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DWTS Week 8 Recap: "You Put the Fox in Foxtrot"
Hey everyone sorry for the lack of TAR blog this week but I have been busy with this little thing called schoolwork, as usual.
As for DWTS, this week the celebs each have solo dances, and with Susan Lucci gone it's anyone's game. I think Maurice is in trouble but if he does well someone else could be in for a shocking exit.
This is also the first week the contestants will have to do two nongroup dances, so that will test them as well.
Out come the stars. Edyta still filling in for Julianne, and wearing a much skimpier outfit this time. Men out there must be happy. The guys are in stylish suits for the night's first dances.
Ballroom Round:
Cody and Edyta: Cody is depressed after last week's low scores, though mostly that was because of Susan Lucci. Some of his nonfamous friends come to cheer him up. They all want to dance with Edyta, of course. "She's a great dancer. And really hot" notes one hormone-crazy teen. They dance a foxtrot. This is usually not one of my favorite dances so it was a bit boring but still elegant and graceful. Still didn't notice much chemistry between them though. I'd still give it a 26.
Judges: Len was pleasantly surprised by the elegance and footwork. Bruno says it was his most grown-up performance. Carrie Ann loved it but noted a lift that I didn't see.
Scores: 8-8-8 for a 24. I liked it a bit better than I did but as Samantha pointed out it would have been a 25 without the lift.
Brooke and Derek: Derek is going to start treating Brooke like a pro, giving her tougher choreography. He's getting frustrated teaching two dances in a short amount of time. They dance a tango that looks technically demanding. Again I wasn't really entertained but she seemed to nail the steps and had a powerful glare on her face the whole time so I'd give it a 27.
Judges: Bruno says it was an epic drama on a grand scale. Carrie Ann says that was why she is the last woman left. Len calls them the "dream team" but saw a few mistakes that the other judges apparently didn't see.
Brad Paisley performs in the result show, along with the routine from the season-long Design-a-Dance contest online.
Scores: 10-8-10 for a 28. So Len is being a tough scorer as always, but still a great score for the favorites.
Maurice and Cheryl: They are doing a paso doble, which Maurice did in the team dance last week. That's a lucky break for the sprinter. They make like athletes and watch tape of last week's dance so he could improve. But for this round they do a quickstep, a running dance. Another lucky break for him... are the producers fixing this or something? He has trouble with it in practice. OMG I totally did this song in chorus years ago and still remember the words. As for the dance itself, Maurice got all the steps and Cheryl did a nice handstand at the end, but that was one of the slowest quicksteps I've ever seen. That may be because of the music choice but I still didn't like it. I'd give it a 23.
Judges: Carrie Ann loved his posture and head angles. Len says he flew around the floor and loved the footwork. Bruno says usually Maurice deflates during ballroom dances but tonight he didn't.
Celeb cameo: Mark Cuban aka owner of the Dallas Mavericks in the house.
Scores: I fear these may be way higher than I thought, which would be bad news for Cody. 8-8-8 for a 24. Good not too high. I still liked Cody's dance better but I'll take a tie for now.
Lance and Lacey (who immediately point out they ARE wearing shoes!!!): They have the dreaded samba and the foxtrot. Lance wants Lacey to focus on his technique this week. Early on they, according to Lance, wanted to be bold to stand out, which actually may have been a good strategy. Hey Cloris stood out too and she lasted until Week 6 with no dance talent whatsoever. But now they are going to put traditional steps in as well. Last time they did this they impressed Len but not Carrie Ann and Bruno, so hopefully that will change. Lacey says in rehearsal that Lance puts the "fox in foxtrot". As promised they come out with a traditional foxtrot that wasn't as fun as their normal dances but Lance's smile still made it seem entertaining. And I liked the added touches like Lance adjusting his bowtie to the camera. I'd give it a 25.
Judges: Len says it was an extreme makeover but tells them to work on footwork in hold. Wow he liked it, I'm amazed!!! Bruno liked the mix of quirkiness and tradition. Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno and thought it was fun to watch. Wow that's only like their second time getting three compliments.
Scores: 9-8!!-9 for a 26. They actually got an 8 from Len, and are in second place overall. As Tom says, an 8 from Len is like an 11 from Michael Flatley!
Warren and Kym: He's been declining recently and may also be in jeopardy tonight. He was devastated after last week's low scores, but now must put it behind him. He has the tango and jive, two totally different dances. He also has extra TV responsibilities this week (he's an NFL analyst on several networks) so he only had three days to rehearse. That was Susan's downfall last week so it may be more trouble for the big man. Is this music from James Bond because it reminds me of a Bond film? Anyway it's one of Warren's better dances of late, with solid footwork and a stoic mean face that suits his persona well. Still not blown away yet this round but I'd give it a 26.
Judges: Bruno says secret agent Sapp is back and does a mean tango (I guess it was James Bond music). Carrie Ann thought it was fantastic and loved his connection with the audience. Len says this week he was on top but says to cut down on the rise and fall. These could be good scores for the big fellow.
Scores: 10-9-9 for a 28. Thinking it over again they do deserve it as it was probably the best dance of the round after Brooke's. And speaking of Brooke he is now tied with her for first place.
So it's close after the ballroom round. Six solid if unspectacular dances so far. Now on to the Latin round, and the dreaded solos!!!
Cody and Edyta: They dance a mambo. And NOW we get some entertainment! They come out strong if not totally in sync, and Cody has a great look in his eyes. Then it's time for his solo at the end of the dance, which is a combo of a mambo hip shake and some breakdancing moves that ends with him jumping on the judges table! I fear the judges may not like all the freestyling but I thought it was more entertaining than the first dance so I'd give it a 27.
Judges: Carrie Ann says A for effort and energy but thought it was a bit disjointed. Len hopes Warren doesn't do the same ending haha! Then he says the mambo was a bit stiff but it was another good dance. Bruno says the dance was a bit spasmodic but also appreciates the effort.
Funny interview with Samantha where she jokes how he has no confidence at all. Cody jokes back that he hopes DWTS will help him get more confident with girls and that he had hoped to dance with a half-naked woman but never thought it would happen.
And more good news for Cody (but maybe not for the other men out there): It sounds like if they are voted through next week Julianne will be back to dance with him.
Scores: 8-8-8 for a solid 24. Gives them a 48 for the night, which is good but may not be good enough this late in the show.
Tom then announces Julianne is already ready to go, as she'll be on the results show this week dancing.
Brooke and Derek: They also do a mambo. They choose to start with their solo, and Derek does some nice twirls before sending it over to Brooke, who does some hip-shaking goodness in front of the judges. Len and Bruno must have like that! The routine stays hot from there with lots of twirling, hip shaking, and even a split from Brooke! Again the choreography looks harder and Brooke again pulls it off for my favorite number of the night so far. I'd give it a 29.
Judges: Len thought it was ambitious and was fixated by her hips. But he did say her legs were flexed too much. Bruno thought it could revive the dead (and that's a good thing). Carrie Ann said the solo felt like part of the number but thought it was a bit frantic at times.
Scores: 9-9-9. So an "off" dance from them still gets a 27- that must mean she's good! And with a score of 55 she should be near or at the top of the leaderboard again.
Maurice and Cheryl: They return with a paso doble. They start out with some powerful moves and I notice a mistake or two but the emotion is so great it takes away from it. And here comes his solo, complete with Cheryl's purple cape. Not much dancing though- just a lot of really fast cape twirling. His arms must be as fast as his legs! Overall a good job but I was a bit disappointed in the lack of dancing in the solo, so I'd give it a 24.
Judges: Bruno thought it was strong, imposing, and powerful. Carrie Ann loved his focus and intensity but says he needs more elegance. Len says normally he doesn't like cape twirling but it worked with this dance. Am I the only one who didn't like the cape thing? Or, actually, I liked it but it's a dance competition, not a cape twirling competition.
Scores: 8-8-8 for a 24. Good I thought with the high praise the scores would be higher but that's right what I thought it would be. It also means he's tied with Cody, likely for last place unless Warren or Lance stumble in the Latin round. So either the youngster or the speedster will likely go home.
Lance and Lacey: They do the DREADED samba to an oddly non-Latin song. He too has his solo early on and honestly I think it's the worst one so far. He just seems awkward, especially with his arm, which look kind of limp. It doesn't get much better when he gets back with Lacey. He still seems awkward and Lacey outdances him. He's still a favorite of mine but not one of his better dances. It didn't even really look like a samba to me. I'd give it a 24.
Judges: Carrie Ann says the samba is really difficult. Then she says Lance's eyes moved up during the solo, which was distracting. Tom counters that the studio has balconies, which prompts a hug from Lacey. Len says the solo wasn't really much of a samba. But if he says that (which is true) he should add that Maurice's solo wasn't dancing at all. He tells Lance to work on footwork as well. Bruno liked the focus on the solo and said the solo had lots of content that apparently WAS actual samba content.
More fun on upcoming results shows: Julianne sings (I hope she sings her hit song because it's really catchy) and we get Lacey dancing with her brother Benji, winner of SYTYCD.
Scores: 8-7-9 for an odd 24, but a 24 nonetheless. That gives him a 50 for the night, which puts him right in the middle of the pack.
Warren and Kym: They do a jive, always one of my favorite dances. Wow he can really move those feet! He looks awkward because of his size but his footwork is amazing for a big dude. His solo is towards the beginning of the dance and it's pretty good but the lack of smile on his face takes away from it a bit. Then they get back together and at one point Kym knocks her fist on Warren's head! One of the better Latin dances of the night so I'd give it a 26.
Judges: Len loves the joy in his dance, but not his feet. Words couldn't describe how bad they were! Bruno says it was so fun but also mentions the poor footwork. Carrie Ann says his feet were flat but they kept going.
Scores: 9-8-9 for a 26. Wow the third score in a row I got exactly right! I'm surprised based on the comments that it was so high but it was well deserved after an entertaining routine. That gives him a 54, just one point behind first-place Brooke.
So the final leaderboard is:
Brooke/Derek: 55
Warren/Kym: 54
Lance/Lacey:50
Cody/Edyta (who oddly were referred to as "Cody and Julianne" in the recap): 48
Maurice/Cheryl: 48
So Brooke and Warren should be safe, as should Lance since he is popular. So like I said it will likely be Maurice or Cody leaving. The men who voted for Edyta last week might not vote this week since she'll be gone next week, but I think Cody may get enough tween votes to survive, sending Maurice home.
So thoughts on the show? Who do you think will be going home? And what did you think of the solos? Post your comments below.
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Nov 11, 2008 9:00 PM
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