April 2: Butt Talk
Dancing with the Stars 4, April 2: Butt Talk by Jill Jones -- 04/03/2007 With the stars taking on the jive and the tango, there's a lot of focus on a particular area of the body. Who will be able to work it? Who will improve from the bottom of the pack to near the top? Find out inside! Last week on Dancing with the Stars, the celebrities and their partners took on the mambo and quickstep; Paulina Porizkova and Alec Mazo were eliminated from the competition. We can't live in the past though, so let's get to tonight's show! Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris welcome us to the program. Samantha isn’t quite as shiny as she was last week. Dancing first are Shandi Finnessey and Brian Fortuna. Shandi explains that being in the bottom two last week wasn’t fun; she takes the blame for it. Brian gives her a lot of praise during practice. They are doing the jive to “Crocodile Rock.” (John Stevens, anyone?) Shandi seems a bit unsure of herself again this week and it causes her moves to not be crisp. She also watches Brian a lot. The performance isn’t bad; I just think that we’ll see better tonight. Len Goodman explains that the jive is full of kicks and energy, and refers to it as an all American dance. He then tells Shandi to watch her free arm. Bruno Tonioli says that Shandi needs to work on her free arm and be careful not to get behind. Carrie Ann Inaba says that Shandi needs to work on her strength. All three judges give the dance seven points. Shandi and Brian have 21 points out of 30 from the judges for the evening. Edyta Sliwinska and John Ratzenberger are up next. Edyta sports her legwarmers during practice; she so makes it work. She also watches old movies that feature the tango with John. He listens as she explains that when they do the tango, they have to appear to be in love and hate each other at the same time. They are performing to an instrumental that I don’t recognize. Help me, readers! John slightly missteps a few times, but I give him credit for keeping up with Edyta. He does a solo move toward the end of the dance that is charming. You can tell that he’s an actor and that he’s getting into character. Len explains that the tango must feature sharp moves and holds. He then says that John got into the routine, but that the technique was lacking. Carrie Ann tells John that she’s going to cut him a little slack, but that she expected more of the theatrics. Bruno thought that the interpretation was great. Carrie Ann and Bruno score the routine with a seven, while Len gives it a six; Edyta and John have 20 points. Up next are Elena Grinenko and Clyde Drexler. Clyde tells us that he hopes to impress the judges tonight. Clyde’s mom stops by and everyone dances together. She gives Elena props for being a great dancer and says, “Clyde is coming along.” Tee hee. They’re set to do the jive to “Bad Moon Rising.” Clyde does a nice job with his footwork. He just needs to make his moves a bit sharper. He also seems to not know what to do with his arms. Overall, the dance isn’t great, but it is enjoyable. Carrie Ann tells Clyde that there is something endearing about him. She also wants to see him bust out. Bruno says that the dance was done through a dense fog. Len thinks that Clyde did a u-turn and isn’t showing the potential he displayed earlier in the competition. Carrie Ann gives the dance a six. Len and Bruno give it a five; the crowd boos them. Elena and Clyde now have 16 points. Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are ready with the next performance. She says that she’s concerned because she has to travel a lot. Maksim goes with her and they meet up with his brother, who is also a dancer. During practice, Maksim prays. They’re doing the tango to “Goldfinger.” The couple covers the dance floor. Laila is beautiful and looks the part of a dancer. She certainly holds her own against Maksim. They do a move in which they are apart and dance toward each other. Let’s find out what the judges think of the dance. Bruno is upset over the break in Laila and Maksim’s hold. Len also scolds them for it, but he seems more annoyed with Laila than with Maksim. I don’t get it since Maksim choreographed the routine and knows the rules. Carrie Ann acknowledges the fact that Laila didn’t follow the rules, but says that she is still the best dancer. Each judge gives the performance a seven. That gives Laila and Maksim 21 points. Julianne Hough and Apolo Anton Ohno are set to dance. Apolo is training in Salt Lake City, so Julianne goes with him in order to practice. She puts him to work and doesn’t take it easy on him at all. He pays her back by teaching her how to speed skate. These two kids are adorable; is it wrong of me to want them to find love with one another? They are doing the jive to “You Never Can Tell.” The routine begins with Julianne and Apolo on the stage doing the twist, etc. ala Pulp Fiction. Apolo’s footwork is amazing throughout the dance; he seems quite comfortable on the dance floor. The routine is energetic, and fun to watch. Carrie Ann comments on the energy and chemistry that the couple has; however, she says that tonight it was sloppy. Bruno refers to Apolo as John Travolta’s mini-me. He also says that Apolo is fun and should be a ride in Disneyland. Len didn’t like the beginning of the routine because it was “nonsense” and not part of the jive. Carrie Ann gives Apolo a seven. Len and Bruno give him an eight. He and Julianne have 23 points for the evening. Kym Johnson and Joey Fatone are up now. R2D2 visits during practice. Yes, you read that correctly. It appears that there might be an illegal lift during their routine. I can’t wait. They are dancing the tango to “The Theme from Star Wars.” Joey’s moves are sharp, but his posture seems a little sloppy. He gets out a light saber, which I’m sure the judges absolutely hate. What happened to the lift from practice? Sigh. The dance works though on many different levels. You can even see the intensity of the dance in Joey’s face. Len was worried about the silliness of the routine, but in the end, he thought the dance was great. He does tell Joey to watch how he sticks out his butt though. Carrie Ann calls the dance tight and charismatic. Bruno says that the force is still with Joey. He also tells him to work on his posture. Carrie Ann, Len, and Bruno give the routine an eight. Kym and Joey have 24 points. Dancing next are Cheryl Burke and Ian Ziering. Ian says that his butt is sore from all of the hip action required in the jive. There has been a lot of butt talk this evening, huh? Cheryl takes Ian to a strip club to help him with his moves. He looks so uncomfortable. She makes him practice with the dancers. Ian’s performance is quite funny. Immediately, Ian has to shake his butt; he does a nice job. The routine is fabulous; it’s fun, sexy, and entertaining. Cheryl and Ian have great chemistry. Thanks to bad camera work, we miss the very end of the dance; I’m sure it was as great as the rest of the performance though. Bruno says that Ian flaunted it tonight, but that he should point his feet. Len says that Ian messed up a bit; the crowd boos him. Carrie Ann agrees with Len, but says that Ian did a great job. Do you get the feeling that there are different standards for different dancers? Once again, each judge gives Ian an eight. He and Cheryl have 24 points. Dancing now are Leeza Gibbons and Tony Dovolani. Leeza explains that holding the frame is the most difficult part of the tango. Tony says that he sometimes has to be hard on Leeza. You can see some of their frustrations coming out in practice. They’re entertaining us by performing to “Jealousy.” Leeza missteps a few times and her moves aren’t as crisp as they should be; however, she has fun with the dance. In my opinion, she does a nice job, but lacks pizzazz. Before the judges give their scores, Leeza tells them that she has been listening to their comments. Last week, she was told to be trampy; this week, she’s sporting a tattoo that says, “Tramp.” Tom says that he hopes it will come off with water. Carrie Ann says that Leeza just showed her her boobie. That word makes me giggle. She then goes on to explain that she loved the routine despite it being basic. Len also says that the dance was simple, but well performed; it was her best dance so far. Bruno feels that Leeza delivered tonight. Each judge gives the dance an eight. Leeza and Tony have 24 points. That doesn’t seem right, but they are entitled to their opinions. The next performance is from Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts. Heather says that the jive is going to be difficult for her. Jonathan feels that a lot of the moves will be impossible for her. She gets a new leg so that she can bounce on it. They are performing to “Can I Get a Witness.” The dance begins with Jonathan and Heather jumping off of the stage. While that is impressive, the rest of the routine is very sloppy. I don’t feel like I’m watching a jive. Heather smiles throughout the dance though and is obviously enjoying herself. Bruno wants to rename Heather to “The Incredible Heather Mills.” Um, OK. Carrie Ann commends Heather for adding difficulty to the routine. Len says that if Heather can do the jive, she can do anything. Samantha asks Heather why she’s wearing sneakers. Heather explains that the sneakers allow her to bounce. Tom makes a joke about Master P wearing sneakers during season two and not dancing as well as Heather. Each judge gives Heather and Jonathan an eight. The couple now has 24 points. Dancing last this evening are Karina Smirnoff and Billy Ray Cyrus. Karina is so patient with Billy Ray as she teaches him their routine. He tells us that he likes the tango and would like it even more if he could perform it. They’re dancing to “Rock the Casbah.” Billy Ray’s footwork is excellent; he’s really moving. However, he needs to watch his head placement. He’s looking at Karina too much. Also, he counts and it is very noticeable. The dance ends with Billy Ray sliding between Karina’s legs. Carrie Ann says that the dance took balls. Len tells Billy Ray that he looks like he’s trying; it’s a job well done. Bruno appreciates the effort that Billy Ray is putting forth. Carrie Ann, Len, and Bruno give Billy Ray seven points each. He and Karina have 21 points. He tells Samantha that he has an achy breaky butt. What is it with all of the bum references this evening? Tom and Samantha dramatically review the current standings: RANKING STAR SCORE 1 Heather 24 1 Ian 24 1 Joey 24 1 Leeza 24 5 Apolo 23 6 Billy Ray 21 6 Laila 21 6 Shandi 21 9 John 20 10 Clyde 16 Tom reminds us that tomorrow’s episode will feature Josh Groban, Ciara, and Survivor, and that Jimmy Kimmel will give us another dance lesson. Great. One more couple will leave the show. Who do you think it will be? Will there be an upset or will Edyta and John or Elena and Clyde, the couples with the lowest scores, go? No matter what, I'll be back with another recap. Don't miss it!
Dancing with the Stars 4, April 2: Butt Talk by Jill Jones -- 04/03/2007 With the stars taking on the jive and the tango, there's a lot of focus on a particular area of the body. Who will be able to work it? Who will improve from the bottom of the pack to near the top? Find out inside! Last week on Dancing with the Stars, the celebrities and their partners took on the mambo and quickstep; Paulina Porizkova and Alec Mazo were eliminated from the competition. We can't live in the past though, so let's get to tonight's show! Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris welcome us to the program. Samantha isn’t quite as shiny as she was last week. Dancing first are Shandi Finnessey and Brian Fortuna. Shandi explains that being in the bottom two last week wasn’t fun; she takes the blame for it. Brian gives her a lot of praise during practice. They are doing the jive to “Crocodile Rock.” (John Stevens, anyone?) Shandi seems a bit unsure of herself again this week and it causes her moves to not be crisp. She also watches Brian a lot. The performance isn’t bad; I just think that we’ll see better tonight. Len Goodman explains that the jive is full of kicks and energy, and refers to it as an all American dance. He then tells Shandi to watch her free arm. Bruno Tonioli says that Shandi needs to work on her free arm and be careful not to get behind. Carrie Ann Inaba says that Shandi needs to work on her strength. All three judges give the dance seven points. Shandi and Brian have 21 points out of 30 from the judges for the evening. Edyta Sliwinska and John Ratzenberger are up next. Edyta sports her legwarmers during practice; she so makes it work. She also watches old movies that feature the tango with John. He listens as she explains that when they do the tango, they have to appear to be in love and hate each other at the same time. They are performing to an instrumental that I don’t recognize. Help me, readers! John slightly missteps a few times, but I give him credit for keeping up with Edyta. He does a solo move toward the end of the dance that is charming. You can tell that he’s an actor and that he’s getting into character. Len explains that the tango must feature sharp moves and holds. He then says that John got into the routine, but that the technique was lacking. Carrie Ann tells John that she’s going to cut him a little slack, but that she expected more of the theatrics. Bruno thought that the interpretation was great. Carrie Ann and Bruno score the routine with a seven, while Len gives it a six; Edyta and John have 20 points. Up next are Elena Grinenko and Clyde Drexler. Clyde tells us that he hopes to impress the judges tonight. Clyde’s mom stops by and everyone dances together. She gives Elena props for being a great dancer and says, “Clyde is coming along.” Tee hee. They’re set to do the jive to “Bad Moon Rising.” Clyde does a nice job with his footwork. He just needs to make his moves a bit sharper. He also seems to not know what to do with his arms. Overall, the dance isn’t great, but it is enjoyable. Carrie Ann tells Clyde that there is something endearing about him. She also wants to see him bust out. Bruno says that the dance was done through a dense fog. Len thinks that Clyde did a u-turn and isn’t showing the potential he displayed earlier in the competition. Carrie Ann gives the dance a six. Len and Bruno give it a five; the crowd boos them. Elena and Clyde now have 16 points. Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are ready with the next performance. She says that she’s concerned because she has to travel a lot. Maksim goes with her and they meet up with his brother, who is also a dancer. During practice, Maksim prays. They’re doing the tango to “Goldfinger.” The couple covers the dance floor. Laila is beautiful and looks the part of a dancer. She certainly holds her own against Maksim. They do a move in which they are apart and dance toward each other. Let’s find out what the judges think of the dance. Bruno is upset over the break in Laila and Maksim’s hold. Len also scolds them for it, but he seems more annoyed with Laila than with Maksim. I don’t get it since Maksim choreographed the routine and knows the rules. Carrie Ann acknowledges the fact that Laila didn’t follow the rules, but says that she is still the best dancer. Each judge gives the performance a seven. That gives Laila and Maksim 21 points. Julianne Hough and Apolo Anton Ohno are set to dance. Apolo is training in Salt Lake City, so Julianne goes with him in order to practice. She puts him to work and doesn’t take it easy on him at all. He pays her back by teaching her how to speed skate. These two kids are adorable; is it wrong of me to want them to find love with one another? They are doing the jive to “You Never Can Tell.” The routine begins with Julianne and Apolo on the stage doing the twist, etc. ala Pulp Fiction. Apolo’s footwork is amazing throughout the dance; he seems quite comfortable on the dance floor. The routine is energetic, and fun to watch. Carrie Ann comments on the energy and chemistry that the couple has; however, she says that tonight it was sloppy. Bruno refers to Apolo as John Travolta’s mini-me. He also says that Apolo is fun and should be a ride in Disneyland. Len didn’t like the beginning of the routine because it was “nonsense” and not part of the jive. Carrie Ann gives Apolo a seven. Len and Bruno give him an eight. He and Julianne have 23 points for the evening. Kym Johnson and Joey Fatone are up now. R2D2 visits during practice. Yes, you read that correctly. It appears that there might be an illegal lift during their routine. I can’t wait. They are dancing the tango to “The Theme from Star Wars.” Joey’s moves are sharp, but his posture seems a little sloppy. He gets out a light saber, which I’m sure the judges absolutely hate. What happened to the lift from practice? Sigh. The dance works though on many different levels. You can even see the intensity of the dance in Joey’s face. Len was worried about the silliness of the routine, but in the end, he thought the dance was great. He does tell Joey to watch how he sticks out his butt though. Carrie Ann calls the dance tight and charismatic. Bruno says that the force is still with Joey. He also tells him to work on his posture. Carrie Ann, Len, and Bruno give the routine an eight. Kym and Joey have 24 points. Dancing next are Cheryl Burke and Ian Ziering. Ian says that his butt is sore from all of the hip action required in the jive. There has been a lot of butt talk this evening, huh? Cheryl takes Ian to a strip club to help him with his moves. He looks so uncomfortable. She makes him practice with the dancers. Ian’s performance is quite funny. Immediately, Ian has to shake his butt; he does a nice job. The routine is fabulous; it’s fun, sexy, and entertaining. Cheryl and Ian have great chemistry. Thanks to bad camera work, we miss the very end of the dance; I’m sure it was as great as the rest of the performance though. Bruno says that Ian flaunted it tonight, but that he should point his feet. Len says that Ian messed up a bit; the crowd boos him. Carrie Ann agrees with Len, but says that Ian did a great job. Do you get the feeling that there are different standards for different dancers? Once again, each judge gives Ian an eight. He and Cheryl have 24 points. Dancing now are Leeza Gibbons and Tony Dovolani. Leeza explains that holding the frame is the most difficult part of the tango. Tony says that he sometimes has to be hard on Leeza. You can see some of their frustrations coming out in practice. They’re entertaining us by performing to “Jealousy.” Leeza missteps a few times and her moves aren’t as crisp as they should be; however, she has fun with the dance. In my opinion, she does a nice job, but lacks pizzazz. Before the judges give their scores, Leeza tells them that she has been listening to their comments. Last week, she was told to be trampy; this week, she’s sporting a tattoo that says, “Tramp.” Tom says that he hopes it will come off with water. Carrie Ann says that Leeza just showed her her boobie. That word makes me giggle. She then goes on to explain that she loved the routine despite it being basic. Len also says that the dance was simple, but well performed; it was her best dance so far. Bruno feels that Leeza delivered tonight. Each judge gives the dance an eight. Leeza and Tony have 24 points. That doesn’t seem right, but they are entitled to their opinions. The next performance is from Heather Mills and Jonathan Roberts. Heather says that the jive is going to be difficult for her. Jonathan feels that a lot of the moves will be impossible for her. She gets a new leg so that she can bounce on it. They are performing to “Can I Get a Witness.” The dance begins with Jonathan and Heather jumping off of the stage. While that is impressive, the rest of the routine is very sloppy. I don’t feel like I’m watching a jive. Heather smiles throughout the dance though and is obviously enjoying herself. Bruno wants to rename Heather to “The Incredible Heather Mills.” Um, OK. Carrie Ann commends Heather for adding difficulty to the routine. Len says that if Heather can do the jive, she can do anything. Samantha asks Heather why she’s wearing sneakers. Heather explains that the sneakers allow her to bounce. Tom makes a joke about Master P wearing sneakers during season two and not dancing as well as Heather. Each judge gives Heather and Jonathan an eight. The couple now has 24 points. Dancing last this evening are Karina Smirnoff and Billy Ray Cyrus. Karina is so patient with Billy Ray as she teaches him their routine. He tells us that he likes the tango and would like it even more if he could perform it. They’re dancing to “Rock the Casbah.” Billy Ray’s footwork is excellent; he’s really moving. However, he needs to watch his head placement. He’s looking at Karina too much. Also, he counts and it is very noticeable. The dance ends with Billy Ray sliding between Karina’s legs. Carrie Ann says that the dance took balls. Len tells Billy Ray that he looks like he’s trying; it’s a job well done. Bruno appreciates the effort that Billy Ray is putting forth. Carrie Ann, Len, and Bruno give Billy Ray seven points each. He and Karina have 21 points. He tells Samantha that he has an achy breaky butt. What is it with all of the bum references this evening? Tom and Samantha dramatically review the current standings: RANKING STAR SCORE 1 Heather 24 1 Ian 24 1 Joey 24 1 Leeza 24 5 Apolo 23 6 Billy Ray 21 6 Laila 21 6 Shandi 21 9 John 20 10 Clyde 16 Tom reminds us that tomorrow’s episode will feature Josh Groban, Ciara, and Survivor, and that Jimmy Kimmel will give us another dance lesson. Great. One more couple will leave the show. Who do you think it will be? Will there be an upset or will Edyta and John or Elena and Clyde, the couples with the lowest scores, go? No matter what, I'll be back with another recap. Don't miss it!