Good Monday Folks..
Welcome to week ten of season twenty-three of Dancing with the Stars. We have reached the semi-finals. In 8 days, the new champions of DWTS will be crowned. Tonight, the remaining five couples once again participate in two rounds of competition before another couple is eliminated. Like last season, the semi-finals will include the trio dances, in which each celebrity will perform with two other pros.
But that’s round two. First up, the usual individual routines. When the dancing is over, last week’s scores and audience votes will be added together to determine which couple will come up one week short of the finals. As we get down to the wire, the competition is as fierce as ever. Let’s look back at last week’s poll results.
James & Sharna continue to lead in favorite partnership, with 44% of the vote. But Laurie & Val are a very close second, at 31%. Jana & Gleb are far away in third, at 12%. Laurie & Val’s arentine tango was the favorite routine with 40%. The same dance from James & Jenna earned 26%. 18% went to Jana & Gleb and their waltz. For least favorite routine, Terra & Sasha lead the way with 48% of the vote. Jana & Gleb have 18%, James & Jenna have 15%, and Calvin & Lindsay earned 10%.
The favorite team-up routine was the contemporary number featuring Laurie, Val, Jana, and Gleb. That number earned 49%. In a very close second- James, Sharna, Calvin, and Lindsay’s paso doble had 44%. That means the jazz routine from Marilu, Derek, Terra, and Sasha was the least favorite team-up number with 77%. 85% of you agreed that Marilu’s boot was correct and once again, the majority rated the episode as above average.
Who do you guys think will be leaving this week? 70% voted Terra & Sasha and 22% opted to go with Jana & Gleb. This elimination is interesting. While Terra is the obvious pick, Jana has been in jeopardy quite a few times. Is it just the producers wanting to get her more votes or has she been legitimately in trouble? It is hard to say but I look at last week’s routines and feel as though Jana did enough (especially in round two) to earn enough viewer votes to stay over Terra. So, as awesome and inspiring as she has been, I think Terra will be leaving us and just missing out on the finale.
Let’s hope both Sharna and Gleb are healthy enough to perform this week so we can have everyone at their best battling it out. It looks like this season will come down to Laurie and James, as many have expected. I would consider Calvin as a spoiler but he would really need to just flat out knockout tonight’s two routines and one of the previously mentioned two would need to falter a bit. Let’s see how this season’s semi-finals shape up…
Tom and Erin welcome us to the show after a very dramatic opening package with super scary music. Here come the semi-finalists. Time for round one and we start off with James…
James & Sharna – Argentine Tango
James found last week to be tough. He is mad at himself over the mistake but happy that Sharna is back to dance with him. James’ parents, girlfriend, and best friend talk about him. Sharna is ready to give it everything. Oh, they are doing a blindfold thing at the start, similar to Nyle last season but this time, the pro has the blindfold. Nice. I don’t actually think the blindfold was necessary. The dance was good enough on its own, with lovely argentine tango steps and a nice and sultry back and forth between the pair that it was actually a bit distracting. I kept looking to see if Sharna would be able to keep her balance, among other things. Granted, she is the pro and I am sure dancing blindfolded to memorized steps wouldn’t be nearly as difficult for her as it would a novice but it still grabbed more attention a little more than it should have. If I take that out of the equation, it was a really solid dance that had passion, very nice footwork, and solid hold throughout. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Julianne calls it absolutely sensational. She loved the risk and also enjoyed how this argentine tango had passion and control. Bruno compliments the skill in the partnership. He thought it was all spot on. Carrie Ann agreed that the risky part was nailed but she saw some wobbles in the beginning.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 29/30
You can vote for James by calling 1-800-868-3405 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Terra & Sasha – Rumba
Terra’s mom notes how when the doctor delivered Terra, she was the first little person he ever delivered. She also discusses how they adopted her brother and since he was also a little person, it was someone Terra could relate to. We hear about her past as a singer. She discovered she could make a living by impersonating other singers. But then she pitched the idea for her reality show. Lots of wonderful compliments from everyone in her life. Lovely theme for this routine. I can tell Sasha put some real thought into it. And just like many times during the course of this season, Terra matches the emotion and performance quality of the dance to the technical aspect of it. Lots of fantastic arm extensions, great hip action, fluidity from start to finish. I like that Sasha went more for an overriding theme here as opposed to the typical “sexy rumba” because for he and Terra, telling a story within the dance is one of their strongest attributes. Really nice. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Bruno wasn’t expecting the rumba he saw. He compliments the content. He says that Terra shows everyone that they can do anything. Carrie Ann (in tears) talks about how we are united by our differences. She found the movements in the dance to be executed to perfection. Julianne sees all the emotion and feels the dance proved her wrong because she thought it would be difficult. She loves that Terra branched out and called it her best dance of the season.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 30/30
You can vote for Terra by calling 1-800-868-3412 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Jana & Gleb – Quickstep
Jana always wanted to be on stage. She even dabbled in figure skating. Her parents got divorced and she learned to take care of herself pretty early on in life. Jana believes her lack of a father figure led her to some really bad choices, especially when it comes to men. She feels the show has made her feel confident again. Gleb is very proud. He feels she has grown as a dancer and as a person. A good quickstep, though a few issues were evident. I saw a couple of out of sync moments when the pair were in hold. I’m talking about Jana’s feet. Either Gleb was going just a bit too fast or Jana was going a bit too slow. Also, the dance lacked a certain finesse. It had all the usual things you see in a quickstep but I feel like an added day of rehearsal may have been necessary to polish everything off. I also think Gleb needs to do some homework during the off season on choreography. He knows what each dance requires but I feel like he sometimes misses the mark of putting together memorable routines. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Carrie Ann says the dance had a rough start. But she feels Jana has come the farthest out of the semi-finalists. Julianne feels it was a proper quickstep. She does mention an issue with Jana’s neck. Bruno found it to be elegant and slick with proper quickstep content. He loved it.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 10
Total- 28/30
You can vote for Jana by calling 1-800-868-3406 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Calvin & Lindsay – Tango
Calvin had a good childhood, and was very smart and driven in sports (of course). We get to hear from his coaches and school teachers. Family was always very important to him and played a big part in his life. When he retired, many were upset and shocked. But Calvin wanted a quality of life where his injuries didn’t affect him. He is a really good father and loves his son dearly. Lovely words from his family and friends. I love Lindsay’s choreography. It is always so fresh and fun to watch. This was a solid tango. However, and much like Jana right before, it was lacking polish. Calvin actually had a few moments where he messed up throughout, one obvious one when the pair of them went to the side of the ballroom near the audience. It almost looked like he was off balance various times, though that could be a result of having to be in-hold with such a height difference. It was still a fun routine to watch with many positives but since this is the semi-finals, the little things that aren’t quite right do add up. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Julianne mentions the mistake. She loved the attack and chemistry. She says well done despite the error. Bruno enjoyed the power and determination. But he saw some stumbles. Carrie Ann didn’t feel the beginning didn’t work and she too mentions the error. She gives him an A for effort though.
Carrie Ann- 8
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total- 26/30
You can vote for Calvin by calling 1-800-868-3403 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Laurie & Val – Foxtrot
Laurie’s mom and dad talk about how she was always a clown and the life of the house. Her sister talks about how money was tight. Laurie’s grandmother moved from Puerto Rico. Laurie speaks fondly of her. She visited her this past week. Her grandmother is very proud. Aww. Her grandmother suffers from Alzheimers and so her memory isn’t that great. Laurie is crying because she feels bad about being away from home so much. OMG. Her grandmother passed away the day after they filmed the interview. Laurie is all tears in rehearsal and to be honest, I am in tears typing this. Darn, that sucks really hard. OH I HOPE LAURIE ISN’T WATCHING THIS PACKAGE BEFORE HER DANCE. They actually show her grandmother sending her best wishes to close out the package. Please tell me Val told Laurie to cover her ears and eyes for that whole thing. Man, a stunning foxtrot. Just wonderful. Great rise and fall, fluidity throughout the dance, nice extensions, and overall strong dancing. This was a very different foxtrot compared to what we normally see. This had a lot of power. I guess Laurie’s inner gymnast is the cause of that. But I’m not mad at her about it. It worked. Great stuff. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Carrie Ann thought the content was incredible and loved how Laurie channeled her emotion into the dance. Julianne feels the performance exceeded what Laurie does technically and she should be very proud of herself. Bruno feels the dance was filled with intricate and difficult steps. And it was executed brilliantly.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 30/30
You can vote for Laurie by calling 1-800-868-3407 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Time for Round 2!
James & Sharna (with Jenna) – Jive
Awesome jive! I love that James controlled that dance- not the girls. They might be the pros but my eyes went straight to James. The kicks and flicks were totally in-sync and on point. It was fast and fun, yet still packed with content. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Julianne loved how in-sync it was. She feels it was such a huge comeback from last week. Bruno says James is a natural at partner swapping. He loved it. Carrie Ann loved how in unison it was.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 30/30
You can vote for James by calling 1-800-868-3405 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Terra & Sasha (with Artem) – Tango
Hehe. That was fun. Seeing Terra toy with two men on the dance floor. A good tango for sure but a little lacking in the energy department. A lot of those steps seemed like Terra just doing what she did when she performed paso doble. And yes, the two dances do share similarities. As seems to be the case all the time, Terra knocks the acting part out of the park. But her round one routine was superior to this one. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Bruno calls Terra a saucy little vixen. He praises the boys for the choreography. He loved how Terra was always the center of attention. Carrie Ann agrees and though it was constructed so well around Terra. Julianne begins to sing (no really, she does). She feels like Terra changed tonight and became a new person- a person who is on fire.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 30/30
You can vote for Terra by calling 1-800-868-3412 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
*Hmm. Is anyone else getting the sneaking suspicion that Terra is getting all raves and these perfect scores because she is about to be eliminated? We have seen this before- the judges heap praise on a couple right before the hammer drops. We shall see in about half an hour.
Jana & Gleb (with Alan) – Paso Doble
That was really awesome. So much better than Jana’s round one routine. First, remember what I said about memorable choreography and how Gleb needs to brush up so he can do that? Well, this IS what I meant. That was a routine you will remember when the night was over. And it was danced with so much passion. Jana just slayed that and she played off of Gleb and Alan perfectly. One of her strongest routines of the competition. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Carrie Ann calls it artistry in motion. She has never seen Jana more in control of the situation. Julianne agrees and feels as though Jana was the Queen of the ballroom in that. Bruno says it was high passion dressed in high fashion. Yep, he said that.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 30/30
You can vote for Jana by calling 1-800-868-3406 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Calvin & Lindsay (with Witney) – Salsa
And that was basically a party! A totally crowd pleasing salsa. I loved the tricks the three of them pulled off. That one with both ladies flying around hanging on to one another and to Calvin was great. They call the salsa a party dance for a reason, and that was it. Just a really good time had by all and Calvin was completely in the zone for it. A marked improvement over his round one dance. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Julianne found it fun and loved the commitment. She feels Calvin brings such light to the competition. Bruno feels this is what the show is all about- enjoying dancing and being in the spirit. Carrie Ann feels Calvin turned everything around with this number.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 30/30
You can vote for Calvin by calling 1-800-868-3403 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Laurie & Val (with Maks) – Samba
SAMBA ROLLS! Yes. I love me some samba rolls. A great routine to end the night, and a great routine to end what was already a strong night for Laurie. I loved the story behind the dance- Maks’ school and Laurie and Val as students. It had some great interplay between the three and I could just imagine a lesson with Maks in real life is very similar to that. LOL. – Watch the Performance VIDEO
Bruno calls it deliciously theatrical. Carrie Ann calls Laurie incredible. She calls this Laurie’s best dance ever. She loved the fiery latin spirit that came out. Julianne says Laurie was a proper latin dancer tonight.
Carrie Ann- 30
Julianne- 30
Bruno- 30
Total- 30/30
You can vote for Laurie by calling 1-800-868-3407 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 11AM Eastern Tuesday.
Ugh. Elimination Time…
SAFE and onto the FINALS… Laurie & Val
Also SAFE and in the FINALS… James & Sharna
And the 3rd couple SAFE and dancing in the FINALS… Jana & Gleb
The couple leaving us tonight, just one week short of making the finals is…
Terra & Sasha
Terra says Sasha has been extremely supportive and she wouldn’t be here without him. Tom and Erin give her props and we are kind of strapped for time, so no more questions to the eliminated celebrity. They head to the center of the ballroom as our hosts tells us to vote and tune in next week for the two day grand finale! – Watch the Elimination VIDEO
—
I just realized they gave all the couples perfect scores in the trio round. So that was basically a wash and not much of a difference separates the final four. Take a look…
Final Judges Leaderboard For Week 10 (Out Of A Possible 60 Points)
Laurie- 60
James- 59
Jana- 58
Calvin- 56
That’s a strong group of four and I am really looking forward to seeing those freestyles. It just may come down to who actually performs best next Monday and grabs viewers attention the most. I’ll have polls up very soon. I really hope everyone enjoyed the semi-finals!