Howdy my dancing darlings :D
Welcome to Week seven of season seventeen of Dancing with the Stars. Last week, the eight remaining couples were granted an early Christmas miracle- no one went home. After a mistake on the show’s part when giving out the phone numbers to vote, producers opted to throw out the scores and have everyone return. However, the judges and audience votes from last week will be combined with this week’s judges scores to determine which couple or perhaps, couples will exit. That’s right, we could have a potential double elimination on our hands. I’m not sure how the remaining weeks will shape out between now and the season finale but should producers shock us with eliminating two couples, it might be this evening.
So, what does week seven bring us? The usual unlearned dance for each couple plus the return of team dances! It will be a four on four battle between two pre-selected teams doing freestyle routines for extra points. And we all know how important team dances are. Usually, the team that has the lower score ends up being the team with the couple who is eventually eliminated. Will that trend continue tonight? Or has the new voting system changed everything?
Some other things to ponder…can Bill and Emma and Corbin and Karina rebound from being at the bottom of the leader board last week? Can Elizabeth and Val and Amber and Derek continue to shine at the top? Will this be the week Brant cements himself as a possible contender? Or will a middle of the pack couple steal some thunder? And after all is said and done, who’s reality show dancing days are definitely over? Let’s begin the show and put an end to all these questions.
The show opens with the pros and troupe members dancing. So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Mandy Moore is responsible for this awesome opening. the stars come out next doing their own little funky dances.
ABC has promised a major announcement at the top of the show. Next week will have a special guest performer and judge- Cher! Wow. Great get for the show.
Elizabeth & Val (dancing the Quicstep)
LOLZ. The routine opens with a fake news segment about the possibilities of an unidentified flying objects over LA. Val and Elizabeth go right into a very fast paced quickstep. Elizabeth sure as her posture right but the head with the face expression is a bit awkward at moments. It is almost “too much” at times. But the footwork is fantastic. Val choreographed well here, from the idea behind the routine to the dance itself. She was better last week for me but this was a proper and on point quickstep. Props to the televised spaceship at the end to complete the them. LOL.
Len called it fabulous and what a way to start the show. He mentions they lost a contact a bit but he loved it. Bruno thought it was fantastic but thought the top line and body contact was lost because of how fast it is. Carrie Ann mentions how jazz dancers love to dance alone but notices how Elizabeth is becoming quite the ballroom dancer. It is a long worded critique but positive to say the least.
Carrie Ann-9, Len-9, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
To VOTE for Elizabeth & Val, call 800-868-3405, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Brant & Peta (dancing the Jive)
Brant does a lot of rehearsal at home so his muscle memory keeps up. This is a wonderfully choreographed jive by Peta. So much fun and so cheeky. Brant is going wild with the flicks and kicks and they are pretty great. I love how Peta and Brant have developed such a wonderful chemistry and it shows in all their dances. Aw crap. Brant slipped on the skirt he pulled off of Peta. Without that, this would have been near perfection. It should still score very high because it was a total jive from start to finish with lots of great choreography and Brant brought a high entertainment value.
Bruno called it a fully loaded jive with a few lost timing issues. Overall, very good. Carrie Ann loves seeing a hot guy showing a different side of himself. She thought the routine may have been a bit too hard for Brant but she was pleased he didn’t miss a step. Len was very pleased the energy, attack, and enthusiasm.
Carrie Ann-9, Len-9, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
To VOTE for Brant & Peta, call 800-868-3403, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Leah & Tony (dancing the Salsa)
Chelsea Handler is in the audience to support Leah. Leah gets a lot of celebrity support on this show. OOO. Sexy Leah coming out. Is this her best dance of the season? It might be. Lots of salsa work and lots of lifts. Okay- a few of the movements come off as “okay, this step is coming next” but overall, this is really good. The lifts (like in her contemporary) are a bit weird when going in and coming out but Leah is definitely confident and being a hot momma on the floor. I am definitely more impressed by this particular dance than I have been with Leah in the past- especially recently. She should be proud.
Carrie Ann says Leah is in the zone. Len loved that there was so much going on. He did mention a few issues with the lifts but he thought it was well done. Bruno doesn’t really give much of a critique- just his usual over the top flare of compliments mixed with analogies.
Carrie Ann-9, Len-8, Bruno-9, for a total of 26/30
To VOTE for Leah & Tony, call 800-868-3411, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Jack & Cheryl (dancing the Jive)
Tough week during rehearsals for Jack. He thinks his body (either from his illness or long hours) is going to give out on him. Another very quick and full of content jive. Pretty decent kicks and flicks, though not as strong as they should be. In addition, Jack is just a little behind the music. This is, by the way, an odd song for this routine. It is quick but a little odd to pick. I think Cheryl was wise here in choreography because we have more of a theme and entertaining jive as opposed to a technical one.
Len likes Jack’s musicality and how natural he is. He tells him that he wanted it a bit crisper and watch his arms. Bruno loves Jack’s ease of movement and lightness on his feet. He does tell him to be careful of kicks and flicks and his tendency to be flat footed. Carrie Ann thought this jive was perfectly suited for him and out of his and Brant’s jive, she would want to see that one again.
Carrie Ann-10, Len-8, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
To VOTE for Jack & Cheryl, call 800-868-3402, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Really Carrie Ann? A 10? Really? Hmm. Might just be me but that seems rather high, especially considering Len followed it up with an 8.
Amber & Derek (dancing the Paso Doble)
One of Derek’s strongest dances is his pasos. Look them up on YouTube. He always does something magical and brings out the best in his partners. This is no different. I love the intensity and intrigue going on here. Amber is totally rocking this character and she and Derek have awesome chemistry. This is the very definition of a paso doble. An impeccable routine danced wonderfully. So far, my favorite dance of the night. So much energy and passion coupled with great technique.
Bruno loved the depth, flavor, and color. He thought it was incredible but be careful of her shoulders- sometimes they rise. Carrie Ann gets all excited and as in past seasons, loses her jewels and nearly her mind. She loved it. Len loved the flavor of the dance. He says that Amber is back in the game.
Carrie Ann-10, Len-10, Bruno-9, for a total of 29/30
To VOTE for Amber & Derek, call 800-868-3407, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Bill & Emma (dancing the Quickstep)
Oy. I have really had it up to here with Bill’s easy routines. Look, I like the guy but I really believe the rest of the contestants are in a different league than he is. He is just simply not as good as the rest. An odd quickstep with some mistakes throughout. It was just a quickstep that was not in the same league as others. Bill did his best but his best comes up short. I still need to give Emma credit for how she tries to choreograph to Bill’s strengths and Bill credit for the entertainment value. It is what it is.
Carrie Ann loves that the hold was not broken. The bad news is that the hold was not strong enough. She gives him credit though for a challenging routine. Len wants to give a 10 if he was judging with his heart but the technique went a bit. Bruno says Bill gave it a go with a few missteps but a very good try.
Carrie Ann-8, Len-7, Bruno-8, for a total of 23/30
To VOTE for Bill & Emma, call 800-868-3409, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Snooki & Sasha (dancing the Samba)
Snooki had some horrible rehearsals and could barely remember the dance. She is very unsure about everything it seems. Snooki begins with a solo and then Sasha enters. This is… a tad odd. Snooki is bringing the fun but she is just a hair off from time to time. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Heck, I didn’t expect samba rolls or anything but I think the technique is… soft? Yeah, that’s about as good as I have. It seemed soft in parts, as if Snooki was indeed unsure and thinking too hard about the steps. Still an above average routine but we have seen her do much better in previous weeks. Of course, the judges are being super kind tonight to everyone it seems so I guess she will score well. I just feel like it didn’t totally come together from start to finish. Dance be subjective sometimes! :)
Len thought to dance at that speed was terrific. A bit of messed footwork but well done. Bruno said it took a little while and then it was flowing. Carrie Ann gives Snooki a note that she is ahead of the music and extend her movements. She says it will help her musicality.
Carrie Ann-9, Len-9, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
To VOTE for Snooki & Sasha, call 800-868-3412, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Corbin & Karina (dancing the Cha-cha-cha)
Karina is not so sure about the routine and the theme on the first day of rehearsals. Corbin desperately needed a completely technical routine this week after the divisive one last week. And this is it. A classic ans full on (I sound like Len, I know) cha-cha-cha. Love the character, tone, and theme The steps are fantastic and Corbin and Karina are having fabulous chemistry out there. Everything is coming together during this. A definite a+ routine if you are judging what a cha-cha-cha should be. Great job!
Bruno says Corbin is back in sparkling form. He loved everything about it. Carrie Ann thought it was tightest cha-cha-cha she has seen. She loved it. Len loved the footwork. He isn’t a lover of the gyrating but he liked the dance very much and called it wonderful.
Carrie Ann-10, Len-9, Bruno-10, for a total of 29/30
To VOTE for Corbin & Karina, call 800-868-3406, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 8 votes per method allowed this week.
Team Dances:
Tom announces that if the team dancing did not happen, a member of Team Spooky Bom Bom (Elizabeth, Snooki, Bill, Leah) would be eliminated. Interesting. Will these dances change that? We shall see.
TEAM SPOOKY BOM BOM:
This is a Halloween themed dance. Everyone is acting like zombies at the start. Snooki and Sasha are out first. They do their thing well enough. Elizabeth and Val out next and solid for sure. Leah and Tony next and Leah doesn’t have much to do here. Bill and Emma last and Bill is of course, Bill. He attempts a lift on Emma that almost messes up. The team comes back together and ends the routine with Snooki jumping into the air cheerleader style. And Bill screaming.
Len was very entertained and called out Snooki for doing well. Bruno thought it was put together well and loved the comedy. He thought everyone worked to their strengths. Carrie Ann thought Bill was the glue that held the routine together.
Carrie Ann-9, Len-9, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
A bit higher than I expected for that (would have been an 8 from me) but let’s see how the other team does.
TEAM FOXING AWESOME:
Yep, it is that annoying as heck YouTube song. More Halloween-ish type theming but not as obvious as the other team. Amber and Derek are out first for their solo and they are awesome. Brant and Peta are next and do a solid job. Corbin and Karina are next and bring the freestyle to the max. Jack and Cheryl end the solos with some outrageous costumes. They are the weakest solo but not bad. Everyone comes together and they do some great in-sync dancing. Very solid routine.
IMO, Team Foxing Awesome did better because they had more content and seemed more in-sync. But let’s go to our judges…
Bruno loved how clever it was. He calls out everyone individually. Carrie Ann thought she was an acid trip. Carrie Ann calls out Corbin. Len calls it irresistible. He even stands up and applauds BOTH teams on their work.
Carrie Ann-10, Len-10, Bruno-10, for a total of 30/30
Team #FoxingAwesome – DWTS 17 (Week 7) by IdolxMuzic
Week 6 + Week 7 Judges’ Leaderboard: (taking into account regular dances + switch-up challenge + team dances)
Amber & Derek- 91/94
Brant & Peta- 88/94
Elizabeth & Val- 86/94
Jack & Cheryl- 84/94
Snooki & Sasha- 84/94
Corbin & Karina- 82/94
Leah & Tony- 81/94
Bill & Emma- 72/94
And announcement… ALL members of Team Foxing Awesome are safe. That means Amber and Derek, Brant and Peta, Jack and Cheryl, and Corbin and Karina are safe!
RESULTS:
Elizabeth And Val are SAFE!
Leah And Tony are SAFE!
The couple leaving us tonight, in week seven of the competition is…
Snooki And Sasha
Aww, Snooki didn’t deserve the boot. She is crying. She really didn’t want to go. Tom and Brooke give her some great compliments. IMO, it was Bill’s time but heck, he might have the demographic voting for him that works on this show and Snooki, well… didn’t. An unfortunate exit this week because I think had at least one or two more weeks left in her. But it is what it is. Snooki showed a different side of herself on this show and that’s awesome. She should be very proud of herself and all she has accomplished on this show.
I hope you guys enjoyed the show tonight and will venture out and take some polls coming up very soon.
Next week- Cher, individual dances, and a dance-off. Join me please! :D
