Trav's Thoughts

It's live from Hollywood!



We've got 7 pairs left...time to get serious! Our remaining celebrities all have strong fan bases and are either strong dancers, or have a charm that carries them through.

Our couples will dance either Argentine Tango or Samba. Plus there is a bonus...we get a Swing dance marathon!

It's time for Pam and I to pick a favorite!

Jake and Chelsie dance Samba. Unfortunately he was a little too stiff and deliberate with his movements. And then he had a stumble against the steps to the judges' table. Samba needs to be free flowing and fluid. Jake seemed a bit too preoccupied with trying to be precise, and so he lost the rhythm and musicality. There is a fun flavor to Samba that was missing. I like his confidence on the floor, but the hip action was lacking and I didn't feel the bounce and party that I look for in Samba. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. In order to get into the 9's, I think he needs to dial down his energy and refocus it into feeling the spirit of each dance. He still has one or two stumbles every week, and that's going to hold him back from the big scores.

Evan and Anna dance Samba. You know, it's really not a good idea to flip an Olympic champion onto his head. Yikes! Luckily it was just a mild concussion. His lines are fantastic as usual. He seems to be doing much better with his feet. The problem this week is that his hip action wasn't exaggerated quite enough. They were constrained a bit by their music, which had a slower tempo. So the dance didn't have as much bounce and energy as I would have liked. It was precise and elegant, but that doesn't necessarily make for a good Samba. Samba needs to be down into the floor and it has to look less controlled. Sometimes a dancer and a dance just don't go together. I have to agree with the judges on this one. I enjoyed watching the two of them dance together, but it just didn't capture the flavor of Samba. Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. One of the things I like about Evan is that he understands how to take criticism and turn it into points on which to work and improve.

Niecy and Louis dance Argentine Tango. She really focused on technique this week and it showed. HA! They made a dramatic Tango around her comedy. But you know what? She danced extremely well. Her footwork was precise. Her lines were outstanding. They told an excellent story...and Tango is all about story. Instead of being about the drama between a man and a woman, they put the drama into Louis denying Niecy a cookie. Yes, I said a cookie! Bwahahahahahahaaaa! The comedy may have taken the erotic edge out of the dance, but I thought of it like the sweet Rumba they danced a couple of weeks ago. The mood in this choreography worked because that's who Niecy is. That she danced so well makes it even better. She controlled her energy and focused on precision. Well done! Judges say 7's across for a total of 21. I would have thrown at least one 8. But Niecy did get her cookie, so I guess all is well!

Erin and Maks dance Samba. I've lost my enthusiasm for her and that's disappointing because she can really dance. But the rehearsal footage they edit for her bugs me. Pam said that Maks' near strip tease through the routine would get them a few more votes. HA! Mr Cranky Pants took them to task for that. I do give Erin credit for her dancing. The problem I have with her comes from the rehearsal footage. I think next week I'm just going to mute that footage and turn the sound back up when she starts dancing. She can compete with Evan and Nicole as one of the better dancers this season. She just needs to shut it and stop giving Maks such a hard time when he's teaching her the choreography. Judges say 9,7,9 for a total of 25. I was thinking 8's across, but I suppose Carrie Ann and Bruno are shouting out Len.

Chad and Cheryl dance Argentine Tango. This was interesting, because it didn't look like Cheryl gave him much to do. To me it looked like he stepped around the floor and stood while she slithered over him. The judges raved about it, but I didn't care for it. I don't really know what else to say about it. So I'll repeat what the judges said...they thought it was powerful and dramatic, with a touch of sensuality. Well, that's what a good Tango should be. But when I watched it, I thought it was under-choreographed. I don't think he danced enough. Judges say 8's across for a total of 24. OK. I think you can tell that I don't agree with the score. But that's just my opinion. I have tried to get past my general dislike of Chad, but I'm just not a fan and I'm not enjoying him on the show.

Nicole and Derek dance Samba. Oy...more drama in rehearsal. Too much! But wait a minute...whoa! She put her frustration into the beginning of that dance. Derek put a bunch of difficult content into it and she was up to the challenge. Outstanding! It had heat, sensuality, a bit of raunch, and mega high energy. That was one hot Samba. It also had aggression...they tore up the dance floor. Mr Cranky Pants hated it. Now I'll admit that I reacted to the performance, which was terrific. Len said the choreography was missing two key elements by which he judges a proper Samba. He said this didn't measure up without those elements. Judges say 9,7,10 for a total of 26. I don't know about the 10. But I sure did enjoy the performance.

Pamela and Damian dance Argentine Tango. So the character this week appears to be Sophia Loren. I really wish she would just go back to being Pamela dancing with Damian. This was certainly a sensual Tango. But her footwork in places was poor. And it seemed like she kept pulling her hips away from Damian. Tango is supposed to be about that connection in hold, and I thought it was a little sloppy. It was a decent dance, but I didn't really enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I thought the hold could have been better. Her legs were wobbly and it seemed like her upper and lower body weren't always connected in the movement. Judges say 7,7,8 for a total of 22. I don't necessarily disagree with that score. I think I would have thrown 7.

Here's our leader board prior to the Swing marathon:

26 Nicole and Damian
25 Erin and Maks
24 Chad and Cheryl
22 Pamela and Damian
21 Evan and Anna
21 Niecy and Louis
21 Jake and Chelsie

Now these group dances are tough for me to judge because so much is going on. I'm not even going to try. I'm just going to watch and then report how the judges ranked everyone.

OK?

Here's how it goes. Everyone dances at the same time. Lifts are allowed. Couples will be eliminated one at a time until one pair is left. The points go 10 to the winner, 9 to second place, and so on down to 7th place. And they keep dancing until the last pair is standing.

Ready....go!

Jake and Chelsie are out for 4 points. Niecy and Louis are out for 5 points. Evan and Anna are out for 6 points. Chad and Cheryl are out for 7 points. Pamela and Damian are out for 8 points. Erin and Maks are out for 9 points. So Nicole and Derek are the winners for 10 points.

Stamina was the key in this marathon. Nicole and Derek kept their energy up for the entire 3 minutes with so many tricks. Wow! That was so cool!

Here's our final leader board after Monday's performances:

36 Nicole and Damian
34 Erin and Maks
31 Chad and Cheryl
30 Pamela and Damian
27 Evan and Anna
26 Niecy and Louis
25 Jake and Chelsie

The order didn't change after the Swing dance.

I can report that Pam and I have settled on our favorites. I voted for Evan and Pam voted for Nicole. I'm still a fan of Niecy and Pam still enjoys Jake, but we've decided to go with who we think are the better dancers.

Melissa Etheridge is in the ballroom for results! Check it out!