Hey All :)
Welcome to week 7 of season 21 on “Dancing with the Stars.” Even though we are still 5 days out, tonight, we celebrate “Halloween.” Eight fun routines in store for us with great constumes and production. In addition, we have team dances tonight. The team dances should be super competetive since we don’t really have any really weak dancers left. Each team is loaded with good choreographers, so I am really looking forward to seeing what they have come up with.
Of course, the fun will come to an end when it is time for our next elimination. That should be a tough one to see, as I really don’t want to lose anyone that is left. This is a good crop of dancers and this elmination will sting. But before we get to all of that, let’s take a look at our poll results from last week.
It was a close race for favorite routine, with Bindi & Derek taking 31% of the vote. Basically, tied for second were Nick & Sharna and Andy & Allison. 37% of you thought Alexa & Mark had the weakest routine of the night. Coming in second with a much less 15% of the vote were Hayes & Emma. Once again, Bindi & Derek, Nick & Sharna, and Alek & Lindsay (in that order) are the favorite three overall couples. When it comes to tonight’s elimination, 41% of you think Alexa & Mark are out while 30% of you believe Hayes & Emma will be eliminated.
I truly have no idea who may go home tonight. If we are to believe the show, Alexa was in danger last week. But perhaps her tears and jeopardy scare prompted her fans to vote. What about Andy? He has finally come into his own on the show but could it be too late to overcome his competition? How strong exactly is the fanbase backing Hayes? We also have Carlos, who has been in jeopardy before and may be splitting votes with someone like Nick and even his wife. I would say everyone else is safe. So I think Alexa, Andy, Hayes, and Carlos are in the most danger tonight.
It should be another interesting night of dancing. Once again, and I know some will be bummed by this, Leah Remini is standing in for Erin Andrews on the co-hosting front. I’m excited (Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year), so let’s see what spooky goodies the couples have come up with this week. With that, the show begins…
The pros and troupe are out full in costume to a routine to “The Monster Mash.” And the celebrities come out as well. LOL. Mandy Moore choreographed that. I love the makeup. Quick routine and we are heading right into the competition.
Click to Watch Week 7 Group Dance VIDEO
Nick and Sharna – Argentine Tango
Nick says Carrie Ann has been tough on him since the start but he is happy about that. He has had a busy week so he has been trying to get as much information on the Paso Doble as possible. He wants to be better so he can earn a perfect soul, as opposed to them just giving it to him. Well, this is surprisingly messy. I don’t know if Sharna put too much into the routine but the beginning of this is showing Nick at his weakest with his feet. The Argentine Tango needs to look sharp. Besides the difficulty of the lifts and all, you have to make these steps look seamless while still being vibrant and exciting. Once the duo come off the smaller stage and onto the ballroom, things improve a bit. I commend Nick’s gumption in this dance (he is totally into it) but this is definitely one of his weaker overall routines.
Click to Watch Nick & Sharna’s Argentine Tango VIDEO
Julianne loves Nick’s attitude. She thinks the sharp movements of the routine were rather clunky and his booty was out, so he needs to work on that. He was missing the dynamic. Bruno agrees and thought it looked too much like a Paso Doble. Carrie Ann thought Nick was nervous on the first half but was sexy on the second. She agrees some of it was sloppy but she thinks he improved on her notes from last week.
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).
Hayes and Emma – Waltz
Hayes was bummed about last week’s scores. Emma thinks Hayes is under a lot of pressure due to his age and this dance needing to be mature. Hayes is somewhat overwhelmed this week. This is really nice. Gorgeous lines by Hayes here. Some really beautiful choreography shows off a nice fluidity and yes, maturity, from Hayes. I really like the gliding through the ballroom here. It is definitely a proper waltz. I think Hayes should be really proud of himself in this because you can tell he practiced a whole lot for this routine. I think Hayes (similar to Alek) does better with slower routines as opposed to latin. But it is what it is and this is really nice.
Click to Watch Hayes & Emma’s Waltz VIDEO
Bruno says the top line was unrecognizable and it was beautiful. Carrie Ann still wants Hayes to keep his head up more because it makes her uncomfortable. Julianne had chills at the beginning. She thought Hayes was a leading man tonight.
Carrie Ann- 8
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total: 26/30
You can vote for Hayes & Emma by calling 1-855-234-5608 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).
Alexa and Mark – Paso Doble
Alexa was all tears last week. Mark wants to be there for her. Alexa is crying in rehearsal because she is having a tough time with the steps. Mark consoles her. Mark needs to play Edward in some remake of this film because the look is uncanny. Okay, to the dancing. A much better routine for Alexa this week. She has fire in this one. I love the music here. It is perfect for a paso. I’m not sure each step here was perfect (some meh moments) but I think Alexa is more than showing improvement from last week. Mark gets credit here for some great choreography. Nice finish as well. Alexa should be satisfied with that outing.
Click to Watch Alexa & Mark’s Paso Doble VIDEO
Carrie Ann for the first time felt like Alexa finally danced without thinking. She is proud of her. Julianne wants Alexa to be consistent throughout. But she did like tonight’s routine a lot. Bruno thought the routine was Tim Burton’s genius brought to life. He felt it was great.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
Total: 27/30
You can vote for Alexa & Mark by calling 1-855-234-5602 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).
Tamar and Val – Foxtrot
Tamar thinks last week solidified that she is a contender. Val hates that singers do not go full out during rehearsal. Tamar understands. Val finally feels after seven weeks like Tamar is ready to receive his advice. She comes right out and says she is the best dancer left in the competition. Well, hmm. That was an odd thing for the producers to include in her package. A little humility goes far for voters. But I’ll try not to let that affect my view of this routine. I don’t understand why Val feels the need so often to use so many dancers in his routines. I think he and Tamar could have nailed this on their own from the start. We have Tamar and Val back in hold again and once again, some of the chemistry is lacking. You can’t win a ballroom competition show if you aren’t in total sync with a partner. This isn’t a solo competition. On the plus side, this is one of Tamar’s better in-hold routines and it is a different kind of foxtrot so definitely memorable. Continue working on that chemistry Tamar. It is after all, week seven.
Click to Watch Tamar and Val’s Foxtrot VIDEO
Julianne saw a mistake in the beginning that kind of made the dancing together off. She felt a disconnect. Bruno agrees because Tamar did miss a few passes. Carrie Ann agrees with both and does believe Tamar is the most natural mover in the competition. She wants to see growth. She did see some in hold but we had many mistakes.
Carrie Ann- 8
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 8
Total: 24/30
You can vote for Tamar & Val by calling 1-855-234-5612 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).
*Hmm. I’m not personally digging either Tamar or Val’s attitude tonight. Some have said it about Tamar since the beginning but this is the first time I am really seeing it. She needs to be careful with that because audiences do not appreciate someone who comes off like that. Just my two cents on that one.
Andy and Allison – Paso Doble
Andy is excited people see him as a contender now. He is happy that he gets to show a completely different side from last week. Allison is a little frustrated in rehearsals. She wants to show things from Andy he hasn’t yet. Allison is going for a more contemporary paso here. I’m not mad about that. It is nice to see some flavors being expressed in a classic dance. However, I’m not sure if the line between adding a bit more and adding too much has been crossed. This is cutting it close for me. I love how much Andy is giving this routine and I still think he has turned the corner into being a solid performer on the show. I just hope Allison’s tendency to go all out in choreography doesn’t mess him up. But a good paso here. It was just… the oddest paso I have seen. It is Halloween night though, so I guess things are par for the course on that one.
Click to Watch Andy and Allison’s Paso Doble VIDEO
Bruno says Andy lost the shaping on the paso. The shoulders went up and Andy lost it. The spanish flavor needs to be maintained. Carrie Ann thought it worked. She agrees with Bruno but does think it worked. Julianne is extremely turned on. OKAY. She agrees with Bruno about the top half (and bottom) but she felt it was awesome.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 8
Total: 26/30
You can vote for Andy & Allison by calling 1-855-234-5603 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).
Bindi and Derek – Argentine Tango
Bindi is excited for this week’s dance. What week isn’t she excited? LOL. Derek wants her to be scary and Bindi finds that a bit challenging. She isn’t good at being scary so she is going to try and get into character. It is time to show her fierce side. No one beats Derek at choreographing a tango or argentine tango. He just knows how to work any partner he has to look amazing doing it. Those voracious steps that are in-sync and were missing from Nick’s dance are here. Bindi isn’t really scary for me but she is definitely in character. Dang it. I wish this dance was as long as last week because as good as it was, I wanted to see more. Continued awesomeness though.
Click to Watch Bindi & Derek’s Argentine Tango VIDEO
Carrie Ann bows to Bindi. Julianne thinks the two are on a whole different level together. She felt it was so strong and deep rooted. Bruno calls it an argentine tango masterclass and calls it spellbinding dance magic.
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).
LOL @ Sasha doing pranks and scaring the hell out of everyone during rehearsals this week.
Alek and Linday- Viennese Waltz
Alek was really pissed last week at the judges. He thought he executed the dance really well. Lindsay is a bit annoyed at rehearsal because Alek isn’t giving it his all. Artem shows up to give some advice. Artem helps even though Alek still thinks he was underscored last week. Alek is the perfect example of someone who fares so much better with slow dances. He excels when he has to depend on chemistry, in-hold movements, and hold. He needs to work on his latin dances because even though he has the ability to make the finale, he will not be able to win without proper latin routines. This is solid though. Good choreography by Lindsay. A proper but appropriately Halloween themed viennese waltz.
Click to Watch Alek & Lindsay’s Viennese Waltz VIDEO
Julianne thanks Alek for coming back to the one he remembers from the beginning. She also thanks him for working on the facial expressions. Bruno felt he was leading the dance and loved the character. He could’t see the feet due to the smoke. Carrie Ann believes the hero has returned and now the contender has returned.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 8
Total: 25/30
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 – Paso Doble
Carlos felt he made a lot of mistakes last week and was scored too high. He wants to earn the right scores. He feels the paso is the hardest dance he has had to learn. He actually asks Witney to make it easier but she isn’t going to do it. He also finally realizes Alexis is his competition and she could potentially knock him out. Absolutely perfect paso music. The smoke though. Good grief. It is actually hard to see some of this because of it. But it looks good. Very passionate paso with the usual and proper steps. Carlos is strong here both in hold and on his own. He was worried about the cape work but no signs of weakness here with that. A really strong routine.
Click to Watch Carlos & Witney’s Paso Doble VIDEO
Bruno loved the operatic feel. He loved the cape work. Carlos lost balance at the beginning so it was almost perfect for Bruno. Carrie Ann felt the mask made Carlos excel. She did feel Carlos anticipated the beat a bit much. Julianne was surprised Carlos said he felt his scores were too high last week. She thought he nailed it.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 9
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).
Team “Nightmare” (Tamar, Nick, Andy, Hayes & professional partners)
Nick believes his team is the strongest. Hayes doesn’t want to screw up because then you screw up for the team. Allison and Val are having a tough time coming up with the routine. Tamar just wants to know what they are doing. Nick feels they are in a serious bind due to time and all. Hayes doesn’t want to get eliminated due to this dance.
Click to Watch Team Nightmare VIDEO
1. Great opening sequence with the table.
2. Good pairing dances. I thought Hayes and Nick’s sections were the best. That being said, Tamar and Andy did well too.
3. Very fun choreography. The makeup, costumes, and song adds so much.
4. Really great in-character performances from everyone.
Julianne loved the concept and choreography. She felt Hayes stood out. She felt it was one of the best team dances. Bruno calls it a monster smash. He thought it was a Broadway show. He loved it. Carrie Ann thinks the other team should be nervous. She thought it was amazing.
Carrie Ann- 10
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 10
30/30 for the team.
Team “Who You Gonna Call?” (Bindi, Alexa, Carlos, Alek & professional partners)
Derek is ready for another team dance. Alek calls it the short person team. Bindi tries to intimidate the other team and it is a hysterically epic fail. Alek feels pressure because he is the lowest scoring guy on the team. They are having a lot of fun in rehearsal. Lifts o a hover board. Uh-oh. Witney says that could be a disaster. Alexa will try a huge move at the end where she is thrown. They seem confident but we shall see.
Click to Watch Team Who You Gonna Call VIDEO
1.Fun opening. The homage to The Ghosbusters is spot on.
2. These pairings were really strong. Carlos on wheels doing the lift was great. Alek- so strong with his lift.
3. I think I enjoyed these pairings better but enjoyed the other team’s overall package more.
Yeah, this was a fun routine full of high energy and lots of great choreography but I have to give the edge (be it ever so slight) to the other team for their ability to match the fun of the dance with being so precise in the choreography. Two really strong routines though. Are we about to see Derek lose his first ever team routine?
Bruno thought it was so much fun. He noticed someone in a wig was slightly off-sync. Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno. She agrees that the girls were not together. Bindi takes the fault on that one. Carrie Ann compliments Alek. Julianne didn’t see the mess up. She blames the smoke. She feels maybe it was preference on which dance was better.
Carrie Ann- 9
Julianne- 10
Bruno- 9
28/30 for the team
*Derek’s first loss in the team dances.
And now, the fun times come to an end as we head into elimination. Ugh. This is going to suck.
In JEOPARDY…
Hayes & Emma
Tamar & Val (she looks pissed)
Alexa & Mark
Everyone else is safe.
Moving along… the eliminated couple this week is…
HAYES & EMMA
Hayes loves everyone is this show has meant so much to him. Aww. You could tell he is upset. Well, this answers yet again the age old question of whether or not a massive online fan base can translate to votes on a reality show. It really doesn’t. Hayes was a decent dancer and I actually thought he had the potential to make the finale. But a few below average (for him) weeks and perhaps his fans not really rallying to vote did him in. It is funny because last week, he and Emma were trending on twitter all night long after the show for people to vote. But it seems that trend did not actually correlate to people voting. I will miss Hayes. Every elimination from here on out will really hurt.
Click to Watch Hayes & Emma’s Elimination VIDEO
Judge Leaderboard After Week Seven (Out of 60 due to team dances)
Bindi & Derek- 58/60
Carlos & Witney- 56/30
Hayes & Emma- 56/60
Andy & Allison- 56/60
Alexa & Mark- 55/60
Nick & Sharna- 54/60
Tamar & Val- 54/60
Alek & Lindsay- 53/60
And so ends Halloween on DWTS. Some really great routines tonight and a fun team battle. Which routines did you love? Do you agree with Derek being handed his first team loss? Are you shocked by the elimination of Hayes? Well, POLLS will be up very soon for everyone to vote and comment on. And I will of course be back one week from tonight for week eight as we race towards the season finale. Thanks for watching with me tonight. :)
