a move I have seen in a few round dances which works here, and which they pull off flawlessly. They do a hip bump and go up the steps to the stage to end with shimmies. Then he dipped Cheryl over his knee to end it.

We go to the judges, and Len told Cristian that sometimes adversity can knock you out or it can uplift you, and that he thinks that the arm injury has focused Cristian. He said he did well but that the dance was occasionally flatfooted and that was his one critique. Bruno told Cristian that Cristian vs. the Samba was the “Rematch of the Century” and that did well and that the Samba was a party dance and that he made everyone, including Bruno, feel that sense of the party dance tonight. Carrie-Ann said that Cristian reminded her a bit of “Twinkle Toes” Emmitt Smith with his Samba tonight and she agreed with Bruno that he made them feel the sense of the party in the Samba. Also, I think it was either Carrie-Ann or Bruno that said Cristian could be proud of how he did the Samba after tonight.

Cristian and Cheryl’s scores come back: 10 + 9 + 10 = 29. The 9 is from Len Goodman. Cristian rallied his fans in Spanish and in English before the scores came in, and afterwards he said that they would celebrate their scores all night and asked fans again in Spanish to call in, and said it was free. His combined scores for both dances tonight were given as 27 + 29 = 56.

After this, it is time for Olympic Champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi to take to the ballroom again with her partner Mark Ballas for the Jive. A couple of weeks ago, they got a perfect score of 30 in a Jive, and there are high expectations tonight. They come out with fast, pumping footwork and very peppy feet. They have a hot pink as their color scheme and go into underarm turns and rolls. They do a sideways drag where she spreads her feet a bit and Mark drags her across the floor, then they go into turns again, doing the Arkansas Pull-Through move that Len showed them. Then Mark slides Kristi through his legs and back out forward again up to a kiss and a break apart into a final pose. 

We go to the judges one more time. Bruno says this dance was the “cherry on the icing on the cake of a sweet, sweet Jive.” He says that people say that Kristi can’t perform but she can do cheeky and fun and can do it all. Carrie-Ann said that it was a very challenging routine that they had choreographed, but that Kristi was out of sync in some places. Len said that it was a great balance, with the Spanish arms and the turns and the elements of the dance, but that it was a little stiff. Bruno started off like he was going to disagree and then shook his head and said he wasn’t even going to bother with arguing.

As they waited for their scores, Kristi thanked her fans for getting her and Mark this far and asked them to keep voting and keep them in. Mark agreed and said that they wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for the fans.

Their scores came back: 9 + 9 + 10 = 28. The 10 was from Bruno. Their total scores for the night were 29 + 28 = 57.

The standings for the night after the Semifinals were as follows:

1 – Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas - 57. (Tango, Jive.)

2 – Cristian De La Fuente and Cheryl Burke - 56. (Viennese Waltz, Samba)

3 – Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska - 55.  (Foxtrot, Paso Doble.)

4 – Marissa Winokur and Tony Dovolani - 52.  (Quickstep, Rumba)