The difficulty stepped up a notch this week with each couple having to learn both a ballroom and a Latin routine- and unsurprisingly, it caused something of a stir on the dance floor. With everything from a shake-up in the leader board to an injury mid-routine, this week could only be described as eventful.
Ballroom round
- Marissa and Tony (tango): The chair at the beginning signified the beginning of a night of unnecessary props, but nonetheless this tango seemed to showcase how far Marissa has come since the beginning. Technically it had some faults, but Marissa was able to use her performance skills to really get into character and sell the dance- a good job overall.
- Cristián and Cheryl (Viennese waltz): I liked the song, and what was there was good, but Len was right in saying it was a bit lacking in content- there were a few times when Cristián seemed to be just walking across the floor to the next section, and if this had been filled by a bit more dancing, this could have been a very romantic and breathtaking waltz. As it was, it just wasn’t quite up there.
- Kristi and Mark (Viennese waltz): Again I liked the song, Kristi’s dress was and the whole dance had a nice romantic ambience to it, but this was her weakest routine so far, and the scores reflected that. Using an umbrella as a prop seemed like a bit of a time-waster, whilst Kristi looked a little uncertain during the turns (I’m pretty sure Mark’s fall wasn’t intentional either). Still, I can’t help but love this couple even in their weaker moments- I think I may be becoming a closet Mark Ballas fangirl.
- Mario and Karina (foxtrot): The elegance and refinement of ballroom dancing is a bit out of Mario’s comfort zone, and he even admitted that he didn’t really like the foxtrot. Ultimately, despite a good start, it showed on the floor, with a weak and overly casual hold weakening the second half of the routine. I did like the material used for Karina’s dress, however.
- Shannon and Derek (tango): Shannon looked the part, acted the part and, most importantly, danced the part for this routine, which was definitely one of the best tangos I’ve seen on DWTS. There’s not much more I can say, really, except gush a bit more over Derek’s choreography and admit that I didn’t even mind the hat prop.
- Jason and Edyta (quickstep): what a great quickstep- and given that I’m not usually a fan of Edyta’s choreography, it’s really saying something that she and Jason won me over with this fast, energetic and fun number. I wouldn’t even mind some of that material used for Edyta’s dress.
Latin round
- Marissa and Tony (rumba): It was another surprisingly good effort from Marissa; once again there were some technical points like needing a little more extension in some of the lines, but overall this was a well presented routine with a nice mix of content. It was definitely two for two for Marissa tonight.
- Cristián and Cheryl (samba): Well, it’s hard to appraise this dance as Cristián ended up snapping a tendon towards the end- a nasty injury that basically wiped out the last part of his routine. Even before that, however, it did look a bit flat and careful, but it’s worrying that he’ll have to carry on with this injury from now on.
- Kristi and Mark (cha cha): Usually I’m with Len when it comes to hip hop elements, but I have to admit that I really, really enjoyed this cha cha- it had tons of content and energy, and really blew me away after her ‘off’ dance in the ballroom round.
- Mario and Karina (mambo): If the foxtrot wasn’t Mario’s dance, then the mambo most certainly was- with that body and those hips, he was born to shake it in the mambo. I haven’t liked him every week, but when Mario brings it, he really shines out on the floor.
- Shannon and Derek (mambo): After all the comments about hip action, Shannon overdid it a little with all her (fake) booty shaking for the judges, but this was a fun routine- yes, Shannon’s height and lack of precise control of her limbs serves as a disadvantage for the Latin dances, but I thought she tried hard nonetheless (oddly enough, I’m not much shorter than Shannon and I’ve never felt particularly gawky or disadvantaged in the Latin dances).
- Jason and Edyta (paso doble): I’m not a fan of Edyta’s themed pasos, and so using Monday Night Football for this dance didn’t really do anything for me. That being said, he danced it well, and is definitely deserving of a place in the final.
Results show
- Def Leppard: again, not my type of music, but their first number was accompanied by an electric, leather-clad pro paso, whilst another pair of world rhythm champions strutted their stuff for the second piece.
- Dancecenter: I always love this feature in which Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice and Len Goodman gently rib the remaining contenders- it’s a hilarious parody piece.
- Elimination: It was a brand new bottom two this week, with Shannon leaving the competition and Marissa joining her in jeopardy. I did want Shannon to last another couple of weeks, but given the standard of the best dancers I’m not too surprised she was coming to the end of her time. Marissa has really made a great improvement, but I feel she should go next, although Cristián’s injury has altered the playing field somewhat.
