DWTS 23 Week 9 Live Blog and Performance Videos

DWTS Dancing with the Stars 23 Key Art

Welcome everyone to week nine of season twenty-three of Dancing with the Stars. In two weeks, this season will come to a close and we will find out which couple will be the successors to last season’s champions, Nyle & Peta. Even though the season has went rather quickly, we still have a fierce competition where anything could happen. Tonight’s theme is “Showstoppers Night.” Idina Menzel is on hand to perform and guest judge.

In round one, each couple will once again perform an unlearned routine. In round two, we will see the team-up challenge. The six remaining pairs have been split into three groups of two. After the completion of both rounds (9 routines in total), another couple will be eliminated and we will have our semi-finalists. Let’s take a look at last week’s poll results.

James & Sharna continue to lead the favorite partnership poll with 47% of the vote. Laurie & Val have 31% and Calvin & Lindsay earned 11%. 49% voted for the viennese waltz from James & Jenna. The same dance from Laurie & Val earned 33%. The rest of the routines could only muster single digits. 58% of you disliked the argentine tango from Marilu & Derek while 20% picked Terra & Sasha and their cha-cha-cha. With 10% of the vote, Jana & Gleb.

You guys agreed with the winners of each dance-off. Laurie & Val defeated Calvin & Lindsay by a margin of 73-27. Jana & Gleb won against Terra & Sasha 73-27. Finally, Ryan & Cheryl (who were eliminated) defeated Marilu & Derek 71-29. Speaking of Ryan, 61% of you agreed with his boot. More than half of you voted the episode itself as above average. So, who do you guys think will be eliminated tonight?

72% of you feel Marilu & Derek are out. 17% believe Terra & Sasha will be leaving. I do agree those are the two in the most danger but I wonder if Derek’s fans will be able to get he and Marilu to the semi-finals over Terra & Sasha. If it was only based on overall dancing, Terra would be in. But I’m not so sure she can get the votes. We shall see. With all that being said, let’s get tonight’s competition going and see where we stand with everyone at the end of the evening.

Female pros and troupe members are out to dance a Broadway routine to… “On Broadway” That works! Mandy Moore responsible for the choreography. Here come the stars. Idina gets a special entrance as Tom and Erin welcome us to the show. Jenna standing next to James, so perhaps Sharna is out for the second week in a row. More on that later… – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Marilu & Derek – Samba
Mark Ballas will be on hand to perform during this routine. He is currently on Broadway. Derek talks about how rehearsals have been tough. He says he has backed off a bit during the middle of the season but now wants to push Marilu a little more. Marilu breaks down a bit when she talks about how appreciative she is of Derek. She says this has been one of the best weeks on the show. She compares herself to the Chicago Cubs. Well, that’s about as good as I can now expect from Marilu. No glaring issues this week (a good thing), and a fine samba with classic steps and lots of fun back and forth. As usual, a tad less energy exuded by Marilu than one should expect but at least she doesn’t seem too in her head about the steps. As it has been said, when she lets go, she does a whole lot better. A nice way to open the show and a definite improvement over the last couple of weeks. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Idina says Marilu looks like she was having an amazing time and she thought it was amazing. Julianne says Marilu looked free. Bruno thought Marilu looked perfectly defrosted. He compliments her legs and was happy to see the samba bounce. Carrie Ann saw a true partnership tonight. She feels like Marilu came out and gave her best.
Carrie Ann- 9
Idina- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total- 36/40
You can vote for Marilu by calling 1-800-868-3408 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.

*Interesting to see the judges give straight 9’s right out of the gate. They either truly felt the dance was that good or they know that high scores for Marilu matter not considering tonight’s elimination. Hmm.

Calvin & Lindsay – Waltz
Leona Lewis is here to perform. Lindsay wants Calvin to be a beautiful cat this week. They head to New York City. They get dressed up as cats and look adorable. They learn some choreography. Lindsay notes that Calvin is giving it his all. Aww, so sweet. A really solid waltz. Elegant, flowing, and pretty to watch. I must compliment Calvin’s posture here as well- it looked better to me this week than it did last week. He still poked his butt out at times but like I previously mentioned, I think the height difference with Lindsay has more to do with any posture/framing issues. This was the first legit waltz we have seen this season and it was really good. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Julianne loved that Calvin owned the dance. She loves Calvin’s commitment. She felt it was one of his best dances. Bruno compliments Leona Lewis and then turns to Calvin. He says how difficult it is because of the height difference but found that Calvin went in and out with the tempo beautifully. Carrie Ann agrees. She gives a point to work on. She found it wasn’t Calvin’s best musically. Idina says Calvin is graceful and talks about how football players get a bad rap for always being rough and tough but they must also be graceful and Calvin is.
Carrie Ann- 9
Idina- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 9
Total- 37/40
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.

Keo and Allison welcome us back with a fantastic contemporary routine.

James & Sharna (Jenna) – Jazz
Sharna was incredibly proud of last week’s dance, even though she didn’t get the chance to dance in it. Sharna is icing her knee in rehearsals. The doctor has cleared Sharna but it is still risky for her to dance. Does she take the risk or play it safe? James tells her to do what is best. She will sit out and Jenna is in. Okay, that was not James’ best. For one, there was an obvious mistake in the middle where he lost the steps and seemed out of sorts. It may have been because he temporarily lost sync with Jenna. Second, there was too much going on in the routine with the extra dancers and it made it seem to hectic. I get what Sharna was going for with the choreography though. We are holding James to a very high standard now because he is so good, so a dance that is below what we are used to stands out. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Bruno loves James’ versatility and skill. He does mention the mistake. Carrie Ann says James rocked the green outfit. She does agree with Bruno on the error but feels he killed it after that. Idina says she would share the stage with James at anytime. Julianne says she called it way back in week three that James should be on Broadway.
Carrie Ann- 9
Idina- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total- 36/40
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 – Charleston
Terra wants to do new and fresh stuff this week due to the judges comments last week. Sasha says it is hard because of Terra’s size. The charleston needs to be big so he is going to make it work for her. Terra is accepting the fact that she has limitations. Really great stuff here. The judges wanted different and they got it. Terra was all personality here and her acting did the routine wonders. Any limitations in the size of the steps doesn’t hinder the dance at all because Terra nails what she is supposed to do and gives it all performance wise. That was a whole lot of fun to watch and once again, claps to Sasha on the work he is doing with Terra. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Carrie Ann loves that Terra focused on her attributes and she outperforms everyone in the competition. Idina says the real thing about Terra is her soul and she is supremely talented. Julianne says the spotlight is way too small for Terra. Bruno loves what a great performer Terra is.
Carrie Ann- 10
Idina- 10
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total- 38/40
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.

Another performance by Mark Ballas and his Jersey Boys co-stars.

Jana & Gleb – Waltz
Gleb explains to Jana his vision for the dance. Jana feels as though the show has made her feel more confident. She says that she owes a lot of that to Gleb. He is having knee issues though. Jana doesn’t want to lose Gleb this week so she pushes him to go to the doctor. He has a lot of fluid and swelling. Alan stands in for Gleb. But will Gleb return for the performance? Yes, yes he will. Nice! I love the difference with this waltz as compared to the one we saw earlier. This had more of a contemporary feel to it- more expressive if you will. And while Calvin’s worked as a classical routine, this worked for the theme and song. I really loved the choreography here- it would please those looking for a waltz and those looking for something different. And Jana nailed her steps and was very in character throughout. A strong outing. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Idina loved the complexity of the performance. Julianne calls it beautiful. She felt Jana performed from the heart. Bruno wants Jana to keep it up. He loved the way she danced through her body. Carrie Ann says Jana has a special gift where she feels she is watching a piece of Jana’s life with each routine.
Carrie Ann- 10
Idina- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 40/40
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.

Laurie & Val – Argentine Tango
Laurie loved last week’s performance. Val says they can’t hold back now. They head to New York to see Chicago and meet with some of the cast and crew to help out. Laurie is worried about being sexy but she is prepared to work. She says the show has changed her as a person. Fabulous! That was awesome. Between the intricate argentine tango steps and the sexy and sultry performance that yes, Laurie did pull off, this was the strongest first round routine of the night. Just a great marriage of the theme with the genre of dance and great execution. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Julianne says Laurie looks stunning and says the dance was perfect for her. Bruno loved the flexibility. But he said it was also precise. He loved it. Carrie Ann feels like Laurie’s strength showed tonight. Idina says Laurie never has to worry about being sexy. She calls Laurie amazing.
Carrie Ann- 10
Idina- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 40/40
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.

Idina Menzel performing her new single “Queen Of Swords.” She is of course joined by various female pros and troupe members. This is one of those cool, big, belty tunes one would expect from a Tony winner.

James & Sharna (Jenna) & Calvin & Lindsay – Paso Doble
James and Calvin say they must hold it down for the guys, since they are the only ones left. Sharna says she and Lindsay have had to come up with a huge production. They need to dance together for 30 seconds without their respective partners. James and Calvin are laughing hysterically in rehearsal while trying to be serious. They have a bromance. YES! I’m glad James got the chance to make up for that round one routine. This was great. Loved the paso steps, the exchanges between James and Calvin and the way the number was structured. It was a masculine paso yet had a nice playful feel to it and the ladies complimented the men wonderfully. That’s the way you do a routine with four people. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Bruno nearly curses he is so excited. He calls it very entertaining ans strong. Carrie Ann loved how in-sync it was. She says the musicality was off just a bit in the beginning. Idina didn’t see anything besides how hot the both of them were. She calls the dancing amazing. Julianne says that this dance is the reason why they are the last two men standing. She loved it.
Carrie Ann- 9
Idina- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 9
Total- 37/40

Marilu & Derek AND Terra & Sasha – Jazz
Terra says the routine has a bit of everything. Marilu and Terra are having an inner dialogue during rehearsal. Artem steps in for Derek, who has other obligations. Terra feels as though this team has a lot to prove. Marilu makes a hysterical sex joke that almost made me spit out my soda. These two are funny together. I have to be honest. I didn’t love that. I felt it had way too much going on to be cohesive. It was just too much of everything- from too many dancers to many different styles in one. All the actual steps were done well enough, and both Marilu and Terra looked like they were truly enjoying themselves. Points get awarded here for going all out but as a routine, it just didn’t come together. This is one of those dances where personal preference could come into play. I could just as easily see people love it to bits. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Carrie Ann loved how much they went for it. She felt they hit the mark with the challenge. Idina loved how much fun everyone had. Julianne found it fun and energetic. Bruno says it was great fun.
Carrie Ann- 9
Idina- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total- 36/40

Laurie & Val AND Jana & Gleb – Contemporary
Laurie and Gleb are very close and so, they are excited about this routine. Jana feels like she is dancing with her little sister. Due to Gleb’s knee, Alan filled in. Jana wishes they had more time as both celebrities have been all over the country. Jana is freaking out during camera blocking. Laurie tries to calm her down. They seem to be working really well together. Nice! A strong female-driven contemporary piece. Laurie and Jana worked solidly together and on their own with their respective partners. Lots of emotion in that and lots of great interplay. I really appreciated the fact that though contemporary can be all over the place with the steps, Val and Gleb choreographed some nice in-sync moments for everyone to do that make it come together (that section with the sheets toward the end for example). A strong way to finish the night. – Watch the Performance VIDEO

Idina thanks the show for having her. She is speechless about the routine. She calls it a magical dance. Julianne loved the approach. She thought it was amazing and beautiful. Bruno says they were in tune emotionally and physically. He calls it beautiful. Carrie Ann felt the team work was incredible. She felt the two merged into one great dancer on the floor.
Carrie Ann- 10
Idina- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total- 40/40

Final Judges Leaderboard For Week 9 (Out Of A Possible 80)
Laurie- 80
Jana- 80
Calvin- 74
Terra- 74
James- 73
Marilu- 72

Elimination Time!

The couples who have MADE IT to the semi-finals… Laurie & Val, Terra & Sasha, James & Sharna, Calvin & Lindsay

And now, with only Marilu & Jana left, the couple who is LEAVING us tonight, just one week short of the semi-finals is… – Watch the Elimination VIDEO

Marilu & Derek

Marilu had such a blast. She mentions everyone from the cast, judges, and crew. She thanks everyone. They head to the center of the ballroom to say goodbye. Tom and Erin tells us to vote, not just for these couples, but for you know what tomorrow. I second that statement. VOTE! Anyways, that’s all for tonight. Next week is the semi-finals. I will be back very soon with some POLLS! Hope you guys had fun watching with me. :D