Tired but Fighting
Warren Sapp seemed to be having a rough week, juggling his responsibilities to the show and to the NFL as a commentator. He noted that he was “exhausted” and at his “wit’s end” but that he was determined to fight and “prove that I belong in the finals.”Warren did a Mambo for his first routine and it lacked his usual energy and enthusiasm. His footwork was sloppy and he was out of sync with his partner Kym Johnson at times. Still, Warren got a standing ovation from the audience, which caused Carrie Ann to note that he “knows how to bring the house down.” She said that she would have liked “a little bit more of [the] difficult moves” in his routine. Len said that Warren “epitomizes [going] with what you know” which in Warren’s case, was to give an entertaining performance. Len complimented Warren’s ability to “show us great personality and great performances.” Bruno said that because Warren brings a “supersize sense of fun, [he] can get away with murder.” Bruno said that it wasn’t technically very strong, and that Warren was “flat-footed.” The judges all gave Warren 8’s for a total of 24.
Len’s advice to Warren was to dance on the balls of his feet, which would help him be less flat-footed. Their tutorial session ended with Len and Warren doing a very cute jig together. For his second number, Warren did a Jitterbug and it was a definite improvement from his first dance. He was much lighter on his feet and his trademark high energy and fun was back. Carrie Ann “loved it” and she even said that she “liked the lifts.” Now we’re really confused. Are some lifts better than others? Len said that Warren is “truly a joyful person to watch” and that he always “comes out, full on [and gives] 100%.” Bruno joked that Warren “wasted Len’s time” because his “feet were all over the place.” Len and Bruno gave Warren 8’s, while Carrie Ann gave him a 9 for a total of 25. Warren’s total for the night was 49.
Breakthrough
Lance Bass said that he and his partner, Lacey Schwimmer, had their “eyes set on the finals.” Lance’s father and grandfather paid him a visit during rehearsals and Grandpa Bass noted that to watch his grandson perform a jitterbug (the “trendy” dance of his generation) was “something I never imagined I would see.”Lance’s first dance was a Mambo, and he seemed to be the only celebrity that didn’t falter in his first dance. His mambo was lively, fun and light. Carrie Ann said that it was “very dynamic and colorful” and that it was the “best dance so far.” Len said that he knows he’s “been tough” on Lance but that “it’s not where you start that matters, but where you finish” and that was Lance’s “best dance so far.” Bruno said that was “semifinal material” and that it was “imaginative” and he liked how Lance still managed to put in “quirks in the little details that made it special.” Bruno and Len gave Lance 9’s, while Carrie Ann rewarded him with his first ever 10, giving him a total of 28.
Len worked on getting Lance to dance less “pigeon-toed” advising him to turn out his thigh, which in turn, would make his toes point outwards, as opposed to inwards. Lance’s Jitterbug was a lot of fun and very energetic and we have to give him a lot of props for doing the dance with just one shoe, since one of his shoes flew off his foot early in the dance. Carrie Ann said it was “incredible” that he managed to do the dance after losing a shoe, and that it was “magic to be able to do that” and not “miss a step.” Len said he “salutes [Lance]” since he just did “two fabulous dances.” Bruno said it was “brilliant” and a “joy, real joy.” Len gave Lance a 9, while Carrie Ann and Bruno gave him 10’s for a total of 29. Lance firmly placed himself at the top of the leaderboard with a combined total of 57.
