Are you ready for things to get a little bit crazy on the dance floor?
I certainly hope you are, because we’ve finally arrived at Instant Choreography Week! No matter how they’ve performed in the past, each of the remaining five couples will have a tough time this week. They will have to perform two dances, one in the normal fashion and one choreographed “instantly” to music they learn during the broadcast.
Hard work for the dancers, loads of entertainment for us lazy Dancing with the Stars viewers! What could be better?
The Instant Dances could mean some changes to the overall rankings of the performers. Not that Hines will lose his first-place position or anything. I’m pretty convinced that, at this point, the ballroom floor would need to split open, swallowing Hines and Kym whole, for someone else to take the lead.
But we’ll see.
The overall points, going into week 8 are:
- Hines and Kym: 198 points
- Chelsea and Mark: 190 points
- Ralph and Karina: 185 points
- Romeo and Chelsie: 184 points
- Kirstie and Maks: 179 points
What led to these standings? Check out the Week 7 BuddyTV Recap!
But back to this week… What will the Instant Dances bring to Dancing with the Stars? Will Ralph’s knee hold up? Can Kirstie (or anybody else, for that matter) handle two dances in one night?
Time to find out!
It looks like we may be seeing an awful lot of tumbling in the rehearsal packages tonight. Falling is good. For us anyway. It’s probably not so great for the dancers.
So much to do, they’re actually going to let us see dances right away. Yay!
Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas
Dancing the waltz
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “I think occasionally you put too much emphasis on the story, not on the dance.” “It was very musical, it had a lovely lyrical feel to it… Overall I liked it.”
Bruno: “Finally, you found the perfect setting for Chelsea to shine like a precious jewel. That was dancing of the highest quality!” “Fab-u-lous!”
Carrie Ann: “I think tonight, something very different happened… You earned perfection tonight.”
My Comments: Ooooohhh … Chelsea is telling off Mark. With dramatic piano music. And then there’s hugging. Drama! And they’re dead! Oh wait, that’s just more drama and a dance intro. The beginning looks kind of ballet-like. It’s pretty, although Chelsea looks like she should be barefoot or something. This is actually incredibly pretty. The spins and all look very smooth and precise. Granted, I always miss the mistakes, but I’m totally missing them tonight.
Scores: 10+9+10 = 29
Best scores of the season so far! And for the Instant Dance, Chelsea and Mark will be dancing the salsa to “Get Busy” by Sean Paul.
Hines Ward and Kym Johnson
Dancing the foxtrot
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “Your personality just radiates throughout the ballroom, to the judges…” “You just sit back and watch the dance unravel before your eyes.” “If that’s cheese, I love it.”
Bruno: “Hines! Yes! Yes! Yes! I’ll have it!” “That was beaming with a blissful look of happiness!” “You’ve got me so bad! You’ve got me!”
Carrie Ann: “You’re such a guy’s guy, Hines.” “A little bit of cheesy Hines… I loved it!”
My Comments: And they’re cute. What a shocker there. Hines definitely has no trouble jumping into a pleasant, fun dance like this. He’s managing to look manly while hopping around in a pink-tinged outfit, which is impressive in itself. The dance is pretty quick too. Hines does look like he’s forcing a move or two, but mostly this is just a happy day in a sunny park.
Scores: 9+9+10 = 28
More nice scores… For their Instant Dance, Hines and Kym will be dancing to “Chantilly Lace” by Jerry Lee Lewis (But isn’t it the Big Bopper?).
Romeo and Chelsie Hightower
Dancing the tango
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “So far, the three that have come out, fantastic. And you’re right there with them!”
Bruno: “You danced like a real man out there!”
Carrie Ann: “Boy, that was amazing! You’re dancing like you really meant it.” “When you’re in it, I cannot take my eyes off of you.” “One of your best routines ever.”
My Comments: Chelsie’s dress is … interesting. It works for the whole “severe” aspect of the dance. Despite the dark lighting of the dance, it is looking good. I’m not sure how much Romeo is actually dancing. He doesn’t quite have the mean, commanding look that I think he’s supposed to have in a tango. Actually, Chelsie looks to be in charge. Still, the dance is enjoyable and seems to go well for the pair.
Scores: 9+9+9 = 27
They will be dancing to “Tequila” by whoever’s version the band likes best.
Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff
Dancing the Viennese waltz
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “For someone who’s had limited time to practice, you did a great job.” “It lacked polish, and you only get polish with time.”
Bruno: “Vampire lovers! Dancing from dusk to dawn! Am I going to kill you or love you? It doesn’t matter!”
Carrie Ann: “Tonight, once again, that spirit of Daniel Larusso lives again.”
My Comments: Too bad about Ralph’s knee… Ouch. Ralph’s hair looks great though. Ralph maybe looks a little stiff, but he’s moving awfully well for someone who was on the ground before. Ralph is definitely a bit off, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they tailored a bunch of moves to be easier on the knee. He’s definitely giving it his all in the performance area though, which makes the dance still enjoyable, despite less emphasis on fancy steps.
Scores: 8+8+9 = 25
Wow. They were seriously impressed by the effort, weren’t they? And for the Instant Dance, Ralph and Karina will hobble through “Stuck in the Middle” by Stealer’s Wheel.
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dancing the Argentine tango
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “It was hot. I’m surprised Maks only took his hat off.”
Bruno: “A hint of aggression! Just the right amount of passion!” “Plus, your footwork was brilliant!” “You’re body’s shrinking, your talent is huge!”
Carrie Ann: “I actually felt like I was watching real life acted out in front of me.” “I think you just topped your cha-cha.”
My Comments: That was an impressive leg on Maks to begin. Kirstie has definitely focused on having the precise steps this time. It’s much, much better than last week. Her posture seems a bit off at times, but then it comes back. Kirstie needs to look up more as well. And seriously, this music is doing nothing for the dance. Yuck. The dance, though, is pretty good. I’d say it’s one of her better ones.
Scores: 9+9+10 = 28
Bruno’s giving out those 10s like candy at Halloween, isn’t he? Kirstie and Maks will be Instant Dancing to “Cobrastyle,” whatever that is.
Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas
Dancing the salsa
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “You’ve done two dances tonight. I thought the waltz was cool, the salsa was hot.”
Bruno: “You’re setting the bar very, very, very high.” “Fully driven, full-on, all the way through, right on the money!”
Carrie Ann: “I did not feel a connection to the music.” “Great performance, but just not connected to the music all that well.”
My Comments: Someone forgot to cue the announcer to the beginning of the dance. Chelsea and Mark definitely went for the fast route. The choreography isn’t exactly perfect, but it seems to be going well. Especially when you consider how weird and particular this song is. They did a really good job with that. Not as good as a fully choreographed dance, but still impressive.
Scores: 8+9+9 = 26
Hines Ward and Kym Johnson
Dancing the jive
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “All work and no play makes a good dancer, and I can tell you worked hard this week.” “This is a real tough dance and you’ve done a fantastic job.”
Bruno: “It was like watching Mr. Happy Feet.” “It was a bit like a penguin.” “You’ve done an incredible job in 20 minutes.”
Carrie Ann: “You were on every beat!” “You totally relaxed into the moment.”
My Comments: Oh Hines… It’s not like you’re not going to be great. Don’t worry about your Instant Dance! And Hines is instantly charming. This is going well — the dance actually seems to fit the music perfectly, which is cool. It doesn’t hurt that Hines is just plain grinning throughout this dance. Has anybody ever had so much fun in this competition? A little off at the end there, but the whole dance was so good, I doubt it’ll matter much.
Scores: 9+9+8 = 26
Is Bruno out of 10s? I guess he has to drop to 8 now.
Romeo and Chelsie Hightower
Dancing the salsa
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “What’s the matter with these two, so nasty to everyone.” “There were some nuances in the music… OK there was a tiny incident … as big as a gnat’s cuticle.”
Bruno: “Am I losing my mind, or has he changed his medications?” “You’re both gorgeous and sexy, but the salsa is about fluidity of movement.”
Carrie Ann: “Definitely felt like we were at a club, it was very casual.” “It needed to be just a little tighter and a little more in sync.”
My Comments: They’re not in time with the music at the beginning (not a surprise with a crazy song like “Tequila”). Romeo is looking a wee bit stiff again. He’s obviously having fun with it, which helps, but this isn’t his best performance. They get a little more into the music and the dancing at the end, but it’s still not exactly on.
Scores: 8+9+8 = 25
Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff
Dancing the cha-cha
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “Something has to give, and unfortunately it was this cha-cha-cha.”
Bruno: “You lost it a little bit at the end as well.”
Carrie Ann: “It’s amazing that you were able to pull that off without any rehearsal.”
My Comments: OK, was that a real refusal to dance or part of the act? Since he’s dancing now, I’m going to go with an act. Ralph Macchio is an excellent dancer, ladies and gentlemen. I totally thought he wasn’t going to get up. And when he did, it’s a pretty good dance, all smiles. We’re not talking about the best dance ever, but at least he gave it a try. Enough to stay on for another week? No clue.
Scores: 7+7+7 = 21
Not great scores, but considering the injury, that’s pretty darn impressive.
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dancing the salsa
Judges’ Comments:
Len: “You showed rhythm. OK, I know what they’re thinking, it lacked a bit of impact… And I thought it was fabulous.”
Bruno: “Oh, you smooth, flirtatious vixen!” “You lost sync three times…”
Carrie Ann: “I really enjoyed it, I though you were totally in sync.” “Your energy is so nicely matched.”
My Comments: Hey, I like this song! Apparently I just didn’t know the title. Kirstie is a bit slow on a step or two, but the dance fits with the music perfectly. They’ve definitely got the performance down cold. Impressive for 40 minutes or whatever they get to practice this. That ending took way too long and some of the dance was awkward, but I liked it overall.
Scores: 8+9+8 = 25
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Which dance was your favorite? Who did the best with the Instant Dances? Can Ralph pull through, despite the knee injury and low scores? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment!
(Images courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Laurel grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, Grosse Pointe, MI and Bellevue WA. She then went on to live in places like Boston, Tucson, Houston, Wales, Tanzania, Prince Edward Island and New York City before heading back to Seattle. Ever since early childhood, when she became addicted to The Muppet Show, Laurel has watched far too much TV. Current favorites include Chuck, Modern Family, Supernatural, Mad Men and Community. Laurel received a BA in Astrophysics (yes, that is possible) from Colgate University and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and History of Science from Columbia University before she realized that television is much better than studying.
