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Even the cast of Dancing with the Stars is not immune from the flu that is sweeping the country. I missed the intro tonight and saw Joanna with Maks and had to wonder if Derek got hurt. Evidentially he was really sick with the flu so Maks was filling in for him. As Tom said one couple was noticeably less blonde this week. Mark Ballas was sick with the flu as well, but strong enough to perform tonight.

Each couple would have to do two dances tonight – either the Paso Doble or Argentine Tango and a group Hustle. Here’s what I thought about the individual dances, in the order performed.

Natalie and Alec. They did the Paso Doble tonight. I really didn’t like it. I thought the music didn’t suit the dance, her costume was too nicey – nice and she didn’t express power and aggression in the dance. Len said that while she was an accomplished dancer, tonight’s performance lacked aggression and she needed to work more on the character of the dance. Bruno said there was no conviction in her Paso. Carrie Ann complained about a lift. They scored 22 out of 30.

Aaron and Karina. Their dance tonight was the Argentine Tango. I thought it was good but was so distracted by all the lifts. I wondered what Carrie Ann would do, until I realized that they are probably allowed in this dance. Aaron looked good – very grown up and manly. The judges loved it. Bruno said he did exactly what he had asked him to do. Carrie Ann said that was the way to do it, while Len said he really enjoyed it. I thought for sure the judges would have given them higher scores. They got 24 out of 30.

Michael and Anna. This week they danced the Paso Doble. It’s so hard not to pull for Michael. I don’t think there is any other celebrity this season who works as hard as he does, and he really tries to do the dances and listen to his partner. This week he rocked it. I loved the dance. It suited him so well and I was so happy he got good scores from the judges. Carrie Ann said it was great and her favorite dance of his so far. Len said it was expressive and even better than last week. Bruno said his stock was rising. They got 21 out of 30. As a funny aside, Anna told Michael he should pretend to have a coin between his butt cheeks to get the proper posture, so Michael actually put a nickel back there to practice. At the end of the performance tonight Michael gave it to Bruno as a small token of his appreciation. Bruno mumbled something about eBay.

Mya and Dmitry. Their dance tonight was the Argentine Tango. It was good to see Dmitry survived the rehearsals, as Mya kept kicking him in the groin area when they were practicing one part of the routine. She looked so beautiful tonight – her costume was gorgeous and her hair stunning. The performance was really good in my opinion. Len said he liked it (a big step for him because he didn’t really care for this couple so far this season). Bruno called it intricate and precise, but both he and Carrie Ann said that Mya needs to work on her emotional connection. They scored 27 out of 30.

Mark and Lacey. Tonight they performed the Paso Doble. All I have to say is wow. I loved it. I thought there was a real Spanish flair about this dance and Mark was really, really good. Bruno said it was sharp and aggressive. Carrie Ann called it powerful and very exciting. Len said it had posture, passion and performance. They got their best score so far of the season, a 26 out of 30.

Donny and Kym. Their dance this week was the Argentine Tango. Donny said that he loved the Argentine Tango but the question was did the Argentine Tango love him? The answer – hell yes. It was so good. Carrie Ann said she fell in love with him watching this dance, that she saw a transformation and it was sexy. Len said he loved the intensity of the dance and said truly it was his best dance. Bruno said it was sharp as a blade. They got two perfect scores and a total of 29 out of 30.

Louie and Chelsie. They also performed the Argentine Tango tonight. After watching the behind the scenes piece I’m left wondering if there is something more between Louie and Chelsie than just their partnership on the dance floor. The performance was pretty good and I was happy for him. Len said he set the mood well and that this was his best dance so far. Bruno said there was great storytelling and that it was a step in the right direction. Carrie Ann said it was a bit pedestrian but really liked how he partnered Chelsie. They scored 22 out of 30.

Melissa and Mark. Mark was sick this week with the flu as well so I was interested to see how it affected their Argentine Tango. Even with some fill in help from Anna T. I thought this performance wasn’t her best. Bruno said it was not sexy and that at times Melissa looked grumpy. Carrie Ann disagreed, saying she nailed the character even though she had a few stumbles. Len said it lacked seduction but liked that she was able to cope with the difficult choreography. Given their challenges this week their score of 23 out of 30 wasn’t too bad.

Kelly and Louis. Their dance this week was the Paso Doble, and they performed it to her father’s famous song “Crazy Train.” I found it really hard to watch. I’m not sure if it was the music or Louis’ eyeliner, but overall it was distracting and difficult to see. Both Bruno and Carrie Ann said that she has what it takes to do well, and when she’s on she is good but she needs to not lose focus. Len said she needs to learn the routine and get into the character of the dance. They scored 24 out of 30.

Joanna and Maks. It was going to be interesting to see how well she performed with a “replacement” partner since Derek was home sick with the flu. Their dance – the Argentine Tango. For the whole situation I thought she did amazing. There was a small stumble in the routine but she seemed to recover and finish well. I was so upset for them, because I really wanted her to do well based on what she went through this week. Both Len and Carrie Ann said it was a great job under the circumstances, while Bruno said it was a shame that she fell because it was fabulous otherwise. They scored 24 out of 30.

The night finished with the group Hustle. I hate these group dances because it is such a free for all. I don’t have a well trained eye so it’s hard for me to really see what everyone does. This time it was obvious for me to see the solos. The routine was choreographed by Corky Ballas, and when Mark Ballas performed in the polyester and the wig I thought for a minute it was his father.

It’s going to be hard to say who will go home tomorrow. The fan vote has played a big role in this season, and there are still enough couples left that the fans could very well be the deciding vote.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 9:04 pm and is filed under Dancing With The Stars.