DWTS 21 Week 10 (Semi-Final) Live Blog and Performance Videos

DWTSPromo21

Good Monday!

Before I get started, I would just like to send love, thoughts, and prayers to the people of Paris. My heart and mind is with you tonight as you try and heal.

It seems as though the season just started but we have already arrived at week ten, or the semi-finals of the 21st edition of Dancing with the Stars. After last week’s emotional episode, the drama continued throughout the week. It all started on Monday when Tamar Braxton was hospitalized and ended up arriving at the show just in time to dance in the last spot of the night and be announced safe.

After the show ended, Tamar returned to the hospital and subsequently, withdrew from the competition due to pulmonary embolisms in her lungs. Had she remained in the hospital on Monday night (which she has said the doctors wanted her to), she would have been disqualified and saved Alexa from being booted. But as we saw, it didn’t work out that way and Alexa & Mark were eliminated. It was a very emotional moment as the producers of course placed Carlos in jeopardy so we would have the husband versus wife face-off that everyone could see coming from week one.

While one part of me wishes Tamar had listened to her doctors (both for her health and so that Alexa could have stayed), another part of me feels as though Alexa received the lowest combined total and because of that, her elimination was correct. But we have to move on. Four celebrties remain and we are one week away from crowining this season’s champion.

The biggest question going into tonight’s show is whether or not anyone will be elimated at the end of the night. The show used to have finales with three couples until recently when they changed it to four. With next week’s show being two hours (both on Monday and Tuesday), it would be difficult to fill the show with only three couples dancing. This leads me to believe no one will be sent home tonight and all four remaining couples were get to make the finals. We will find out soon enough how the show plans on handling the situation. Let’s take a look at the poll results from last week.

61% of you voted for Bindi & Derek as favorite round one routine. In second place, with 23%, Nick & Sharna. 56% of you thought Tamar & Val (the rehearsal footage) was weakest, follow by Alek & Lindsay with 25%. For round two, 76% of you loved the Bindi and Alexa team dance. It was much closer for least favorite round two dance as 46% voted for the Nick and Tamar team and 44% of you voted for Carlos and Alek. Bindi & Derek still lead the favorite partnership poll with Nick & Sharna and Alek & Lindsay trailing behind them but still in double digits.

In terms of who you guys think is going home tonight, 56% of you voted for Tamar & Val with 28% for Alek & Lindsay and 14% for Carlos & Witney. Should the show go through with a boot, and considering Tamar is out, I agree that Alek and Carlos are the obvious possibilities but I think Carlos is in way more danger than Alek. He is my pick should someone go tonight. Finally, 75% of you did not agree with last week’s elimination.

We have three rounds of competition tonight. Round one is the usual individual dances to any unlearned routine. Round two will be the trio dances in which the couples are joined by a second pro to dance. Finally, we have the dance-off challenge back (because the show needs to fill time) as Bindi faces off with Nick and Alek faces off with Carlos. So, we have a lot of dancing to get through tonight and some big questions that need to be answered. Who, out of the the most probable final two, Bindi and Nick, will shine? Or will they both do well and make things close? And can either Carlos or Alek do anything to change the inevitable? Let’s get this semi-final started!

Nice opening. All the pros who are in the competition (even Val) get a nice white spotlight on them as they dance. I could seriously sit through two hours of just watching these pros do routines. Anyways, out come the celebs to join their partners. Tom and Erin welcome us and of course, Mandy Moore (has anyone else choreographed opening routines this season) is responsible for that number.

Click to Watch the Opening Group Number

An update coming up later in the show on Tamar. Way to milk it, DWTS!

Individual Routines

Bindi & Derek – Salsa
BINDI-IRWIN

Bindi’s mom and brother discuss Bindi’s work at home at the zoo and what her life is like. A family friend mentions how Bindi and her father are so similar. After Steve passed, Bindi wanted to go right back to filming because that was her normal. Bindi’s brother is adorable. Bindi and Derek have a portion of the dance floor to themselves in a circle as they do this salsa. Lots of high energy here. We have the typical salsa moves, lots of hip movement, lots of great partnering. Crazy lift. If you love happy go lucky Bindi having a ball, this is definitely going to please you. Good stuff here though I will admit I am a small bit underwhelmed. There’s nothing technically wrong with this from what I can see but it just feels like another salsa routine I have seen many times before. Perhaps since it is the semi-final, I am expecting the usual + a little something extra.

Click to Watch Bindi & Derek’s Salsa VIDEO

Julianne thought the song was perfect. She wanted to see a bit more down and dirty because that’s what salsa is all about. But the music called for more light and happy. Bruno feels the holiday celebrations have started. He thinks the side by side hip action was a bit lacking. Carrie Ann thought it was a great way to start the show. She agrees that she would like to see some more edge.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total: 27/30
You can vote for Bindi & Derek by calling 1-855-234-5604 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Alek and Lindsay – Waltz
ALEK-SKARLATOS

Alek’s buddies from the train attack talking about him. His mother and father as well. Alek discusses him time overseas. Alek’s pop tears up just talking about him. Many other veterans and army people talking about Alek’s achievements. Nice stuff all around. That’s got to make him feel good before dancing. How does one judge this? Alek is doing a waltz to “America The Beautiful.” I mean, it feels like if I say anything that has criticism, it would be wrong. LOL. Alright, this is a nice dance. Elegant and flowing, as it should be. Alek is so strong in ballroom routines when you compare it to latin. He is definitely in the moment here and I love the simple but beautiful choreography by Lindsay here. Well, doesn’t look like I need to critique anything because these dances are quite short and this waltz was very nice indeed.

Click to Watch Alek & Lindsay’s Waltz VIDEO

Bruno loved the attention to detail in the footwork. He can’t believe how far Alek has come. Carrie Ann thinks this is where Alek shines his brightest. She also thought it was his best performance tonight. Julianne is glad Alek had a ballroom dance tonight. The difference tonight was in comfort.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total: 30/30
You can vote for Alek & Lindsay by calling 1-855-234-5601 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Carlos and Witney – Contemporary
CARLOS-PENAVEGA

Replay of last week’s emotional Alexa exit. Carlos’ dad and brothers talk about what he was like growing up. Carlos hasn’t spoken to his mom in a long time following his parents divorce. Alexa talks about how their marriage is a safety net for Carlos after all the family drama. A rope is hanging in the ballroom, which both Carlos and Witney are using to do some nice moves. This is yet another emotional contemporary routine that requires both the dancing and the performance value from those involved. Lots of emotion on Carlos’ face. Lovely side by side dancing. Oh wow. This last trick on the rope with Carlos going around as Witney twirls him is fantastic. That was awesome.

Click to Watch Carlos & Witney’s Contemporary VIDEO

Carrie Ann has mixed feelings. She thought it was a bit over-danced with Carlos’ face and she would have liked to see more straight dancing. Julianne understands the struggle Carrie Ann had. She feels like Carlos and Witney are losing their connection. Bruno disagrees. He really enjoyed it. He thought it was different and exciting.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 10
Total: 28/30
You can vote for Carlos & Witney by calling 1-855-234-5605 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Nick and Sharna – Tango
NICK-CARTER

Nick talks about some of his past mistakes. Nick’s brother Aaron talks about how fast life started when Nick joined the Backstreet Boys. Drinking and drugs came into Nick’s life and he was surrounding himself with bad people. Nick’s sister died from a drug overdose. Nick is crying as he explains because he feels he let down a lot of people. Nick took responsibility and has been trying ever since to be a better person. Aaron is very proud of him. All his band mates are as well. Okay. This is a little odd. Some of this seems sloppy? I’m not sure what to make of what’s going down here. Nick is off. Sharna actually gives him a talking to in the middle of the dance because Nick is clearly at a loss. It looks like nerves plus a little missed step (both with feet and hold) hurt Nick’s ability to pull this off. Some really nice tango steps as the routine ends. A shame really because it looked like a nice (though unspectacular) tango. Nick looks bummed.

Click to Watch Nick & Sharna’s Tango VIDEO

Julianne loved the pep talk in the middle. Footwork issues in the beginning got in his head according to Julianne. Bruno thought he looked the part and played it beautifully. He wants him to come back and be better. Carrie Ann isn’t worried about him. She thinks he will be fine in the next two rounds.
Carrie Ann- 8
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 8
Total: 24/30
You can vote for Nick & Sharna by calling 1-855-234-5610 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

We return from the break to Val dancing with Jenna Lovely dance but what exactly was that supposed to be? A way to fill time or was Jenna supposed to be an idea of what a dance with Tamar would have looked like? It wasn’t just the run of the mill back from commercial dance because it lasted just as long as all the other routines we have seen tonight.

Ahh. It is a plug for the tour. Okay.

Oh goodness. We are getting a play by play of what happened with Tamar last Monday. Do we really need to see this? We all have our own opinions on last week’s show and how it all went down but I don’t see the point of showing all of this, including Tamar needing to return to the hospital after the show. Val is with Tom back live. They are discussing Tamar’s blood clots. She’s still in the hospital. Val wishes her the best and thinks it was an incredible season.

And with that… commercial before the dance-off begins.

Dance-Off

Match #1- Carlos/Witney Vs. Alek/Lindsay – Cha Cha Cha

Alek is up first. Clean. Not much content here. Some of the usual stuff. No glaring mistakes though. Alek slides on the floor to end it and open up his shirt to expose his (still waxed, HA) chest.

Carlos next. More content for sure. But a missed hand connection. Not sure if Witney messed that up or Carlos. But overall, a whole lot more cha-cha-cha and more actual dancing. Nice finish.

Click to Watch Carlos & Witney vs Alek & Lindsay VIDEO

Julianne thinks Alek sold it but the musicality was a bit off as was the technique. She thinks the technique was spot on. She saw a clear divide. Bruno thought Alek had a few timing issues. Carrie Ann feels it was a matter of taste. She thought they were equal but were polar opposites.

Carrie Ann picks Alek & Lindsay.
Julianne picks Carlos & Witney.
Bruno picks Carlos & Witney.

Match # 2- Nick/Sharna Vs. Bindi/Derek – Samba

Bindi up first. Awesome samba rolls. Great routine. THIS is how you make the most of a very short routine that needs to impress. Great samba. Bindi looked like a pro.

Nick takes the stage. Clean and precise. Very good routine. It did not have the explosive moments of Bindi’s but perhaps this is one match where it really is a matter of preference. Nick definitely made up for his issues in the last dance.

Click to Watch Nick & Sharna vs Bindi & Derek VIDEO

Bruno can’t believe how much content the dances has. He mentions Bindi’s hip action. Carrie Ann is glad Nick came back strong. Both she and Julianne agree that Bindi brought the grit this time around. Julianne commends Nick’s passion.

Carrie Ann picks Bindi & Derek.
Julianne picks Bidni & Derek.
Bruno picks Bindi & Derek.

Trio Dances

Bindi & Derek (dancing with Mark) – Jazz
Derek and Mark have a lot of fun in rehearsal. OH. Mark and Derek have their collective creative hats on. Great ready for something unexpected. Derek notes that some moments in this dance could be dangerous for Bindi but you have to go for risks. Bindi starts off in a box and balances on it. Cool. Oh, a rope again. This time the rope is being used not to climb but to dance with in a way. Fun. The three are totally in-sync. This is like a jazz-contemporary piece. Bindi back in the box as the men make it go round. Strong routine. I enjoyed this more than Bindi’s first because it was something different. But she had a strong night overall and I can’t imagine any scenario where she isn’t in the top 2 next week, even though we have more dancing on Monday and Tuesday.

Click to Watch Bindi & Derek with Mark Jazz VIDEO

Julianne calls Bindi a little ninja. She loved the attention to detail and Bindi didn’t miss a beat. Bruno calls it a compelling work of genius. Carrie Ann does some odd voices (for real, odd sounds) before finally saying it was like a professional dance company.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total: 30/30
You can vote for Bindi & Derek by calling 1-855-234-5604 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Alek & Lindsay (dancing with Emma) – Argentine Tango
Alek of course picked Emma. His crush. Aww. Lindsay wants Alek to come across as a confident sexy man. Alek thinks his best dance is ahead of him. OH. Alek is bringing it. He’s bringing some of that unexpected and underestimated fire from the early weeks of the competition. It couldn’t have come at a better time too. Great choreography here. The argentine tango is tough enough to dance with two, but three is crazy. You have to (as the leading male) be strong for both women while doing those awesome foot kicks. And Alek is doing it. Some great lifts, nice performance (Alek must be LOVING this), and great in-hold dancing. One of Alek’s stronger dances of the competition and arguably the strongest we have seen him in weeks.

Click to Watch Alek & Lindsay with Emma Argentine Tango VIDEO

Bruno thought the threesome was handled like a pro. He loved the choreography. He thought at times it was a bit “steppy” but very good. Carrie Ann was impressed but felt a tiny bit of steam was lost at the end. Julianne agrees with Carrie Ann and thought it got a little melodramatic at the end. She compliments the choreography.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total: 27/30
You can vote for Alek & Lindsay by calling 1-855-234-5601 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Next week’s finale is a 2-night holiday spectacular with one night being live outside from The Grove. Lots of special guest musical performers and the entire cast will be back to dance.

Carlos & Witney (dancing with Karina) – Charleston
Karina returns. Witney picked her because Karina picked Witney previously. No one has done the charleston before on the show so Carlos is freaking out. Witney is not feeling rehearsals. Carlos wants to be positive but Witney feels the creative struggle can’t always be positive. We are going old-school for this one folks. Of course, with the charleston being the style, it is expected. Carlos gets some nice solo time here. I love this choreography. A joy to watch would be my best way to describe it. These three are cool together but Carlos is the one to watch here. He is definitely owning the routine. Awesome lift with Karina on top of Carlos and Witney on the bottom as both girls are off the floor. You don’t see that everyday. Perfect marriage of style and substance here. It was nice to see Carlos (and especially Witney) go for some nostalgia in a dance because they are always so modern and contemporary.

Click to Watch Carlos & Witney with Karina Charleston VIDEO

Carrie Ann thought it was so much fun. She enjoyed it. Julianne said Carlos took over the dance. She thought he was the professional out there. Bruno compliments all three and felt like Carlos stole the show from the two.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total: 29/30
You can vote for Carlos & Witney by calling 1-855-234-5605 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Nick & Sharna (dancing with Peta) – Salsa
Sharna picks her fellow-Aussie, Peta. Peta is also a Nick Carter stan, like Sharna. This is a sexy salsa according to Sharna. Nick knows this is his opportunity to show how far he has come. Interesting “salsa.” I put that in quotes because I guarantee you if Len Goodman was still judging, he would want more salsa content. Sharna and Peta clearly went for the audience pleasing moves and some boy band steps to rile up those that are voting for Nick. That’s smart when you think about it. Besides the finale, this is the most important vote of the season. When the trio is together, it looks solid. Carrie Ann harped on sync when Tom pressured her on why she only gave Carlos a 9, so I wonder if she is going to mention that Nick was a tiny bit out of sync with the girls at times. Overall though, a crowd pleasing routine and despite Nick’s first stumble earlier, he is definitely in that finale with Bindi. I don’t think tonight changed anything in that respect.

Click to Watch Nick & Sharna with Peta Salsa VIDEO

Julianne says that everything Nick has to offer was in that dance. Julianne still believes he is a contender. Bruno loved it. He thought it was a salsa-pop with some Jackson and Timberlake. Carrie Ann was very worried but thought Nick was the most solid here he ever was on his feet. She felt it from the ground up. More odd voices from Carrie Ann.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
Total: 30/30
You can vote for Nick & Sharna by calling 1-855-234-5610 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at abc.com and/or https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM the next day (Eastern).

Time for results? Maybe. Probably not. Could be. Naw. But let’s fill time anyways and make the contestants crazy.

First couple definitely dancing in the finals is… Alek & Lindsay.
Also dancing in the finals is… Carlos & Witney.

In Jeopardy… Bindi & Derek and Nick & Sharna.

Hmm. I don’t know if I believe that. Tom said one of the two had the lowest combined total of judge scores and viewer votes. Really? So one of these two were actually going to be eliminated? I call BS. That just doesn’t ring true. Anyways…this is the vote total for tonight…

Click to watch the “Elimination” Video

Judge Leaderboard After Week Ten (Out of 63 for 3 Rounds)
Bindi & Derek – 60/63
Carlos & Witney – 60/63
Alex & Lindsay – 57/63
Nick & Sharna – 54/63

So, next Monday night, the first episode of the finale airs as everyone dances and one couple is sent home in 4th place. The three remaining couples move on to Tuesday as we crown the champion.

I’ll have some polls up in a few to get the thoughts from our faithful MJ readers.

I hope you guys enjoyed tonight’s semi-final and (tear)… only two more nights of blogging before this season wraps. I will really miss it. Looking forward to a super packed finale next week. Thanks for reading and watching with me. :D