The Heart of the Matter
Toni Braxton and her partner, Alec Mazo, got to perform a Quickstep. Toni noted that her heart disease made physical exertion difficult and the quickstep was tough, as it was the fastest dance. In rehearsals, Toni was having trouble getting through the routine, until Alec noticed that she wasn’t breathing properly. Working with her on her breathing seemed to help, and Toni managed to get through the performance with no problems. Carrie Ann said it was “very, very nice” and that Toni’s and Alec’s “chemistry is fantastic.” Bruno said it was “light, sparkly [and] elegant.” He did caution her about “tightening [her] shoulders.” Len said it was a “very good performance.” Carrie Ann and Bruno gave Toni 8’s, while Len gave her a 7 for a total of 23.
Fat Boy Dancing
Warren Sapp and his partner, Kym Johnson danced a Quickstep, and Warren noted that he was “not built for the quickstep.” He said learning it “definitely ain’t easy, [but] fat boy’s gonna get this.” He kind of got it, as his footwork was off. The audience loved it, however and gave him a standing ovation. Carrie Ann said she was “amazed [he] didn’t miss a step [but his] footwork was a little bit flat.” Bruno said Warren moved “his feet like the road runner, beep, beep, beep!” Len said the dance was “entertaining, fantastic [but] the technique” wasn’t quite there. Warren said to Samantha backstage that he “didn’t care about the technique [and he] was moving as fast as [he] can!” Carrie Ann and Len gave him 7’s, while Bruno gave him an 8, for a total of 22.
Mambolicious
Ted McGinley and partner, Inna Brayer, danced the Mambo, which Ted qualified as “his dance.” Ted had a pretty nice shimmy, but overall the dance was just okay. Carrie Ann said there was “a bit of awkwardness” to his dancing and advised him to use the mirrors (in rehearsal) to “find a way to ease up a little.” Bruno said Ted “grabbed the mambo with both hands and squeezed every ounce out of it” but that he “lost [the] musicality at times.” Len said it was “a very commendable mambo.” Carrie Ann and Len gave Ted 6’s, while Bruno gave him a 7, for a total of 19.
A Young Man’s Game?
Cody Linley and Julianne Hough were up next with a Quickstep. Julianne noted that with her former partners, she had to get them “to loosen up [but with] Cody, he needs to tighten up.” Cody vowed to show that “age ain’t nothing but a number” where ballroom dancing was concerned. His dance was nice, but the footwork was off. Carrie Ann said Cody “went from a boy to a man in that dance.” Bruno called Julianne and Cody “the king and queen of the prom” but noted that Cody needed to “get a little bit of control” in his dancing, and then he would “be even better.” Len told Cody he “danced with great maturity” but it was a bit “loose.” Carrie Ann and Bruno gave him 8’s, while Len gave him a 7 for a total of 23.
Now that’s Cooking!
Rocco DiSpirito and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, performed a mambo. Rocco had a rough debut and was hoping to bounce back from that. He noted that Monday was “just the appetizer [but now] we’re gonna serve the main course.” Karina emphasized his hip action and he certainly gave it the old college try but it was rather awkward looking. Carrie Ann said it was she was “blown away” by his performance and that it was “super sexy.” Bruno called him an “Italian stallion” and was “stunned [by his] turnaround.” Len said “improvement is relative” and that Rocco was “much better.” Rocco joked backstage that the key to his success was that Karina got “[his] hips unscrewed.” Rocco got 7’s from all the judges for a total of 21.
In Her Element
Susan Lucci and her partner, Tony Dovalani, danced the Quickstep. Susan noted that she is a “perfectionist” and that learning how to dance could be frustrating for her since it was “completely new territory.” Tony advised her to let go and make mistakes because “that’s how we learn.” Susan’s innate elegance was well-suited to the quickstep and she did very well in her performance. Carrie Ann noted that “[this] was the Susan Lucci I thought we could see.” She praised Susan’s “strength and power.” Bruno said Susan was “in [her] element” and the dance had “class and glamour.” Len said “ballroom is [her] forte” but her dancing was “still a bit careful.” Susan got 7’s from Carrie Ann and Len, and Bruno gave her an 8 for a total of 22.
It’s Tough Being First
It was finally down to two celebrities, Kim Kardashian and Jeffrey Ross. In the end, Jeffrey received the lowest combination judges’ score and fan votes so he was the first celebrity eliminated. Jeffrey was sporting an eye patch from his scratched cornea injury and his friends and family in the audience all wore an eye patches too as a form of solidarity. Jeffrey joked that he would “probably cry after this.” He said it was tough being the first one cut, but he felt worst for his partner, Edyta Sliwinska, who has been on the show since the first season and has never won. He called Edyta a “world class human being” and was otherwise very classy in his exit.
Not Quite the Best for Last
The final couple was Kim Kardashian and Mark Ballas. Kim is mainly famous for having a very prominent backside, but in the Mambo, she was having trouble shaking it to the song "Baby Got Back." Mark gave her a crash course in “Booty 101” and Kim said she would try to “come out of her shell” and be “bootylicious.” She didn’t quite succeed as her dancing was hesitant and reserved. Carrie Ann said that Kim didn’t “have any performing experience” and that showed. Bruno said the dance had more “wasted assets than Freddie [Mac] and Fannie [Mae]” and that it was “frustrating.” Len noted that she was supposed to “sell and sizzle it” but that she didn’t and the dance “lacked balance.” Backstage, Kim said that she was “a shy person” and that despite public perception of her, she was “really reserved.” She got 6’s from all the judges for a total of 18.
