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So far the fifth season of Dancing With The Stars has not disappointed us fans.  The level of competition has been really good – too good, perhaps.  The middle of the pack is crowded and the front runners are few.  It’s really hard right now to predict who is staying and who is going because of the pack so it’s probably going to come down to the voting (again).  The other comment I have is that the judges seem to be kinder to the celebrities than in past seasons.  Poor Billy Ray Cyrus was raked over the coals week after week.  I haven’t really heard any scathing comments this week.  Of course it is early in the season, maybe the nasty comments are coming later.

Here’s my take on this week’s performances.

Mel B (Melanie Brown) and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy performed first this evening, doing the Quickstep.  I really didn’t have any preconceived notions as to whether or not she’d be able to pull off a ballroom dance.  I guess the judges had been thinking about this because in their comments they said they were surprised at how well she performed the Quickstep.  I think that being a performer Mel B has it in her to do well.  She and Maks performed to “Take on Me” by A Ha.  I think Maks had the same reservations because he brought in an etiquette coach to help Mel B with her posture and demeanor.  Here we go again with weird choices for the music for performances.  Where the heck did this come from?  But this is something I’m sure I’ll complain about many more times this season.  The judges were happy with the performance, giving her two 8’s and one 7 (from Carrie Ann).  All three commented on how surprised they were at the performance, that she was able to carry off the posture and performance of a ballroom style dance.

Mark Cuban and Kym Johnson were up next with the Mambo.  OK, this guy knows what it means to work hard and it was said that no one worked harder or put in more hours this week than Mark but I’m wondering if it was enough.  He looked as if he enjoyed performing but it seemed really kind of wooden and rough.  And I really kind of like him, I think mainly because he is not a performer but is putting in the hours and work to try and become a performer.  The judges weren’t two happy with his performance, saying that they enjoyed his enthusiasm and spirit but the dancing wasn’t there.  Bruno even compared him to a bulldog chasing a squirrel.  I’ve never seen a bulldog chase a squirrel so I’m not too sure what that should look like, but I’m thinking Bruno is once again over dramatizing the situation.  The judges gave them 6’s across the board.

The next couple this evening was Wayne Newton and Cheryl Burke, performing a Quickstep.  My first thought was that it wasn’t really a Quickstep, more of a slow step and Bruno said that Wayne’s performance wasn’t quick enough to be called a Quickstep.  However, yet again the judges were star struck when speaking to him, saying how great his presence was and so on.  The scores from the judges  were 5’s across the board and I’m glad to see they are judging the performance tonight and not his reputation as one of the greatest Las Vegas performers ever.

Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts did their Mambo next.  The words sexy and hot just don’t seem to go with the name Marie Osmond, but tonight……wow!  She was absolutely amazing.  Jonathan has worked his magic yet again, but this time I think he has a partner that can go with him far into this competition.  The judges were blown away, and Carrie Ann called her “one hot cougar”. Wasn’t that a reality program on a different network?  After the performance “Johnny and Marie” (as Marie referred to them in her interview with Drew Lachey) got a standing ovation, well deserved.  The judges gave them 8’s across the board and the couple seemed so surprised to get scores that high.  Surprised and thrilled.

Albert Reed and Anna Trebunskaya performed their dance next, the Quickstep.  Albert dedicated his performance to his grandfather who had passed away but had been a ballroom dancer for his life.  When Albert seemed to be struggling this week Anna arranged for him to get a pep talk from his grandmother.  The song they danced to was “99 Red Balloons” – I can’t remember how to say it in the German – so I am really wondering who is selecting the music tonight?  Obviously a child of the 1980’s.  The judges were really surprised by Albert as well.  They did not think he would be as good at ballroom as he was in Latin but Len said he was the dark horse of the competition and has so much potential.  The judges gave them scores of 7’s across the board.  How about Anna and her bluntness, saying that she had not expected that much from him but she was pleased with his performance.  She could have softened it up just a bit, don’t you think?  She’s going to have to work with him again next week (hopefully).

Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough were up next with their Mambo.  I have two words to describe their performance – game on.  From the way Helio talked in the behind the scenes interviews you would think he would be the worst dancer in North America.  On the contrary, he was so awesome.  Julianne is a really strong partner, but there’s only so far that will take you (read: Cheryl Burke and Wayne Newton).   Carrie Ann called him the real deal and I think all the other judges agreed, since they gave him 9’s across the board.

Jennie Garth and Derek Hough performed their Quickstep next.  I thought she did pretty well, up until the point where she fell at the end.  I’m wondering if she was just so focused on the dance she relaxed for just a second thinking the end was near and boom, down on the butt.  Derek took the blame for the fall, saying he slipped on her dress but when we watched the slow motion replay of the fall I did not see that.  But like Drew tells him he’s young and he’ll learn that you always take the blame for the woman.  Not.  A little sexist of a comment, don’t you think Mr. Lachey?  I think the judges were kind in giving her 7’s across the board.  I’m not sure she earned that high of scores.

My favorite Cameron Mathison and his partner Edyta Sliwinska were next.   Their dance – the Mambo.  Poor Cameron, he looked so nervous and stiff at first.  Carrie Ann compared him to a Greek God and all three of the judges said that there are high expectations on him because of how good he looks.  Huh?  What is that supposed to mean?  The other celebrities are just so butt ugly they don’t expect much from them?  That certainly isn’t the case at all – they are all attractive people.  I’m wondering if the judges are just trying to find a reason to make excuses for him and his kind of average performance (as compared to the other celebrities).  They got 7’s across the board.

Floyd Mayweather and Karina Smirnoff did their Quickstep next.  I was surprised how quick and light on his feet he was, but I guess being a boxer would give him that advantage. He certainly is not afraid of working hard, as we saw in the behind the scenes interviews.  The judges commented that he showed great improvement over last week but his posture was still bad.  He is training full time for a major boxing match so I imagine it must be very difficult for Floyd to divorce himself from his training to do a ballroom dance.  The judges gave him 7’s across the board.

Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani performed a Mambo next.  Man I can only hope that I look that good when I’m her age.  As I said last week I wouldn’t mind looking like her right now and I am many, many, many years younger than Jane.  I’m not too sure if I would be happy with Tony as a partner right now if I were Jane, brining a snake into practice but as Tony said whatever it takes to win.  She gave a good performance but something was missing, and it seemed as if she was holding back.  I just didn’t get that feeling of sexiness that I got when watching Marie Osmond perform.  That’s a shocker for me, to say that an Osmond can be sexy.  I just remember her as this prim, clean cut girl on her 1970’s tv show and from her posters and fashion doll.  The male judges commented on how reserved her performance was, while Carrie Ann thought it worked for her.  Either way, the judges were in agreement yet again with 7’s across the board.

Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas wrapped up the show with their Quickstep.  I was wondering how she would do in a more structured, strict ballroom dance.  She rocked her Cha Cha Cha last week so I think she’ll be great in the Latin dances but I wondered how the ballroom round would go this week.  She rocked the Quickstep too.  This was one couple where the judges disagreed – Bruno and Carrie Ann loved her, while Len thought it was too quick.  Like Tom Bergeron said he didn’t know Len anymore.  Len wants more raunch and a slower Quickstep.  Carrie Ann and Bruno gave her 9’s while Len gave her an 8.

I think Helio and Sabrina have again proved themselves to be the couples to beat.  I think Marie Osmond surprised a lot of people and she put herself in the mix too tonight.  And Albert Reed might just be the surprise celebrity.  I do love the fact that Sabrina is so strong because it is about time a woman won DWTS again. 

[tags]dancing with the stars, television, abc, programming, tv, stacy keibler, drew lachey, entertainment, celebrities, kelly monaco, jerry rice[/tags]

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 9:03 pm and is filed under Dancing With The Stars.