Week two of dancing with the stars and it is Latin night! Monday nights episode was full of fun and movement, tears and drama.
Here is your Fred Astaire Recap of the show.
Starting of the night were Elizabeth Berkley and her professional partner Val with a Samba.
Score:25
Elizabeth looked stunning in her red dress and she had the dancing to match her outfit. It was lively, energetic and fun. She has wonderful turns and amazing head spots that display great control. Her hip action was very smooth and she attacked the dance with gusto. Elizabeth needs to work on her leg actions to create nicer leg lines through the next weeks, but tackling this difficult dance in week two and dancing it the way she did is definitely worth at least 25 points.
Christina Milian and her professional partner Mark were up next with a Paso.
Score:25
Christina and Mark seem to have a much better relationship with each other in the previews. She was slightly uncomfortable with him in the preview of last weeks episode, but I thought their relationship looked much more relaxed and on one wave length. This beautifully translated into her Paso. The choreography and outfits had a very contemporary twist to them but, just as Len said, Christina stayed in character the whole way through, from her facial expression to her body posture and even the use of her skirt. I thought her shoulders were a bit off, but this could be an illusion created by her voluminous shoulder strap on the dress.
The third couple of the night were Bill Engvall and his professional partner Emma with a Jive.
Score:21
Bill is an absolute entertainer through and through. He did not just dance Jive but he danced a show. This fast and energetic dance is very difficult to master in such a short amount of time and I think he did rather well with it. His legs are quite fast and he displayed some very very good timing. He does need to work on his feet an Carrie Ann mentioned, but all this seems almost irrelevant with the performance value his dance number displayed.
The next couple on the floor was Jack Osbourne and his professional partner Cheryl dancing a Rumba.
Score: 24
According to Carrie Ann Jack has a "cultivated nobility" that he brings to the floor and I am in agreement. He looks so elegant and his posture is wonderful. Jack put himself down in the preview to the dance but I was very positively surprised by his dancing after having listened to his opinion of himself. He even went into a near split, very controlled! I wish they would have danced with bit less fog on the floor though as the preview showed some nice leg and foot lines that disappeared a bit in the mist.So far Jack is clearly one of my favorite contestants.
The fifth couple to take the stage dancing a Samba were Keyshawn Johnson and his professional partner Sharna.
Score:18
Keyshawn is slightly improved from last week but still seems very uncomfortable out on the dance floor. He displays great energy and determination but his technique is still very rough around the edges. Keyshawn is obviously used to compact and protective movement versus stretching and long. He has yet to tap into the fluidity of motion that his body has, and it does have it, he is an amazing athlete, he just need to find it.
Next up on the floor were Nicole "Snookie" Polizzi and her professional partner Sasha with a Rumba.
Score:20
Nicole actually improved a lot from last week in my eyes. While she didn't look very coordinated in the preview she looked quite good in the performance. Her leg lines are great and her movements clean. There is a certain aspect missing in my mind though and it seems the judges agree with me. She created picture after picture but needs to emotionally connect them. It seems a bit to me like she is going through a routine to do all the moves but not to dance it. Nicole needs to connect the emotion to the motion and she will see a rapid improvement.
Leah Remini and her professional partner Tony were the next couple on the floor with a Samba.
Score:24
Leah was definitely more confident this week than last week. She went for the routine a lot more and actually has some great hip actions and fast feet. The routine was also full of great basic Samba, which she executed well, instead of posing. She did seem to loose her focus a but in the beginning looking to Tony for guidance, but once she get's over that she will be a contestant for the win.
Bringing a Paso to the floor were Bill Nye and his professional partner Tyne.
Score:17
A drama filled performance was delivered. Bill and Tyne had a show that was choregraphed around Bills character of genius and insanity. He delivered a better perfromance than last week, but he needs to improve his footwork and technique. Perhaps he and Tyne should work a bit more on their technique than creating a show number.
Corbin Bleu and his professional partner tore up the floor in this next Jive number.
Score:26
Corbin is an energy packet! His performance was superb with great technique and precision. He is already an amazing dancer and fun and almost tiring to watch he is so energetic. I am looking forward to how he will tackle ballroom dances as he has been showing great energy and movement, how will Corbin do in a frame.
The next Paso number belonged to Valerie Harper and her professional partner Tristan
Score:19
Valerie is just inspiring. She is a determined lady and shows courage beyond belief. She had some knee problems in the preview and it showed a bit through her routine. The beginning f her routine though was great. She actually started with a solo piece, very difficult, and embodied the Spanish flamenco beautifully. Her character and her dancing in this piece were great. This is the quality i want to see throughout the entire routine.
The next number on the floor were Brant Daugherty and his professional partner Peta with a Rumba.
Score:23
This steamy number displayed a beautiful chemistry between Brant and Peta. Brant has some great lines and arms. Rumba is a difficult dance because it is so slow, but he looked very good in it. I would like to see him work on his legs as they were partially both bent and Len would like to see him work on his feet, but overall Brent is a confident dancer.
The last couple to grace the dance floor were Amber Riley and her professional partner Derek with a Jive
Score:24
This sassy dancer is fun to watch. She delivered a fun filled performance and kept up with Dereks cheekyness. I did like her better in her last weeks performance though as her footwork seemed a bit lacking this week. She was also wearing flat shoes and would probably have displayed better footwork with some latin dance shoes. Overall though, she is a good dancer and definetly a competitor.
This fun and action packed week two ended in Keyshawn Johnson being eliminated, He showed no regrets and emphasized how much he enjoyed being on the show.
Let's see what next week will bring. Who was your favorite couple? Which was your favorite routine? Let us know!
This recap was brought to you by your Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Warwick. Come check us out at www.fredastairewarwick.com
