Season 16: Week 10 - FINALS!!!

Week 10:

The Finals!!!

In a definitely different direction, this year sees FOUR people in the finals, as opposed to the usual three.  There is a LOT of dancing this time around!  On Evening 1 there is the Judges' Choice, a Cha-Cha-Cha Relay, and - of course - the ever-popular, make-it-or-break-it Freestyle: not just any Freestyle, but "Super-Sized", where they could add dancers, props, whatever.  This year was incredible all around, with all of those dances.  Oh, and for Evening 2 was the "Instant Dance": the dancers were given their style ahead of time, but not given the song until the beginning of the evening.

On with the shows!

Zendaya Coleman's Judges' Choice was the Samba.  She and Val were visited by Carrie Ann for pointers.  The Samba is well-suited for her and there was definite improvement (if you can imagine Zendaya improving, as she's pretty top-rate to begin with).

Her Freestyle definitely showed a wide range in what she has learned on top of what she already had.  She started with a straight-ahead Cha-Cha-Cha, which flowed seamlessly into a Contemporary piece - which was both heartfelt and artistic - which bopped right into a Hip Hop segment accompanied by a group of incredible little Hip-Hop Child Dancers.  The kids emphasized and enhanced her, instead of drowning her out (see Jacoby below).  Opening the dance was heard the voices of her parents giving encouragement, followed by chanting children.  I loved it.

Jacoby Jones opened the show with a slightly lackluster Judges' Choice Jive, helped out by Len.  His feet were better, but it just didn't seem to me to have as much pep.  Not horrible by a longshot, and a definite improvement over his last Jive...but not his best.

He and Karina definitely took the concept of "Super-Sized" to heart in their Freestyle, adding a marching band, "Stompers", kid dancers (including little Sophia Lucia).  While he showed a bit more heart than his Jive, he got completely lost in the shuffle with all of the other goings-on.  All of the added characters more hid his dancing as opposed to enhance, as Zendaya's did.

Kellie Pickler got the Quickstep for the Judges' Choice, visited by Len.  There was a lot of talk about keeping their "Knobbly bits" together, and keep together they did!  Their Quickstep was fast and fun, fun, fun...and they stuck together like Super Glue.

In a great strategic gamble, Derek decided that the best way to "Super-Size" Kellie's Freestyle would be to strip it down completely.  It was just him, her, and the floor.  Done in a Contemporary style, the whole dance was completely emotional to the point of tears, with moves that were jaw-dropping (one of my girls could have sworn at one point that Kellie had wires or strings helping her, but it was all just them).  It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen: both Len and Bruno wanted to give her 11s!

Aly Raisman's Judges' Choice Samba - visited by Bruno - was totally up to her usual, albeit improved, standards, but the judges weren't as kind to her as they were to Kellie and Zendaya.  Where they both got Perfect 30s, she got 28.  If they gave a "Generally Most Improved Dancer from The Beginning Of the Season" award, it should have gone to her.

Her Super-Sized Freestyle, however, while definitely entertaining, was bizarre.  Mark conceptualized her parallel bar gynmastic routine, but made it vertical.  While a lot of other articles mention the whole "pole dance" vibe, I didn't see that.  I saw Concept Contemporary, with a touch of futuristic.  Disappointly, she "flubbed" one landing after a lift, but the judges didn't seem to notice it, giving her a Perfect 30.

In between these two dances was the Cha-Cha-Cha Relay.  This is where each dancer follows the previous, all doing the same dance and song, with the judges giving extra points: 5 for first place, then 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd and 2 for 4th.  It started with Kellie and Derek, who were, as usual, technically perfect and sharp as tacks.  They were followed by Jacoby (leaping over them for his entrance *sigh*) and Karina, who were a touch sloppy.  They were joined and followed by Aly and Mark, who were good, albeit not great.  The final ones were Zendaya and Val, who danced both traditionally and with their own flair.  Their finishing order: Zendaya, Kellie, Aly, Jacoby.

The Second Show (aka Results show) was actually a bit of a disappointment. Yes, the show opened with all of the returning stars, but very few actually got to dance again.  Most seasons have almost everyone getting to dance at least a little.  This time, only Dorothy Hamill, Lisa Vanderpump and Andy Dick did.  I was also hugely disappointed with their choices for musical guests.  While I love Wynonna (and she was great doing what she does), I could have lived without Pitbull and, ESPECIALLY, Psy.  I don't count Victor, Sean and Andy dancing with him.  That wasn't a showcase: it was a trainwreck.  I muted both Psy and Pitbull.  One good thing: THERE WAS NO DANCECENTER!!!  HALLELUJAH!!!  That was always my LEAST favorite segment, and I'm glad it's gone.

Andy Dick danced his Alice in Wonderland Jazz again.  No comment.

Dorothy Hamill danced a gorgeous Viennese Waltz (with Henry; ironically, Tristan had an injury), but they were later joined by Kristi Yamaguchi!!!  It was so beautiful to see, especially knowing that Kristi was Dorothy's inspiration for even doing the show.  I cried.

Lisa Vanderpump danced a Foxtrot with Gleb, but Len cut in!  As much as I'm not fond of her, I thought that was adorable.  Also, no dog (except in the audience).

Oh, and Kellie and Derek got the encore: their Freestyle was no fluke, as it was just as gorgeous the second time around. 

Near the beginning of the show the fourth place was announced.  In a complete shocker, it was Aly Raisman!  After all that I mentioned went on, the Final Three performed their Instant Dances.

Jacoby had the Salsa, done to "Aguanile".  It was definitely good, and an improvement over his previous evening's dances.

Kellie got Jive, to "Keep A-Knockin'".  It was a lot of fun, technically spot-on, and Len said that Kellie reminded him of Julianne Hough!

Zendaya also got Jive, to "Rockin' Robin".  She and Val moved so fast it almost made Kellie's dance seem like a Rumba.  It was tight and fun, tho.  Suited her.

No surprise: all 3 received 30s.

Third place was announced: to absolutely no one's surprise, it was Jacoby.  This left the final two as Zendaya and Kellie.  The Season 16 Champion is...KELLIE PICKLER!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!") (11)
Andy Dick - Comedian (6)
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens) (10)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor (7)
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer (5)
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer (Champion)
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital") (8)
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain (9)
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

See you in September!

Season 16: Week 9 - Semi-Finals

Week 9 - the Semi-Finals:

This week is the Semi-Finals!  The dancers have two dances to perform.  The first one is a Ballroom/Latin dance that they  haven't done before.  The second one is a fan-picked (via Twitter) style that is not generally done on the show.  Ten-paddles were flying all over the place: of the 10 dances performed, 4 received Perfect 30s, and 3 received one or two 10s.

Zendaya Coleman's first dance was a Quickstep.  While I am a racing fan and the NASCAR theme was cute, they wasted too much time at the beginning of the dance sitting in little go-carts.  With her legs, I figured that she would totally rock the Quickstep, but I was wrong.  She concentrated too much on speed, which caused her a loss of finesse.  She got her lowest score since about Week 4.

Her fan-voted dance was Hip-Hop, which gave her a very unfair advantage.  She IS a professional Hip-Hop dancer.  As a matter of fact, it would have been more fair to have judged Val, who was completely out of his element.  Seriously: is she going to get less than a Perfect 30 when she had to teach her pro?

Jacoby Jones dazzled with his Argentine Tango: so much so that the judges didn't pay any attention to his feet.  The quick-kick thing that they do in that dance looked awkward on him, the few that he did.  Mostly he just held, lifted, or spun Karina around.  What dancing he DID do was lovely.  I would have given him 9s; he got his first 10...3 of them, in fact (4, if you count the paddle his mom held up).

His fan-voted Lindy Hop, on the other hand, deserved the two 10s it received.  How a man so big can move so fast and smoothly was something else.  THIS was a dance that suited him well.  It was fun, full of attitude and style, and - best of all - he both kept his shirt on and didn't do any leaps (unless you count a dive).

Kellie Pickler opened the show with an Argentine Tango that was far, far better.  It was one of those instances where you really couldn't tell the pro from the star.  Some of the spins, splits and kicks she did were inhuman.  She received the first Perfect 30 of the evening.

Her fan-picked Flamenco was dramatic, but I felt that it would have served her better if they danced more towards the center.  She spent so much time in the corner.  The judges said that she looked "stiff" at points; I'd me more willing to bet it was because she didn't want to kick or trip over the lights that were around the floor.

(Side note:  Due to last season, Derek really minded his Ps and Qs when it came to the technique of the two dances.)

Ingo Rademacher continued to improve with his Samba.  What he lacked in hips he made up for in sheer entertainment.  When he put his mind to it, his hips DID move, almost to the point of making one blush to watch.  You could tell that he was both giving it his all and having fun.

His fan-picked Charleston, like with Jacoby's Lindy Hop, was a dance most suited to him.  Fun, fast, goofy, silly, crazy and rebellious...and very, very pink!  I don't think anyone had as much fun as he did all night.  This dance netted him his highest score: three 9s.

Aly Raisman continued to show her new-found maturity and acting ability with an extremely sensual Rumba.  One could easily forget that she is not even 20 years old yet.  Sexy and vibrant without being dirty, she was sheer poetry in motion...albeit, adult poetry.  Yet another Perfect 30.

Her fan-picked Afro-Jazz (where do they dig up these styles?) was easily the show-stopper of the evening.  I'm really at a loss to try to describe it, except to say that she and Mark were perfectly in synch and she gave it everything she had.  She just missed another Perfect 30 by one point.

The Results show was fine.  The Wanted and Avril Lavigne performed, and not too badly.  The highlight of the show was little 10-year-old Sophia Lucia, who holds the Guinness World Record for most pirouettes in a row (55!) and is an absolute ball of charisma.  Watching her dance with Chelsie Hightower, who is her "#1 all-time favorite dancer", and the troupe ladies, was a treat.

The bottom three was actually the bottom two this week: Ingo Rademacher and Zendaya Coleman.  The one eliminated this week is...Ingo Rademacher!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian (6)
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor (7)
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer (5)
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital") (8)
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 8

Week 8:

This week the contestants had two dances to do: first, a ballroom dance that they haven't done yet, then a Trio Dance, where they are joined by either a Troupe member or an already eliminated pro.  I, for one, love the Trio Challenge: it gives a fresh look to certain dances and really makes the stars either shine or obviously highlight their lowlights.

Zendaya Coleman opened the show with a bright and breezy Foxtrot.  She seemed both older and younger, innocent and mature, simultaneously.  She was technically spot-on, but also seemed very comfortable.  It was lovely.

She and Val were joined by Gleb Savchenko for a white-hot Salsa.  All three of them moved so fast, with near-perfect synchronization, that I couldn't tell if there were any mistakes or not (during the Results show Zendaya confessed to a flub or two).  Apparently the judges agreed with me, as she received the first Perfect 30 of the season.

Jacoby Jones impressed with a flowing Viennese Waltz.  It was fairly amazing that, tall as he is (and short as Karina is), he kept a near-perfect frame and excellent posture.  I was pleased and impressed...until he felt the need to rip his shirt open.  Seriously?  Was that really necessary?

He and Karina were joined by Cheryl Burke for the Paso Doble which, while powerful and strong, was a little annoying.  Yeah, yeah...he jumped over BOTH of them.  *yawn*  We know...we know...

Sean Lowe took a huge step back with his clumsy, clunky Tango.  What musicality he managed to gain last week was entirely lost this week.  At least he kept his shirt on.

He, Peta and Sharna Burgess used a Magician schtick for their Jazz.  As I mentioned earlier, the two pros really shined, but it showed how lackluster Sean really was.  I have to admit that the way the dance ended made for a gorgeous picture.

Kellie Pickler's two dances were actually "Part 1" and "Part 2", story-wise.  Her first dance was an absolutely gorgeous Viennese Waltz that showed style, technique and emotion.  It ended with her bowing down before a mirror...

...which is where her Paso Doble, with Derek and Tristan MacManus, picked back up.  Whereas her Waltz was angelic, her Paso was Demonic.  Hard, fast, strong and powerful, it was mezmerizing.  Unfortunately, this is where the controversy came in.  While Carrie Ann and Bruno praised the dance and gave her 10s, Len put on his Grumpy-Pants, started shouting at Derek, SWORE at Bruno, and gave Kellie a 7.

(Side note:  I know that Derek can be very controversial in his choreography.  Last season the judges nailed him for breaking the rules with Shawn Johnson, and it was deserved.  However, I really don't feel that Len was correct.  While I am no professional dancer, is the stupid cape REALLY that important to the dance?)

Ingo Rademacher danced a light-hearted Foxtrot that Carrie Ann said resembled Gene Kelly and Bruno said resembled a cross between Fred Astaire and Fred Flinstone.  I, for one, thought he did a lovely job, and showed a lot of heart.

He, Kym and Lindsay Arnold definitely brought the fun in their Jive.  While his "kicks'n'flicks" weren't all they should be, the rest of the dance was fast and energetic...and funny!

Aly Raisman was her Salsa times 3 with her moody, intense Argentine Tango.  The lifts were amazing; the landings, not so much.  However, she definitely had the character and the technique down.  Wonderful job.

She, Mark and Henry Byalikov danced a Fosse-esque Jive to close the show.  Once again, she played the character perfectly, never losing it, and matched her pros step-for-step.  Oh, and Jacoby, Henry can jump over people, too!

The Results show was OK, but not nearly as much fun as last week's.  The musical guests were Jason Derulo, then later, Emeli Sandé: neither of whom I have ever heard, and neither with whom I was much impressed.  The best segments were the Macy's Stars of Dance, which was Derek Hough and Jaimie Goodwin dancing in a revolving room (COMPLETELY mind-blowing); and "the Adventures of Peanut Rademacher", with the camera crews following Ingo's young son, who is a pip.

This week's Bottom Three was even more of a shock than last week: Kellie Pickler, Jacoby Jones, and Sean Lowe.  The actual elimination was less of a shock.  The one eliminated this week is...Sean Lowe!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian (6)
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor (7)
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer (5)
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 7

Week 7:

The theme for this week was Latin Week.  Each of the dancers had to do a Latin dance, followed by the Immunity Challenge!  The challenge went like this: the highest-scoring star was automatically called "safe", with no fear of elimination.  The next-highest-scoring star had to choose which of the others to dance against, and the challenger got to choose from three dances: Jazz, Rumba or Cha-Cha-Cha.  Then each one danced for about 40 seconds: same song, same style.  The judges would choose the winner, who would receive three extra points.

More on that later.

Zendaya Coleman danced a Paso Doble that, while fierce, just missed.  IMO, the fact that she's so tall and her acting the part (putting her face down instead of keeping it up) caused a few little balance and "lines" problems.  That said, she was still one of the best.

Andy Dick joked his way through a sad and sorry Rumba.

Jacoby Jones got the Salsa, which was definitely suited to him.  Unfortunately, there were times when he just stopped.  I know it's part of his "personality", but he really shouldn't have done that.  Also, we know, we know...he can jump over Karina's head.  We got it.  Please, move on.

Sean Lowe actually got a little musicality in his Rumba, but he's still a bit stiff.  Definite improvement, tho.

Kellie Pickler was a blast in her near-perfect Samba.  Although lacking a few rehearsals due to her touring schedule, you would never know it.  At one point they moved in "slow-motion", and it was awesome.  Another 29, with a "10 from Len".

Ingo Rademacher had the character of his Rumba down pat...but not the hips.  He did do a split that was incredible, and he definitely was smooth and sexy.

Aly Raisman was spectacular in her Salsa!  There was some question of whether Mark would be able to dance due to a neck injury, but he was there.  She shimmied, she moved, she lit up the room...and also got a 29.

Next was the Immunity Dance-Off.  Since Aly and Kellie tied with the highest score, the one with the highest cumulative score won the immunity...and that was Kellie.  Aly, in second, chose Andy Dick as her opponent, and he chose the Cha-Cha-Cha.  It was no contest.  The judges unanimously chose Aly, giving her 3 extra points.

Since Zendaya and Jacoby also tied, using the same rule, Zendaya was next.  However, it was a moot point, because she chose Jacoby as her opponent, then he quickly chose the Jive.  This one was a much closer contest, but again the judges were unanimous in choosing Zendaya as the winner.

That left Ingo and Sean, with the Rumba, which was funny, because that is what they both did earlier in the evening!  Again, it was close; Ingo listened to what the judges said earlier and improved his hip action.  The results were split: Carrie Ann and Len went with Ingo, while Bruno chose Sean...making Ingo the winner.

The Results show was spectacular this week, although I found it a little ironic that, although it was Latin Week, there were no Latin artists.  First up was Michael Bublé...always entertaining.  There was a New Jersey dance troup consisting of young inner city girls, who were incredible in their precision, and their story was uplifting. Tom and Brooke donated dance mirrors for their water tower studio.  There was the story of Adrianne Haslet-Davis, the Boston Marathon explosion victim who was a professional ballroom dancer until she lost her foot in the incident; DWTS is going to follow her story until the day she'll be actually dancing on the show.  Then there was the Macy's Stars of Dance: dancers Allison Holker and Stephen Boss, accompanied by violinist Lindsey Stirling.
 
Throughout the evening people were called "in jeopardy", and this week the bottom three was a bit of a shocker: Jacoby Jones, Ingo Rademacher, and Andy Dick.  The one eliminated this week is...Andy Dick (Finally)!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian (6)
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer (5)
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 6

Week 6:

STEVIE WONDER NIGHT!!! 

The man himself was in the house, performing a few of his hits, and all of the dances were to some of his other songs.  He opened the show with a medley of "All I Do/I Ain't Gonna Stand For It", joined by Hunter Hayes.  Later in the show he performed "Sir Duke" (my personal fave) and "My Cherie Amour", which was played on a Harpejji.

Zendaya Coleman Cha-cha-cha-ed to "Do I Do", and she NAILED it.  You could cut paper with her sharp turns.  She was both excited and nervous because she is a BIG Stevie Wonder fan.

Andy Dick danced something remotely resembling a Samba to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", dressed as a mailman.

Jacoby Jones danced a Quickstep to "For Once In My Life".  While the judges said that the Quickstep is not "his" dance, I thought he did a fantastic job, pigeon-toes notwithstanding.  As usual, he had technique, musicality, and performance to spare.

Sean Lowe did a marginally better Samba than AD (to "I Wish"), but only marginally.  He ended up resorting to taking off his shirt.  He really needs to "feel" the  music...which he does not.

Victor Ortiz took another sad step back with his Rumba to "I Just Called To Say I Love You" (for the record, my least favorite Stevie Wonder song)  His usual wonderful personality and "sparkle" was there, and he did have most of the technique, but he was far, far too stiff.  His hips never moved.  The judges did point out the lovely chemistry he and Lindsay have.

Kellie Pickler Quickstepped to "Part-Time Lover", receiving the first "10 from Len" of the season!  She and Derek were perfectly in synch, and they flew across the floor.  Fun to see.

Ingo Rademacher greatly improved over last week's disappointment by dancing a really strong Tango to "Uptight (Everything's Alright)".  He looked like he was having an absolute blast, and came across very strong and powerful.

Aly Raisman was game in her Foxtrot to "Isn't She Lovely", but you could tell that the events of last week were still distracting her.  She still put on a good show.  (Minor nit: her gown really didn't suit her.)

Next, they were divided into teams: Team Paso Doble (captained by Zendaya, dancing to "Higher Ground") and Team Samba (captained by Kellie, dancing to "Superstition").  Team Paso consisted of Zendaya, Jacoby, Victor and Ingo.  The guys all went shirtless, the solos were mediocre, and they weren't really in synch in the group part.  Team Samba had Kellie, Andy, Sean and Aly, and they went for a fun '70s vibe (the guys all wore fake mustaches).  Kellie and Aly nailed their solos; Andy and Sean...not so much.  However, the group part was tight and synchronized.  Team Samba won: 25 points against 22.

The Results show had Will.I.Am (whom I muted) and Olly Murs, whom I had never heard of, but enjoyed.  They had a fascinating behind-the-scenes bit, showing the sets being put together between dances.  Throughout the evening people were called in jeopardy: Sean Lowe, Victor Ortiz, and Andy Dick.  Andy was called safe.  The one eliminated this week is...Victor Ortiz!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer (5)
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 5

Week 5:

We're now at the half-way point, and they pulled out something incredibly new, innovative, and clever:  the Len Side-by-Side Challenge, where each couple will dance with a pair-duo.  First the duo-pair comes out and dances, then they are joined side-by-side with the celeb & their dancer, then the dance finishes with just the celeb & pro.  It was great to see some returning favorites, and it's ALWAYS great to see pros dancing together!  Unfortunately, things were a bit tempered by the Boston Marathon Tragedy: both host Tom Bergeron and celeb Aly Raisman are from the Boston area.

Side note: Tom Bergeron is now officially the absolute best show host in the modern era, being able to carry the show and not miss a beat, even though his heart must have been breaking.

Zendaya Coleman danced an incredibly intense Argentine Tango.  While this particular style is not among my favorites (the little stand still and flick one leg a few times move bugs me) I couldn't take my eyes off of them.  Zendaya and Val were joined by Maksim chmerkovskiy and Anna Trebunskaya.  Side-by-side you really couldn't tell the difference between the pros and this kid.  She got - and deserved - the first 10s (2) of the season.

Andy Dick had the Paso Doble with Sasha Farber (who is UNBELIEVABLE) and Emma Slater, both from the troupe.  Dressed as Zorro, he ziplined in, then fought with a cape.

D.L. Hughley danced a rather humorous Tango; he and cheryl were paired with Sasha and Chelsie Hightower.  The side-by-side was almost painfully obvious, but you could tell that he had the basic technique down.  He was mostly just a bit too stiff and bouncy.  (Side note: the show opened with everybody coming out dancing, and DL & Cheryl were actually dancing on the judges' stand!  He totally rocked it, too!)

Jacoby Jones got Jive, which was perfect for him and his larger-than-life personality.  He and Karina were incredible, and paired with Maks and Anna, matched move for move.  He did one absolutely jaw-dropping move: he leaped over Karina, but he did it without leap-frogging (using her shoulders to boost himself up) or her ducking her head!  Jacoby said that he really wanted to be asked to do the encore...and the judges complied...and he did the leap AGAIN!

Sean Lowe danced a quickstep, and while he kept up the speed, and did all of the moves correctly, the musicality still isn't there.  He still seems to me to be like, "OK, one...two...three...turn here...kick...one..."  At least he toned down the "aw, shucks" factor a bit.  He and Peta were paired with Tristan MacManus (with whom Sean seemed obsessed) and Chelsie.

Victor Ortiz moved back up a notch with a sweet Viennese Waltz.  His form is improved, but he seemed distracted by a personal problem (he found out that his girlfriend was seeing someone else).  He and Lindsay  had Tristan and Emma.

Kellie Pickler kind of ended up as part of an ad campaign for the movie "Gatsby", which is coming out soon.  Her and Derek's Foxtrot was themed very much like it.  That said, I loved her routine, with its typical Derek Hough flair for both dramatic and comedic.  Again, next to pros Henry Byalikov and Anna, it was hard to tell she wasn't one of the pros.  I felt she was robbed of at least one 10.

Ingo Rademacher danced a slightly sedate Cha-cha-cha.  While technically very good, he really didn't put his all into it, and it showed.  I'm disappointed, because I feel that he is easily the second best of the men (following only Jacoby).  He and Kym were set up with Tony Dovolani and and Emma.

Aly Raisman danced a fun and fiery Samba, which was good because she was doubly distracted: not only is she from the Boston area, but she was initially asked to be the Grand Marshall of the Marathon, which would have put her smack-dab in the middle of the trouble.  It didn't hurt her too badly score-wise, tho, and her and Mark's side-by-side with Tony and Witney Carson was a lot of fun.

The Results show went back to the traditional "safe/jeopardy" format.  The musical guests were the Band Perry (whom I muted; I don't care for them), a pianist/singer named Kerli who was very good, and Selena Gomez, who put on a great show although her mic sounded a bit odd. When it got down to the final three, it was:  Ingo Rademacher, D.L. Hughley, and Victor Ortiz.  Ingo was called safe (and I feel he shouldn't have been there to begin with).  The one eliminated this week is...D.L. Hughley!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer (4)
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)

Season 16: Week 4

Week 4:

The theme was "The Best Year of Your Life", always a favorite of mine.  Not one for negativity, I love hearing about happy memories, and this week had a lot of 'em.  Each dancer also had a 15-second solo.

Zendaya Coleman went with 2009, which was the year she was discovered by Disney.  She danced a Samba to Beyonce's "Love On Top" (she had also gone to a Beyonce concert in '09, which cemented her passion for performance).  I really hate to use an overused cliche, but she really does dance far beyond her years.  Her confidence and talent were unbelievable, but she also has a nice self-depreciating sense of humor ("I'm 16; I'd like to think that I have some really good years coming!")

Andy Dick chose 2012, and danced a Viennese Waltz dedicated to his daughter.  I don't get the connection.

D.L. Hughley didn't choose a particular year, as much as a time in his life; his pre-teens, when life was simpler and more free for him.  He danced a Foxtrot ("Because nothing says 'Compton' like the Foxtrot," he said), but his solo cracked me up!  He went right up to the judges' table and moved his hips to contradict what they said last week, then he had a special message for Len!  Histerical!  Oh, that all said, there was a glimmer of technique...a definite improvement.

Jacoby Jones chose 2012, the year his son was born.  His son was in the audience, held by Jacoby's mom (whom I am really beginning to love).  Jacoby danced a Foxtrot, and his solo was basically a dance of love and joy for his little boy.  It was fun, cheeky, and wonderful, as was the whole dance.

Sean Lowe chose this year, the year he "met" his fiancee via "The Bachelor".  He danced a Viennese Waltz dedicated to her.  He continues to be the same: he has a definite rudimentary grasp of the technique, and still has that "golly-gosh" vibe, but absolutely no musicality, or heart.  He seems like a counting robot.

Victor Ortiz took two steps back from his giant leap forward last week.  When I heard that he had the Paso Doble this week, I thought it was perfect for him.  He chose the year he won his Championship Title, in a bout that everyone - including him - thought he lost before he even began.  Anyway, while he did some spectacular moves, a lot of the finesse he developed last week was not there...it was all ATTACK!

Kellie Pickler chose the year she got married, and danced to "Say I Do".  The song was written by her husband, Kyle Jacobs, for their wedding and, as an added bonus, was performed by him on the show.  Her Rumba was positively gorgeous and romantic, but unfortunately, Derek Hough put in some of his traditional "staccato" moves, which aren't quite Rumba-esque, and the judges touched upon that.

Ingo Rademacher also dedicated his Viennese Waltz to the year he married his wife.  He is improving week by week.  His dance was also very smooth and romantic; you could feel the love.  His solo seemed like he was searching, reaching for something unattainable, only to be found once Kym joined him.

Aly Raisman chose 2012 and her Olympic victories, and all of the work it took to get there.  She danced a Contemporary piece was really allowed her to open up; it wasn't so much about the steps (which were near perfect), but about the emotion, which she put on display admirably.  Although I get the point, I was a little disappointed that Mark finally caved and let the solo be all about gymnastics, but this IS Contemporary, so pretty much anything goes.  It did her no harm, and actually put her at the top of the leader board.

Lisa Vanderpump missed a few rehearsals due to the flu (am I the only one who thought that her passing out was just a touch over the top?  I've had the flu, worked through it, and never swooned), but I really couldn't tell.  Her Cha-cha-cha - dedicated to the year her daughter got married and their bond - was like every other dance she did, and her solo wasn't much more than her standing there shaking her booty, dancing kind of like the way I danced when I was 8.

The Results show was pretty good.  The musical guests were Brad Paisley, and Andrea Bocelli with Jennifer Lopez.  While I initially thought that the latter was an odd pairing, it was actually pretty durned good!  The Macy's Star was a lovely 17-year-old girl who, while legally blind, is an accomplished dancer, who danced a lovely routine with her "hero", Derek Hough.  There was also an incredibly lame segment concerning "Bruno's joke writers".  Sad. 

The eliminations were done a little differently.  One by one, couples were called "safe" throughout the episode until only the bottom three were called:  Andy Dick, Lisa Vanderpump, and Victor Ortiz.  Andy was called safe.  The one eliminated this week is...Lisa Vanderpump!

Zendaya Coleman - Disney Star ("Shake It Up!")
Andy Dick - Comedian
Dorothy Hamill - US Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater (1)
D.L. Hughley - Actor/Comedian/Writer
Jacoby Jones - Football player/Super Bowl Champion (Baltimore Ravens)
Wynonna Judd - Country Singer (2)
Sean Lowe - Bachelor
Victor Ortiz - Champion Boxer
Kellie Pickler - Country Singer
Ingo Rademacher - Soap Star ("General Hospital")
Aly Raisman - US Olympic Women's Gymnastics Team Captain
Lisa Vanderpump - "Real" Housewife (3)