Trav's Thoughts

Cue that theme music because it's live from Hollywood!

OK gang. I went back and watched all of the dances again, and there was something I liked in each and every one. So for encores this time, I present all of the pairs.

Now after a little scolding from Pam and after reading your comments, and after a second look at the dance, I have to modify my recap of the Argentine Tango from Melissa and Tony. You'll recall that I did give them props for their performance of the intricate choreography. My main issue was that they didn't connect emotionally and didn't draw me in. DOH! The second viewing cured me of that misinterpretation. Click here.

Oddly enough, the thing I liked about the Waltz from LT and Edyta was Edyta's dress. Yeah, she was wearing more fabric than any 3 of her other costumes combined. But the color was stunning. And even though she had a bit of a problem with it going over her head, it flowed beautifully with the dance. Click here.

Lil Kim is saucy and sassy and hot. Her ability allows Derek to be so creative with his choreography. What I liked about this Rumba was the connection between the two of them. They could have raunched that dance up, but they made it sensual rather than raw and sexual. Click here.

It should be pretty obvious what I liked about the Samba from Chuck and Julianne. I liked that there was an emotional connection between the two of them for the second week in a row. Click here.

I always love a classic step, and to see that box step at the top of the Waltz from Ty and Chelsie made me smile. Click here.

And if you've been reading these recaps for very long, you know that I love a Waltz that tells a story. Gilles and Cheryl danced a sophisticated adult romantic fairy tale. Click here.

My dance of the night honor goes to Shawn and Mark. Their Cha Cha Cha was fun, flirtatious, and cheeky, just as it should have been. Click here.

So our leader board after judging Monday looked like this:

29 Melissa and Tony
28 Shawn and Mark
27 Gilles and Cheryl
27 Chuck and Julianne
26 Kim and Derek
24 Ty and Chelsie
21 LT and Edyta

And then came the group dance. And it was some kind of funky, choreographed by Christian Perry, the movement and costumes an homage to the dance styles of the 1960's.



And of course that is the judges' pick for encore. Great stuff!

Natasha Bedingfield is in the ballroom accompanied by Lacey and Dmitry. Maybe those two didn't do so well with their celebrities this season, but dang they can dance.

Burn the Floor is a travelling dance show featuring international ballroom and Latin champions. They open on Broadway this summer and they smoked the ballroom! In case I haven't said so recently, let me just remind you that I freaking love dance!

Oh...here's some results. That's actually why we're here.

Chuck and Julianne are safe. Melissa and Tony are safe. Shawn and Mark are safe.

Now our new pro competition begins. Six dancers dance in pairs, and then we vote to pick one who will join the cast in Season 9. I wonder if that means the cast of celebrities will increase or decrease? Is one of our current pros dropping out, or do we add one of these 6 kids to the current group? I guess we'll all have to tune in for the fall edition to find out!

Afton Delgrosso dances Cha Cha Cha with Brent Borbon. Apologies to Mr Borbon as I think I spelled his name wrong in yesterday's post. They were both very good. We liked Afton a little better than Brent in terms of what she might bring to assisting a celebrity. She was sharp and crisp, and we thought that she was a strong presence without being overwhelming.


Anna Demidova dances Waltz with Mayo Alanen. We loved Mayo's elegance. He has a long, classic line. And Anna is just stunning. They complimented each other very well in rehearsal and during the performance, neither seeking to outshine the other. And that bodes well for either of them to make a celebrity stand out. And the dance they made was beautiful, and a collaboration between the two of them. Excellent.


Snow Urbin dances Rumba with Genya Mazo. It was an excellent dance, which I expected from two such accomplished and polished performers. They danced very well together, complimenting each other. Genya has a strong presence, but also very supportive. I recall Snow from the first season of So You Think You Can Dance, and her style was always striking and unusual.


Dang...this is tough. I think my favorite dancer this evening was Mayo, particularly for his classic lines. Pam liked Afton and Anna.

Celtic Women performs and they were wonderful. But the pros who accompanied them were amazing! And things were going so fast again that I didn't catch their names. I hate it when I do that.

And now let's get to the elimination.

Kim and Derek are safe. Gilles and Cheryl are safe. Ty and Chelsie are safe.

So that means that LT and Edyta are out.



Next week the team competition returns. The 6 remaining pairs split into Team Mambo and Team Tango, then perform group dances in addition to their individual routines.



Well, my Lakers had a tough time putting Utah away. But they finally got it done, winning 119-109 to take a 2 games to 0 lead in the first round. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers again with 26 points and 9 assists. Pau Gasol added 22 points and Lamar Odom had 19.

The Lakers shot 60% from the field and 55% from 3 point range. That has been the difference in the series. If the Jazz can't find a way to hold down that field goal percentage, they can't compete.

Although, I do have a concern with the tendency of the Lakers to get off to quick starts and then coast a little bit. Hopefully they pick up the playoff intensity as the series resumes from Utah on Thursday.