The night’s recap of yesterdays tumultuous and somewhat chaotic episode showed the injuries, the arguments, and, oh yeah, the dances.  We learned today that Cristian is okay (he ruptured a tendon) and Def Leopard has a secret love of ballroom.  The judges chose to see Jason and Edyta’s quickstep one more time before elimination time. The first safe couple is Kristi & Mark.

Kenny Mayne and Jerry Rice bring last year’s hit “Dance Center” back to the show and break down each contestant while wearing glitter, eye makeup, and flashy shirts.  Always funny and one of the better time wasters used in this show J Now its time for some Arena Rock; Pour Some Sugar on Me. Gotta love the randomness of the combination of Def Leopard and ballroom. The next safe couple is Mario & Karina.  More Def Leopard with the pros dancing and then time for more eliminations. The last four couples stand nervously to see if there fate lies under a red light. After talking to Cristian about his injured and pending surgery, the first of the four couples given the relief of safety is Cristian & Cheryl; gotta love that pity vote. The first couple in the bottom two is Marissa & Tony. Jason & Edyta are safe putting Shannon & Derek in the bottom two.  With little buildup Shannon and Derek are sent packing.  I guess yelling about toe leads, hip action, and unfair judging gets you nowhere. Haha

Now that we are down to six couples each are required to perform two individual dances; a Latin and a ballroom.  The pressure is mounting and I’m sure someone is going to crumble.  Some of the celebs have struggled with one dance, how are they going to handle in the same short amount of time? I guess we will just have to watch and see.

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani

Dance 1- The tango was smooth and upbeat. Marissa had very good posture and was clean in all of her movements. The judges said that it was her best dance ever and showed a completely new side of her. Score 27/30

Dance 2- The rumba is one of the sexier Latin dances and Marissa seemed to struggle with the idea. She had little to know hip movement in the dance and they didn’t move much across the floor.  The footwork was stronger than usual and she did move gracefully. The judges thought that the dance was romantic but not sexy enough. Score 25/30

Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke

Dance 1- The Viennese waltz was not one of Cristian’s best.  It seemed choppy and he looked like he was counting. He seemed to slip back into leading with his heels. The judges said that he used the floor brilliantly but lacked energy and content. Score 25/30

Dance 2- A little bootie shaking in the samba has never hurt anyone. Cristian seemed a lot more comfortable in this dance than he did in the first but he pulled a muscle near the end of the dance and almost fell on top of Cheryl.  He looked like he was in some serious pain as the show hesitated before going to commercial. The judges said that he was brave to try to carry on with the injury and that he is a great performer.  Score 21/30

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Balias

Dance 1- The Viennese waltz started off beautifully with Kristi holding an umbrella and Mark in uniform.  The dance has some nice holds and good movement around the floor. The judges thought that the dance was emotional and creative but the start was too long Score 26/30

Dance 2- The only couple performing the cha cha (cha) tonight, Kristi and Mark have an opportunity to impress.  The dance was full of quick turns and fast footwork. Kristi was back to last week’s form with her second dance.  Len didn’t like the “boogaloo hip hop dancing” but Bruno and Carrie Ann loved the change from the ordinary. Score 28/30  

Mario and Karina Smirnoff

Dance 1- The foxtrot was a good comeback dance for Mario.  The couple seemed to have fun with the dance and out in a lot of work.  The judges said that he did a good job but was not graceful or controlled.  Score 24/30

Dance 2- The Mambo was a much better try for Mario than the foxtrot. He had good hip action and no trouble with the quick footwork. The couple had chemistry and lit up the floor. The judges thought it was fiery, wild, and full of passion. Score 27/30

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough

Dance 1- The tango brought some friction between the cozy couple when Derek decided to be a disciplinarian after last week’s harsh reviews. The couple did a quick and entertaining tango. There were some positioning issues but nothing too big. The judges thought that the dance was fascinating and it was her best dance yet. Score 27/30

Dance 2- The mambo involves a lot of hip movement; something that Shannon has yet to pull off. She tried to shake it but I think that she physically has no hips, making it impossible.  The dance was akward and she looked uncomfortable the whole time.  The choreography had the potential to be interesting but it never quite happened.  The judges thought that her lines were off and it was a bit gangly. Score 24/30

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska

Dance 1- The quickstep was one of the more entertaining dances of the night.  Jason listened to Carrie Ann and he certainly danced “big” this week.  He had much more emotion this week and finished the dance with a handstand. The judges thought that it was great, energetic, and predicted that he will be in the final. Score 29/30

Dance 2- The paso doble becomes quirky with tonight’s song choice and costuming. The Monday night football song was an odd choice and the Miami Dolphin clothing was just funny. The dance was fun too watch and Jason was quite an intimidating figure. The judges thought that it was a bit too posey but was an unconventional winner. Score 26/30

Tonight was a very exciting night in the competition.  Everyone reallt stepped up and danced well, it will be hard to let one of the couples go tomorrow.  Tomorrow’s results are hard to predict on dance alone.  I think that, with a doubt, Kristi and Jason are safe.  The other four are all at risk even though they all did well.  I think that Marissa and Mario don’t have strong fan bases, Cristian didn’t get to really show what he’s made of, and Shannon may get some backlash from last week’s comments.  All are free game for tomorrow’s the bottom two even without the injury but who knows what the fans will decide.  Tune in tomorrow for the results.

Score Totals

Jason & Edyta - 55/60

Kristi & Mark –54/60

Marissa & Tony – 52/60

Mario & Karina – 51/60

Shannon & Derek – 51/60

Cristian & Cheryl – 46/60

The judges chose to start the show off by seeing a second performance of last nights confusing and chaotic group dance; it was no better the second time around.  Ashlee Simpson, sporting a tackily large engagement ring, is today’s special guest and sings (at least she didn’t fake it this time) as pros perform in very Timberlake-like outfits; kinda boring really. Time first results; the first safe couple of the night is Shannon & Derek and the first couple in the bottom two is Marlee & Fabian. Well at least Shannon can stop crying, the pity vote always wins big, right Marie?

Oh how the world needs more river dance, it is always cool to watch.  I don’t understand how their upper bodies never move while their feet are going at 100+ miles per hour; that is truly one of life’s great mysteries… sort of. The kids that are competing this week are thirteen and have therefore outgrown their cuteness, so I am not really that interested but they were both really good and the judges had a hard choice to make but I think they made the right one when the chose Brandon and Brittany. 

Time to get down to business; the next safe couples are Marissa & Tony and Cristian & Cheryl.  The final three couple learn their fates one at a time.  Kristi & Mark are safe and so are Jason & Edyta.  The bottom two couple are Mario & Karina Marlee & Fabian.  After a build up it is announced that Marlee and Fabian are going home.  She did a phenomenal job and really worked through all of her challenges with grace and class.  She will be missed.

It’s that time in the season when each couple will be performing two dances per show. The pressure is on now more than ever because they will not only have to take on a dance style that they have yet to try, they will also take the floor for the first group number of the season. Though the judges will not be judging the group numbers, it still takes valuable time and brain power away from the judged individual dances.

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are going to take on the spirited cha cha (cha).  Jason is not going to be able to rely on Edyta as much in this dance as he done in the past. Oh no, and Edyta forgot her pants! The dance was energetic and full of spins and body rolls.  Jason did not look as light on his feet as in weeks past the performance was good. The judges said that he did a good job but got a little off on his timing.  Score 24/30

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough will take the rumba. The dance was mostly smooth, flowing, and romantic.  Perhaps they really are a couple now.  Shannon definitely rebounded from last week. The judges said that she had no hip action but had great chemistry.  Score 24/30

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez have to reach for a big comeback after the footwork issues of last week.  The mambo should be a good one for the couple because Fabian is a former mambo champ. After a Henry Winkler pep talk the couple took the floor and delivered a spirited dance but a few of the same problems of last week.  There were a few timing issues and some foot missteps.  But they did do a better job than last week. The judges thought that she had many of the timing issues of last week and that they dance was disjointed.  Score 21/30

Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke are going to perform the fox trot. After last weeks bottom two performance they really need to impress the judges. The performance was leaps and bounds above last weeks.  They had chemistry and flowed, at times, effortlessly across the floor. The judges thought that it was his best dance so far and had excellent footwork. Score 27/30

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani perform the very refined Viennese waltz to a very of song choice in Tom Jones’ Delilah. The dance was one of her best. It flowed well, she didn’t show any signs of being nervous, and moved easily across the floor. The judges loved said that she did her turns well and fixed all the issues she had in weeks past.  Score 26/30 (their best score yet)

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Balias take on the jive sigh such enthusiasm that the judges should never again fault her for having no emotion. The dance was fun, quirky, and extremely fast paced. If that wasn’t a 30 I’m not sure what is.  Carrie Ann said that it was her favorite dance yet this season, Len said that the dance was a tasty morsel, they all agreed it was best hey have ever done.   Score 30/30 (woo hoo it is about time!!!)

Mario and Karina Smirnoff are going to end the individual numbers with a rumba to the tune of Let’s Get it On. The dance was hot and excited the audience who gave them a standing ovation.  The judges were split in their reviews.  Len thought that the dance was too raunchy but Bruno thought that it was fabulous (and some of what he said was blanked out).  They also performed an illegal lift.  Score 28/30 (their best score of the competition)

The group dance was built up all night long.  A country themed dances involving cowboy sheriffs and outlaws is sure to be entertaining… I hope. Even in rehearsals Mario seems to find a reason to keep his shirt unbuttoned and Edyta still refuses to wear pants; I just don’t get it, lol.  But that dance itself was fun and full of lifts and flips. Marissa was off beat for a lot of the dance and so was Marlee but oh well. The cast looked like they had a lot of fun but there were many mistakes.  The judges seemed entertained but pointed out craziness and missteps.

So tonight we got to see the first 30 of the season and Kristi more than deserved it this week. She really is soooo far ahead of the other celebs in skill level.  It is basically a race to see who can make it into the other two final three spots along side her.  Cristian is really making a move toward the front along with Mario and Jason is really going to have to fight to stay in the top.  Today’s weakest dancers were Marlee and Shannon.  One of them is going home tomorrow.  I am also concerned about Marissa.  She is really improving but I just hope that she has a big enough fan base to keep her around as long as she deserves.

After the usual recap the judges ask to see Kristi and Marks nearly flawless rumba from last night and it was even better the second time around.  After the dance Marlee and Shannon are interviewed backstage about the mistakes that they made last night.  Both give honest answers about the issues they had and said that if left to continue they will work hard to do better. The first safe couple is Kristi & Mark.  The first couple in the bottom two is Cristian & Cheryl. The kids have their time to shine in the jive and cha cha cha.  The couples are from the 8-10 year old division.  Both couples were amazing; they should give the celebs some tips. The next safe couple is Jason & Edyta.  

Superstar James Blunt performed his new single Carry You Home while the pros perform a beautifully choreographed dance.  Back to the results, the next two couple given at least one more week to dance are Mario & Karina and Marissa & Tony.  Three couple still do not know their fate and the first relieved couple of the group is Shannon & Derek.  The last safe couple is Marlee & Fabian, putting Priscilla& Louis in the bottom two with Cristian & Cheryl. Wow was I dead on with the predictions last night.  Going home this week is Priscilla& Louis.

We are halfway their folks; halfway to the crowning of a new celeb dance champ.  We had a few surprises last week with Priscilla plummeting and Marissa rebounding.  This week is sure to be an interesting one as well.  The couples are dancing the sexiest of the Latin dances, the rumba and the samba.

Mario and Karina Smirnoff have lost, and rightfully so, a bit of confidence over the last couple of weeks.  They took on the samba today and gave a spirited performance. Mario seemed to pay a bit more attention to technique this week and it helped in delivering a strong classic samba. The judges said that it was his best dance to so far and was nice clean and to the point. Score 27/30 (wow his best score yet)

Priscilla Presley and Louis Van Amstel have to win back the judges favor after their illegal lift last week.  They were in the bottom two much to the surprise of the viewers. The couple danced a very interesting rumba that involved a split from Priscilla and many isolation moves.  The dance was slow but seemed to be very difficult and strenuous. The judges said the slowness of the dance showed the technical flaws and lacked spontaneity. Score 21/30

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani have to make last weeks performance a norm for them.  Last week’s paso earned them good marks with the judges and their samba has to do the same. The dance was full of energy and shimmies. The dance was a crowd pleaser and Tony showed off some very non-ballroom-like dancing.  The judges said that she gave her best performance by far and had more shakes than a cocktail bar.  Score 24/30

Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke have been a pleasant surprise this season.  Cristian started off weak and recently seems to keep improving with every week. The rumba proved a challenge for the couple, Christian didn’t move much throughout the dance and Cheryl did a lot dramatic spinning around him. The judges said that the performance was competent but not fantastic and they expected more. Score 23/30

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez spent part of their week fitting deaf children with hearing aids and the other part in serious rehearsal.  The communication barrier seems to be getting to them a bit in practices and it did show in the samba a bit.  Marlee lost the timing from time to time, but then again she can’t hear the music. The dance was fun, fast, sexy, and well done. The judges did notice that she lost the timing in small parts but recovered well   Score 22/30

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Balias have to be perfect from now on since the pack is encroaching on her lead. Their rumba was truly entertaining and romantic. The couple moved flawlessly across the floor.  The couple seemed to incorporate more turns and harder choreography that the couple before them. The judges said that she caste of the “shackles on inhibition” and they had true chemistry.  Score 29/30 (um can Carrie Ann give up a 10 please)

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough again had to deal with Derek taking a trip to the hospital.  However, he is over his food poisoning and the dance, samba, must go on. Shannon struggles to learn to shake her hips in rehearsal an that continued into the performance.  The dance was good but she just looked awkward in parts. The judges said that it didn’t have enough hip action and the dance seemed to be too hard for her. Score 23/30

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are the couple who seems to have any real chance of taking on Kristi.  Their rumba was slow and sensual.  The couple defiantly has chemistry and, sadly, Jason has far better hip movement than Shannon.  The couple did some very original choreography and some risky moves. The judges thought that hips and lines were good and the chemistry was insane.

Score 27/30

The scores seem to be getting higher and higher and more couples are pulling 8’s. Kristi is still the obvious front runner and I am not sure why she has yet to receive a 30.  She has been perfect more than once, but I guess they don’t want to completely separate her from the rest of the pack yet. Mario showed that he is indeed in it to win it but Priscilla might continue her slide, not yet a fall, from grace. My pick for the bottom two are Priscilla and Cristian (or Marissa, can’t decide).  The Stay tuned for tomorrow’s results.

It is once again time for Idol Gives Back; the annual celebration of the giving of both time and money to help change the world community. The star studded event is always entertaining and this one is sure to please. I always wonder though how many of them give not just face time or performances, but large amounts to the day as well. The show began with a song and dance performance involving old contestants/stars of Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.  Maria Shriver did her best to encourage volunteer giving of both time and money to multiple charitable organizations. I think she has the right idea.  Snoop Dogg and Charlie Wilson were the first celebrity performers.  The second performance was an all star assembly staring Terri Hatcher and featuring James Denton, Greg Gunberg, Amy Poehler, Bob Guiney, and others.  

The night’s highlights included Fergie crawling and flipping on the stage in plastic pants with Heart, a heart felt tear jerking song, Many Rivers, by Annie Lennox,  and Jimmy Kimmel bashing Simon (including saying his nipples are so big that he looks like he’s smuggling the Olsen twins under his shirt.) Carrie Underwood gave an absolutely beautiful performance followed by Gloria Estefan, and Sheila E livened the mood and brought the house down with a Get on Your Feet with even more ex-contestants of So You Think You Can Dance (woohoo I love Pasha). 

Other events of the night included The Prime Minister of Great Brittan announced that his government will donate $200,000,000 to buy mosquito net for families in Africa. The American Idol contestants joined together to sing Seasons of Love from Rent.  Miley Cyrus (or was it Hannah Montana? Guess not cause her hair was brown) gave a very out of place angsty performance that involved some oddly placed pelvic thrusts; not sure what was going there. 

Robin Williams, after telling 3 minutes of bad jokes, sang My Way as the “Russian Idol” for the judges, he also had the quote of the night: to Simon “I love you in a broke-back way.” The show drew to an in a very fitting way; a plea from Brad Pitt and Daughtry singing What About Now while in Uganda accompanied by the children in need. The superstar finally was a performance by Mariah Carey accompanied by Randy on the base followed by the idol contestants singing Shout to the Lord; one of my favorite praise songs. Overall Idol delivered a great and truly inspirational show. I hope beyond hope that it inspired people to give their time and money, not just tonight, but as often as they can for as long as they are able.

Sheryl Crow is this week’s performing guest and she sings while the pros perform to All I Want to Do.  The judges chose Adam and Julianne to relive last night unicycle paso simple for the entertainment value of it all. It was just as odd and amusing the second time around. The first safe couples are Jason & Edyta and Kristi &Mark. It makes sense to get the best out of the way first.

The show has decided to have a youth ballroom competition this season and the contestants will be judged just like the celebs. Both youth couple were adorable thought the band made multiple mistakes on the first song.  The judges were very nice to them and only gave positive feedback. They chose the week’s winner by saying their names instead of scoring them.  Good thing they did it that way or there may have been a couple of crying nine year olds running around the set. The next couple given safety for the week is Marlee & Fabian shortly after Sheryl Crow performed a second number. The next two couples given the okay to dance next week are Cristian & Cheryl and Mario & Karina (I was wrong, I thought that he may be in the bottom again.) The final four couples are left in suspense and the hosts review the judges’ opinions on each of their dances last night. Priscilla& Louis are surprisingly in the bottom two,  Shannon & Derek are safe.  Adam & Julianne are in the bottom two, Marissa & Tony are safe.  Wow I had this all wrong. But at least the right was couple was eliminated: Adam and Julianne.  The show will miss the laughter and antics of Adam and everyone has loved Julianne since last season, hopefully next season she will pull another winner.   

The celebrities continue on their quest for the allusive disco ball trophy on this the first Monday in April.  Without Steve Guttenberg around who is going to be positive force to take on the judges; not Adam I hope.  The dances for tonight are the paso doble and the Viennese waltz. Neither are easy dances, so fans should get to see what these contestants are really made of.

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Balias try to bring true emotion to their paso doble after being accused of being a bit cold last week. Kristi said that it was time to stop the prim and proper, and she did a good job. The couple made an odd song choice with “How does it Feel” and I’m not sure it fit the dace.  Kristi’s execution was flawless and precise as always, but the music took me out of the performance a bit. The judges said that she was a jezebel and sets the standard on the show. Score 29/30 (wow)

Priscilla Presley and Louis Van Amstel prepare to wow the judges with a Viennese waltz by roller skating to master the floating aspects of the dance. The dance did flow but didn’t appear to be a proper waltz in parts.  It was not exciting performance that the show has come to expect from Priscilla. The judges told her to be careful about her holds, her balance was off, and the couple performed an illegal lift.  Score 22/30

It seemed more than unlikely that Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough will be able to create the “heat needed for the paso doble but they did an interesting job.  Adam entered the floor on a unicycle of all things in a full on Zoro costume. His dancing was still not good but at least they are keeping it interesting. The judges were brutal but laughing at the same time. They said that he just isn’t a dancer and needs analysis. Score 19/30

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez push to show off their great chemistry in the Viennese waltz. Marlee said the turning was hard for her and she couldn’t help losing her balance, but you could not tell a bit as she and Fabian floated around the floor.  The dance did not seem to have the difficulty of some of the pervious performances but it was smooth and romantic.  The judges said that she needs to work on posture but she made Carrie Ann cry. Score 24/30

Mario and Karina Smirnoff seek to redeem themselves after last week’s debacle.  The paso will his chance to stay alive.  Dancing to Highest Ground (another odd song choice), the couple showed off their quick foot work and fierce poses.  The performance was sure improvement from last week. The judges liked the power and spirit but thought that he only has one style of dance. Score 24/30

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska usually dance to impress but last week wasn’t their best performance.  It should be hard to large football jock to perform a genteel waltz but he more than pulled it off.  He was light on his feet and appeared to be leading his partner around the floor.  He had a few issues with his footing but he recovered well. The judges thought that the dance was elegant, sexy, and erotic.

Score 29/30

Cristian de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke try to woo the crown with a powerful paso doble, although Cheryl seems to have lost her clothes along the way… The dance was very dramatic and involved lots of powerful yells from Cristian. The dance was good but a bit overly showy at times.  The judges didn’t think that they conquered the music but they gave a fine performance that was emotional.  Score 26/30

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough had a hard week of preparation after Derek injured his neck in rehearsal. Shannon had to train with Jonathan while Derek coached on the sidelines.  Derek chose to perform and it was, in the end, a good decision. They danced a beautiful Viennese waltz though he had limited neck movement.  They were graceful and elegant.  The judges thought the dance was beautiful, refreshing, organic and the best dace of the night.  Score 28/30

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani fight for their lives after battling the judges in the past few weeks. Their paso doble was anything but boring.  Marissa put all that she had into the dance. She had the emotion and the facial expressions that made the dance complete. The judges thought that they attacked it and at last the true Marissa came out.  Score 24/30

Kristi and Jason once again show what they are made of, tying with ever so close to perfect 29s.  The rest of the bunch just can’t seem to keep up with these powerhouses.  They are going to have to improve quickly or rely on their fans to keep them around.  Though Mario performed better this week than last, I still believe that he will end up in the bottom two or perhaps Adam will make a much deserved appearance instead.  One of the two of them will have the company of Marissa Jaret Winokur who, though she finally seemed to win over the judges, does not have enough star power to stick around long. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s results.

It was mentioned on the show yesterday that Steve Guttenberg’s partner Anna was sick all week and she sent in her husband, also a Stars pro, Jonathan to take over for her during practices.  The judges decided, in a very unprecedented move, that they wanted see the tango that Steve performed yesterday again today, but they wanted to see him dance with Jonathan like he did in rehearsals. So the show kicked off with a bit of guy on guy tango action; saucy.  The dance was hilarious and both men fell to the floor at the end when attempting a final dip.  Gotta love it. 

On to the eliminations. The first two couple safe are Kristi &Mark and Adam & Julianne.  Wow Adam has stuck around far longer than I would have predicted. Kylie Minogue then performs her newest hit single from her new album “X”. In a shocking turn of events, the next safe couples are Priscilla& Louis and Marissa & Tony.  I was so sure that Marissa would be in the bottom two after being (unfairly) beaten up by the judges last night. 

 After some backstage comedy/fighting compliments of Adam Carolla, the celebs talked about their secrets hobbies: Steve is a freestyle rapper, Cristian raises otters, and Shannon is president of the MacGyver fan club… April fools anyone? Later The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performed in honor of their 50^th anniversary followed by Kylie Minogue singing Can’t get You Out of My Head while Julianne and Mark performed in pure eighties garb. The next safe couples are Jason & Edyta and Marlee & Fabian followed shortly by the safety of Cristian & Cheryl and Shannon & Derek. The remaining couples are Mario & Karina and Steve and Anna. Going home after much ado, and no bottom two given, is Steve Guttenberg and partner Anna Trebunskaya. Steve was such a positive guy and was always full of kid words for everyone.  No more Mr. Nice Guy; we will miss you Steve.