Trav's Thoughts

Live...from Hollywood!



Tonight our remaining couples dance either Tango or Jive.

There are many kinds of Tango, but the dance originated in Argentina and Uruguay. Ballroom Tango is generally divided into International and European styles, characterized by staccato movements and head snaps. The clip features Luca and Lorraine Barrichi dancing International Standard and they are brilliant.


Jive is one of the five International Latin dances. It originated among African-Americans in the 1940's and is characterized by rock steps and high energy leg kicks and toe taps. The clip features Allan Tornsberg and Serena Lecca. Outstanding!


Now let's see what our ten couples make of these dances.

Marlee & Fabian dance Jive. It's amazing to watch her dance as if she can hear the music. There were a couple of spots where she missed some footwork towards the end. It had good energy and classic Jive elements. The performance was good and the rapport between them continues to grow. The judges go for the details of technique, and we agree that her hands were a little weak and the turns and transitions were a bit rough. There were a couple of spots where the movement and the music missed. All in all it was a solid dance. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. We thought it was a little better than that.

Steve and Anna dance Tango. Anna was very ill this week, so Steve practiced his Tango with Jonathan Roberts...who just happens to be Anna's husband. He had the sharp movements but his frame was poor. His shoulders were hunched. The dance had attitude, but the passion was missing and that's probably because they didn't get a chance to practice much together. It was a good dance for him to perform. And to his credit, he did well with his footwork. That was his best dance so far. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. We don't think it was as good as Marlee's Jive.

Cristian and Cheryl dance Jive. Energy, high kicks, quick feet, difficult choreography, and fun. That's a jive and that's what these two danced. That was a terrific performance. His technique was good except for a couple of picky things, but overall that was a great job. And Pam would like you to know that the blue sleeveless shirt increased Cristian's HAWTness by a factor of 12. One suspects that this is a potential encore for tomorrow's results post, because Matt needs a look at Cheryl's dress. Judges say 8,8,9 for a total of 25. Yeah, that's about right.

Mario and Karina dance Tango. I can't describe what the band did to Roxanne from the Police. It was horrible. And so was that Tango. We absolutely hated the music and the dance. The technique was poor, the musicality was awful, and the performance was lacking. They missed some steps. He's very charming and that should keep the pair safe this week, but that was a bottom three kind of performance. Judges say 7,6,8 for a total of 21. We didn't think it was that good.

Shannon & Derek dance Jive. She looked a bit awkward in spots. We think it was because her legs were kind of stiff. The dance had energy and it was fun. Derek made the dance very difficult. In terms of technique, she had some trouble with finishing off the moves. But for the most part she captured the flavor of the dance and she performed it pretty well. We don't think this dance was as good as last week, but it wasn't bad. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. We didn't think it was that good.

Adam and Julianne dance Tango. We have to give him credit. Julianne gave him choreography that emphasized what he can do, and he did the steps well enough. He actually led her through the dance. Hate to say it, but that was actually decent. He had the attitude and the performance. Julianne deserves all the credit on that dance because of her clever choreography. We'd like to see hiim go home, but we also have to say that he wasn't the worst on the floor. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. We can't really disagree with that score.

Marissa and Tony dance Jive. This should be her dance. She's so charming and fun. She got the steps and controlled her exhuberance. But that may have been a bit of a problem. Unfortunately she didn't seem to throw enough energy into the dance. She was so focused on getting the steps and not going overboard with her enthusiasm that she missed the excitement of the Jive. She didn't let loose with her bubbly personality, and this was the dance where she should have. Judges say 6,7,6 for a total of 19. That's too harsh because it wasn't a bad dance.

Priscilla and Louis dance Tango. Wow. Classic Tango. Dramatic, passionate, precise. Outstanding. The choreography was difficult and she really nailed it. The performance was excellent. She is simply amazing. Judges say 8,9,9 for a total of 26. WTF Carrie Ann???? There's no need to take off two points just because you thought her neck wasn't extended enough.

Jason and Edyta dance Jive. We'll pick on him just a bit...he needs to keep his head up and stop looking at his feet. Those feet are going exactly where he wants them to and there's no need to watch them. He's so light. The dance was fun and controlled. The performance was good and the extension on his movement was really good. The flicks and kicks could have been a little quicker. Judges say 8,7,8 for a total of 23. That might be a point or two high.

Kristi and Mark dance Tango. She is brilliant. Her posture and technique were amazing. That was intense and powerful. Mark's choreography was wonderful. The judges had to find something to pick on, so they said she was one dimensional in her emotion. Perhaps. But we thought she held the character and kept the musicality. Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. Evidently the supposed one dimensional performance didn't bother the judges that much.

Here's our leader board:

27 Kristi & Mark
26 Priscilla & Louis
25 Cristian & Cheryl
24 Shannon & Derek
23 Jason & Edyta
21 Marlee & Fabian
21 Steve & Anna
21 Adam & Julianne
21 Mario & Karina
19 Marissa & Tony

We split votes again between Jason, Marlee, Kristi, and Priscilla.

We'll have our results recap tomorrow with encores. Kylie Minogue is scheduled to perform.

Later babies!