Carryover
As predicted, there was no elimination last week due to Misty May-Treanor’s injury-dictated exit. So this week, the 9 remaining celebrities would compete again but their scores and votes from last week will carryover and be added to this week’s scores and votes. The combined totals from the two weeks will determine who gets eliminated this week.
Hard Partyin’
First to perform was Maurice Greene and his partner, Cheryl Burke. They had to dance the Samba and Maurice declared that “the samba’s the party dance but man, partying has never been this hard!” To get Maurice to embrace the fun spirit of the dance, Cheryl brought in his daughter, who got her father to let loose and have fun in practice a little. Maurice’s danced to “That’s the Way I Like It,” complete with a big afro wig and the dance was fun, although there were moments when he seemed to miss the beat a bit. Carrie Ann said that she felt he was “stuck in the same place” and he wasn’t developing as a dancer. Bruno thought it was “not so fabulous” and that at this point in the competition, he wants to “see some precision” in the dances. Len said that “that’s the way I sort of like it.” He thought Maurice got the “fun element” of the dance and that it was “fun to watch.” Bruno and Len gave Maurice 7’s, while Cheryl gave him a 6 for a total of 20.
Lacks Focus
Cody Linley was having trouble focusing during rehearsals for the Tango with his partner, Julianne Hough. Cody noted that dancing the same dance “seven hours a day, every day” makes it “hard to focus and not get distracted.” His lack of focus drove Julianne to the point of distraction and she decided to call in some big guns to help him get back on track – his high school principal. The principal chat seemed to help, although his dancing lacked precision and the requisite sharpness a tango requires. There were also a few stumbles, and missed steps. Carrie Ann praised it as a “great effort” and noted that he was “working that hold, [he] was holding [Julianne] so hard.” Bruno said he was “starting to find [his] mojo” and that the dance was “confident, dramatic [and] masculine.” Len thought it was “sharp, aggressive [and Cody] had attitude throughout.” Len and Bruno gave Cody 8’s, while Carrie Ann gave him a 7 for a total of 23.
The Soul Singer’s Soul
Toni Braxton and her partner, Alec Mazo, decided to go traditional in their Samba this week, noting that their risky Viennese Waltz didn’t quite pay off last week. Toni revealed that her dancing was helping her heart condition, keeping her blood pressure and heart rate down, which was a good thing. She then declared that while dancing may be good for her heart, “samba’s good for the soul!” She had great chemistry with Alec on the dance floor, although her hip action wasn’t quite up to par. Carrie Ann said it was “so beautiful” but told her to “work on your shoulders.” Bruno thought it was “very, very nice” and that it was “a morsel of sugar and spice, darling.” Len praised her samba rolls and spins, but noted that she “went wrong on the promenade and that put [her] in a state of flux.” Carrie Ann and Bruno gave Toni 7’s, while Len gave her an 8 for a total of 22.
