Trav's Thoughts

The Yankees were scrapping in an elimination game. Buffalo was taking it to Dallas. And what did we do?

You guessed it! We switched the channel!



And cue that theme music! Welcome to Dancing with the Stars, the recap!

Tonight it's Tango and Jive. And don't forget...you can vote for the encore performance you'd like to see and I'll put it in my results post.


Sabrina and Mark dance Jive. It had speed and excitement and fun! They performed it with energy. The choreography was complicated and they hit everything hard and with control and power. She is really impressive because she is able to modify her tendencies toward hip hop and channel her power and energy into the required elements. And we think that she's right to push Mark to go for the difficult steps. They are definitely a favorite right now to make the final. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. Judges are really holding onto the 10's for now.


Cameron and Edyta dance Tango. Oh geeez. Here we go with the odd music again. The Beat Goes On??? Oh - they broke hold. The judges don't say anything about it, perhaps because it came as the "dismount". He danced well and his skills as a lead are very good. His technique was solid, but we didn't see quite enough of the passion and heat that is usually associated with a Tango. We blame the music, which in some spots made the dance look a little silly. Pam still says he is yummy, and we both think he is improving each week. Judges say 8,7,8 for a total of 23. Good score.


Mark and Kym dance Jive. Scary number with a surgically repaired hip. It was pretty rough, and he looked like he was being careful with it. They really slowed it down at the end. But he was doing ok until he lost the music and timing. Kym did well with the choreography and Mark hit some of the elements early in the dance. He's working hard and making the most of the experience. Judges say 6,7,7 for a total of 20. They could have been quite a bit more harsh.


Jennie and Derek dance Tango. This was certainly the dance to come back with after that slip last week. Outstanding! It had heat and passion and attitude. Great come back! That was excellent. It was crisp. The choreography was excellent. It's good to see her with a genuine smile. They really attacked the dance, but kept control. They snapped off the moves that required it, and rounded the edges where needed. We liked that a lot. Great job! Judges say 9,8,9 for a total of 26.


Mel and Maks dance Jive. We're not sure we agree with the judges that this was a great dance. It was a good dance, but she seemed a little bit unsure and she didn't have that same level of energy we've seen in other Jives. Pam said it looked like simple choreography and she was more focused on watching Maks than Mel. Ppppppffffffffftttttttttttt! Maks pulls all the ladies' focus y'all! Anyway, that wasn't our favorite from Mel, but the judges did like it. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. Maybe we missed something. We'll have to go back and watch the replay.

While we were watching that Jive, the Indians beat the Yankees to win the AL Division series 3 games to 1 and advance to the League Chamionship Series against Boston. Sorry Vinny.


Wayne and Cheryl dance Tango. If there is a dance for Wayne, this would be the one. He was still somewhat awkward and chunky in his movement, but Cheryl did a good job with the choreography. She made it simple for him to be in character. He did much better than last week. We don't know that he can do much better. Judges say 6's across for a total of 18.

While we were watching that Tango, Dallas kicked two game winning field goals in Buffalo because of that $^&@&*$ rule that allows a coach to call a time out a micro second prior to the snap.


Floyd and Karina dance Jive. That was better than last week. The footwork was strong. There was quite a bit of energy. The moves flowed together much better than in the past. There were still some rough spots and the technique still needs work. It was fun like a Jive should be. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21.


Ms Jane and Tony dance Tango, dedicated to Ms Jane's mother who passed last week at the age of 92. Tremendous. Classy. Elegant. Passionate. Dramatic. Wonderful. We loved that. That was a great Tango. Very special. It would have been very easy to throw big scores for sympathy, but she danced beautifully and deserves praise for that Tango. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.


Helio and Julianne dance Jive. Slight wardrobe malfunction and foot injuries a scraped knees oh my! He pulls the crowd in because of his energy and his infectious smile and personality. That wasn't his best effort, perhaps because he's working with the bad foot. There were some technique issues. It still had good energy and was performed well. They are definitely one of our favorite pairs. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24.


Marie and Jonathan dance Tango. We loved the character in that piece and the way they interpreted the music. She is a terrific performer and entertainer. And Jonathan is expert at designing the choreographer around her strengths. Judges say 9,8,9 for a total of 26. Dang that Len and his 8!

Here's the leader board for tonight:

27 Sabrina
27 Ms Jane
27 Mel
26 Marie
26 Jennie
24 Helio
23 Cameron
21 Floyd
20 Mark
18 Wayne

It was definitely Ladies' Night. Now remember you can vote for your encore choice. Just leave me a comment and send me an email.

Pam and I have our favorites now - Ms Jane, Marie, and Helio. We also like Sabrina and Mel. There really isn't any pair we dislike.