This week on Dancing with the Stars was classical week, which meant the orchestra doubled in size and rock violinist David Garrett and mezzo-soprano, Katherine Jenkins performed, while the dancers and their celebrities continued to bear their midriffs and dress like mobsters and bobcats.
Romeo and Chelsie Hightower danced the Paso Doble, which is a notably aggressive dance. And since Romeo’s biggest challenge on the dance floor is embodying the character of the dance, Chelsie asked him when in his life he has been particularly tough. Romeo answered that whenever he plays basketball he becomes “a beast,” and Chelsie explained that his passion for shoving his crotch in dudes’ faces in the name of obtaining two points was exactly what she wanted to see come out of him when he danced this week. Their dance was very good, even though it ended with Romeo taking his shirt open blazer off and pouncing on Chelsie’s body that lay on the floor. Len Goodman told Romeo to have a bit more decorum, and that even though the dance was passionate and aggressive, he needed to work on his precision. The judges gave them 23 points.
Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff danced the Waltz to the theme of Romeo and Juliet, and Karina went into practice knowing she had to work harder at making Ralph sexier and helping him lose what the judges refer to as his “spatula” hands. Their dance wasn’t outstanding, but the judges commended them for the dance’s believability. The judges gave them 25 points.
Petra Nemcova and Dmitri Chaplin were assigned the Paso Doble as well, and again, the aggression in the dance proved to be difficult for Petra to convey. So to help her, Dmitri arranged a photo shoot for her, where she could practice some Paso poses with mean faces and develop a character to bring out during the dance. Their dance was pretty fun to watch, even though Petra looked pretty rigid throughout it. The judges gave them 23 points.
Chris Jericho’s wrestling background meant he had very little trouble portraying the dominance of the Paso Doble. Although during rehearsals, Cheryl Burke criticized his tiny steps and the fact that his chest wasn’t far out enough because it made him not look masculine enough. Thankfully by dance time, Chris had grown a mustache and found his courage to whip Cheryl around the way he needed to. Len was correct in pointing out, however, that the music conquered their routine. The judges gave them 23 points.
Kendra Wilkinson and Louis van Amstel danced the Viennese Waltz to Conte Partiro. Louis explained their routine included three big tricks because he wanted to show the judges that Kendra was a really big contender. But upon hearing the song, Kendra said she was bored of these kinds of dances, but was only going to do a routine because the song reminded her of Al Capone, and she was excited to dress up like a guy in the mob. So clearly they’re equally dedicated to the competition. It was a bit sloppy, lacked elegance, and Kendra’s moves did not convey the heartbreak or lost love of the song. The judges gave them 18 points.
Hines Ward was assigned the Paso Doble this week, but was upset that he didn’t have as much time to practice as everyone else because he had several events to attend that week. As usual, their dance was great and Hines remains one of the male dancers in this season. The judges gave them 25 points.
Sugar Ray and Anna danced the Viennese Waltz, and Anna tried to prepare Sugar Ray for it by enrolling him in a ballet class. The dance didn’t require a lot from him, and there was no evidence that his dancing skills had improved since week one. The judges liked it anyway, because it was entertaining.
Kirstie Alley and Maks danced the Waltz, and they were determined to make it better than last week’s dance, where both of them fell to the floor. As they were rehearsing, Kirstie’s hip began giving her problems, but she remained determined to dance choreography that would be given to a 25 year-old. When it came time for their actual dance, Kirstie’s shoe fell off in the middle of the routine, and it’s confusing how in all 12 seasons of this show’s history (not including the British version or any other country’s version), she’s the only one to have experienced mishaps. The judges criticized her for not looking present throughout the choreography and gave her 22 points
Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas danced the Viennese Waltz TO THE THEME FROM HARRY POTTER. They both moved very well and the dance was very youthful, which Len didn’t appreciate because the dance is 300 years old and their job was to interpret it, rather than make fun of it. Carrie Ann and Bruno, however appreciated their energy, but I have to agree with Len in that very little of what they did was waltz. The judges liked it anyway and gave them 26 points.
