Trav's Thoughts

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And now it's live from Hollywood!

Tonight we have something completely different! We have the remaining six couples split into teams for a group dance off. It's Team Cha Cha Cha vs Team Paso Doble. This could be interesting.

But first we have individual pairs.

Warren and Kym dance Foxtrot. This is where Warren's charm should really come through. Unfortunately, the dancing was actually missing from the dance. He walked through the steps and it looked like he was counting. Drat. We wanted that to be better than it was. It should have been elegant and smooth and classy. He wasn't as light on his feet as he has been and his technique continues to take backward steps. He just wasn't comfortable and this really should have been right in his wheelhouse for personality and performance. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. We think that's a lucky score. It easily could have been lower. At six pairs left, that dance was not good enough.

Susan and Tony dance Paso Doble. Tony was tough on Susan this week. But what he is not going to be able to pull out of her is the extension and drama he's looking for. She was technically OK. But we think that she is cutting her lines short, and we think she is passionless. That's just the reality of the way Susan is dancing. She acts it well. She's lucky to have Tony as her partner, because he is making her look better than she is. Paso is more about the man than the woman, and we think she just got by because of that this week. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. We think that score is too high for that performance. We wanted more passion, drama, and aggression. Paso is not a delicate dance.

Maurice and Cheryl dance Cha Cha Cha. The injury bug has bit Maurice this week. He hyper-extended his leg during rehearsal for the group dance. Dang. But the injury wasn't evident in his Cha Cha Cha. You know, they shouldn't even have showed it because the injury was a non-issue. He's definitely more suited to the Latin styles. He was relaxed and looked like he was having fun. He missed the slide through, but for the most part that was a solid performance. His technique was fluid and he's never going to be an expert. The dance wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. It was entertaining to watch and we enjoyed seeing his smile back in place. Judges say 8,9,8 for a total of 25. That's a good score.

Cody and Edyta dance Viennese Waltz. Edyta is dancing for Julianne this week as she recovers from having her appendix out. We loved the music and we loved the choreography. Cody didn't dance as smoothly as we would have liked. He was clunky with his feet and we didn't see the wonderful rise and fall or the classy lines. It wasn't romantic and elegant. He wasn't fluid. Kudos to Edyta for stepping in. The dance wasn't horrible, but at this stage in the competition it didn't quite measure up. We understand about the unfortunate circumstances, but the reality is that the dance wasn't as good as it should have been. Judges say 8,7,7 for a total of 22. The 8 from Carrie Ann was too high.

Lance and Lacey dance Rumba. Well it looks like it was Lacey's turn to have a meltdown this week. They took a chance and went for a bit of a show piece, dancing barefoot. We thought it had some wonderful classic Rumba elements and that it was well performed. It was sensual and modern, and the choreography really worked. Of course Mr Cranky Pants didn't like it. It was a well-conceived and nicely crafted perfomance, despite the fact that Len didn't get it. We enjoyed it. Judges say 9,7,9 for a total of 25. Len's score was based on the fact that he didn't like the interpretation, not on how well it was performed. There are times when we agree with him, but in this case he needed to give them credit for how well they performed that dance no matter what he thought of the choreography. There was nothing wrong with how they danced.

Brooke and Derek dance Foxtrot. Brooke is still having trouble with her foot, but this is a dance where she should shine. And we have always enjoyed Derek's choreography in this style. They did not disappoint. That Foxtrot was classic, elegant, and romantic. We smiled through the entire dance. Absolutely brilliant and stunning. That's a perfect dance right there. That is among the all time great Foxtrots across all seasons, and that is the second time I've said that about one of this pair's dances. Outstanding! Judges say 10's across for a 30. Yup! The first perfect score of the season and well deserved indeed.

And now it's team dancing! Susan and Warren were chosen as team captains, and they chose their teams. The judges will score each dance and add them to the individual scores.

These could be tough to critique, but we'll do our best.

Team Cha Cha Cha is Susan & Tony, Lance & Lacey, and Cody & Edyta. The weak link here could be Susan. She looked completely lost in the hip hop last week. Cody did pretty well. He was still just a bit clunky. Susan was still a bit too dainty, although she did get it going with her hips. I would have liked to see a bit more cheek though. I'd just like to see her have fun and not be so worried about the steps. Lance and Lacey were HAWT! That was the sexy, cheeky Cha Cha Cha action that we wanted to see. They weren't very good as a group, and we agree with the judges that Lance and Lacey saved it. And thanks to Len for giving L&L their due in this dance. They had a great night. Judges say 6,7,7 for a total of 20. Dang. We can't really disagree though. The unison as a group was really bad.

Team Paso Doble is Warren & Kym, Brooke & Derek, and Maurice & Cheryl. This could be the stronger team, with Maurice possibly as the weak link. The music was the worst. The problem we had with this dance was the music. We hated it. Warren and Kym did a decent job, as did Maurice and Cheryl, although we did see some technical issues. Those issues were minor and overshadowed by the energy they brought to the dance. But Brooke and Derek stole this one. They had the best night all around. The synchronization was much better for this group, although we thought Warren and Maurice were a bit wooden rather than aggressive and dramatic. But there is no doubt that this Paso was better than the other group's Cha Cha Cha. This group worked well together. Judges say 10,9,10 for a total of 29. No. I'm sorry. It was high energy and very good, but it didn't deserve 10's.

Here is the leader board:

59 Brooke and Derek
54 Maurice and Cheryl
50 Warren and Kym
45 Lance and Lacey
44 Susan and Tony
42 Cody and Edyta (for Julianne)

Len Goodman is determined not to like any modern, fresh choreography that Lacey attempts. He really screwed them with the score on their Rumba, so they slipped too far after the team dance. I like what Lacey is doing with her choreography. She crafted a wonderful Rumba, and Lance performed it very well. And they had an excellent effort in the group Cha Cha Cha. I threw all my votes to Lance and Lacey. I've got my fingers crossed that they can overcome Susan's and Cody's fan bases.

There is no denying that Brooke and Derek had the dance of the night with that Foxtrot. And as the anchor pair in the team Paso, they were equally outstanding. I could easily vote for them if Lance and Lacey somehow don't make it through. Pam threw all her votes that way.

Since it's Election Day, Dancing results will be tomorrow night.

Please vote in the national election. And if you already have, then I thank you.