Trav's Thoughts

I haven't done many historical essays thus far in 2011.  That is about to change.  Interspersed throughout the next 90 days or so, you'll find posts commemorating:

• The landings at Normandy during World War II
• The assassination of Robert F Kennedy
• The Battle for Midway Island during World War II
• The establishment of the Continental Army
• The spark that ignited World War I and the treaty that set in motion events leading to World War II
• The Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War
• The Battle of Britain during World War II
• The establishment of the US Army Air Corps
• The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to finally end World War II

Those are the big events that most of you probably know about if you passed high school history.  I've written about many of them in the past.  I'll probably find some other items of interest...well, they'll be of interest to me and my need to understand.

I can't know.  I can only read the accounts of those who were there.  These events are important to me, and being important to me, I share them with you.

For Set 70, how about we take you back to 1970?




If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.

3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

So I'm working on making my blog rounds, but this has been a week.  I'll be around soon.  In the meantime...

For the third straight season, we were not compelled to vote for any of the American Idol contestants.  We were satisfied to record the performance shows and fast forward through most of the stuff and the things to get to the music, then check the results online.

Unlike the last two years, we didn't download any of the studio recordings from any of the contestants.  That's not to say we didn't think they were talented.  On the contrary.  We thought this was one of the most talented groups of all 10 seasons.  We just didn't find any of the recordings to be a must have.

So who jointed this list of winners?

Season 1, Kelly Clarkson
Season 2, Reuben Studdard
Season 3, Fantasia Barrino
Season 4, Carrie Underwood
Season 5, Taylor Hicks
Season 6, Jordin Sparks
Season 7, David Cook
Season 8, Kris Allen  
Season 9, Lee DeWyze

For Season 10, your American Idol is...

It's The Finale, live from Hollywood!

We made it!  The Season 12 champion is about to dance away with the Fabulous Mirror Ball Trophy.  We've been sitting here enjoying our traditional Finale Feast of cheese and crackers, a nice merlot, and CAKE while we decide on our encore selections from Monday's performances.

Although we enjoyed elements of each freestyle performance, we actually preferred the first round dances from each couple, so those are our encore selections.

The Samba from Kirstie and Maks was relaxed, smooth, and sensual.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



The Quickstep from Hines and Kym was danced extremely well, but we thought it all pulled together based on personality.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



The Samba from Chelsea and Mark was our dance of the night, and we thought it was perfect.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



Here's how our couples ended up after two dances on Monday:

59 Chelsea and Mark
59 Hines and Kym
54 Kirstie and Maks

Each pair gets one more dance for scores during the finale, so let's get to it!

Let's kick it off with our pros!  You know how much I love to watch our pros.

The Black Eyed Peas are in the ballroom.  I'm not a fan.  But they won a Billboard Music Award and they have a new single, so they're here.  I found that performance more annoying than usual, but that's just one man's opinion.

Mike Catherwood returns to the ballroom for a Cha Cha Cha with our Dance Troupe, and then partner Lacey Schwimmer joins in on what turned out to be a pretty fun performance.  For a guy with no natural rhythm or performance background, I have to say he's a great sport.  That leads into a retrospective of the first three of weeks.

Petra Nemcova returns to perform her beautiful Waltz from week 3 with partner Dmitry Chaplin.  And Josh Grobin is live in the ballroom as a special surprise to sing You Raise Me Up.  I thought Petra went out a week or two early.  She was figuring out how to control her long frame and shape it into some lovely lines.

Kendra Wilkinson gets to dance with partner Louis van Amstel, and with Tony and Dmitry plus two of our fellas from the Dance Troupe.  I enjoyed her journey during the show.  She started off very awkward, somewhat crude, and with very little confidence.  Then she found her stride and ended her run with a strong Samba performance, which she showed off again here.  And that leads us to a another retrospective, including a review of Classical Week, which I thought was a hit.  I did not think America Week was something I'd like to see again, although there were a couple of good performances.  

Chris Jericho returns to the ballroom with partner Cheryl Burke, performing a dance battle with Sugar Ray Leonard and partner Anna Trebunskaya.  Ray was not a great technician or a particularly good dancer, but he was a fine entertainer.  Chris surprised me every week with how delicately he partnered Cheryl, and how light he was on his feet.  I thought Chris went out too soon.  Both celebrities performed very well here.

Wendy Williams returns, but instead of dancing she does an interview with herself and partner Tony Dovolani.  That was actually quite annoying.  I'm glad it didn't go on any longer. 

The Go-Gos provide the live music for our Macy's Design-A-Dance.  Maks, Lacey, Cheryl, and Chelsie perform a high energy Jive to We Got the Beat.  I am not embarrassed to say I love the band and this song.  LOL!  Maks is dressed as a cop and the gals are scantily clad.  Excellent!!

Romeo Miller returns with partner Chelsie Hightower, performing their wonderful Waltz.  I enjoyed this young man much more than I expected to.  He took on the challenge and showed a charm to balance out a swagger that could have been arrogant and off-putting.  That was a nice touch to have a children's chorus accompany them.

The next retrospective brings us to the point where the eliminations kept getting tougher and tougher because the dancing just got so good and so competitive.  And then the injuries started to hit, especially the horrible fall Kym Johnson took in rehearsal.  But everyone powered through and I think we ended up with a strong final three.

Ralph Macchio returns with partner Karina Smirnoff to perform their outstanding Quickstep.  I think if the Final Four rounds hadn't leaned so heavily on the Latin styles for him, he might have been able to steal a spot in the finale.  He was so good at the ballroom styles.  Exhibit #1 is this Quickstep.



Now that the Season 12 cast parade is over, we'll have our three final pairs dance what they consider to be their favorite routine of the season.  They'll get their final scores to be added to the leader board totals from Monday.

Chelsea and Mark dance their Viennese Waltz to Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter, first performed in week 4.  I think the only thing they need to do with this dance is to emphasize the traditional movements without losing the ethereal magical quality in the choreography.  This is truly remarkable choreography and some of Mark's best work.  Chelsea was the perfect partner to bring this artistic vision to life.  Outstanding!  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.  I had no doubt.


Kirstie and Maks dance their Cha Cha Cha from way back in week 1.  It was such a surprise to see her dance so well.  I never really know how any celebrity is going to react to this competition.  Kirstie made me forget that she was 60 years old and carrying extra weight.  That stuff didn't matter.  She danced like a woman half her age and size.  And after 10 weeks, she now is practically half the size she was.  I love her performance of the character.  And after 10 weeks of work on technique, she's dancing it so well.  You go girl!  That was terrific!  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.  Excellent!


Hines and Kym dance their Samba from week 3.  The thing that impressed me about this dance was how smooth and relaxed Hines was.  He had the hips going like a pro.  He connected every movement from the last through the next.  He was a strong partner for Kym.  Damn this dance was so good the first time.  His charm and personality were so infectious.  This performance felt so natural.  He made it look like anyone could do it.  This time around it was all that times 10!  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.


There was no doubt in my mind that the judges would make the scores as even as possible.  And at least tonight I can't really argue against any of the perfect scores.  I'm so glad that each pair performed so well.  I'm happy with any of them as the winner.

Here's the final leader board:

89 Chelsea and Mark
89 Hines and Kym
84 Kirstie and Maks

While the tabulators check the math one more time, Sara Evans is in the ballroom to perform her latest hit A Little Bit Stronger, accompanied by a video of moments from our Top 3 couples.

Here we go.  Results...





And now it's over...until 19 September 2011 for Season 13!!!

Hello?  Producers?  I'm still wishing and hoping for Ms Valerie to come dancing.

Pretty please??


Tune in this Thursday to see a different kind of dance competition when So You Think You Can Dance premiers!

And cue LEGSSES!!

What?

Oh...I meant, and cue music!

It's the performance finale, live from Hollywood!

Our final three couples have two performances each as they dance for our votes to combine with the scores from the judges to see who will take home the Fabulous Mirror Ball Trophy.  And they'll do it all in an hour, so let's get right to it!

The first round is a dance style chosen by the judges.  The dance is chosen to take advantage of the strengths of each celebrity.

Chelsea and Mark dance Samba.  Carrie Ann visits rehearsal to provide some coaching.  She tells Chelsea to combine  the sensuality of Samba with the party feel of it.  They get some excellent Samba music this time around.  Chelsea is dancing very well.  Mark occasionally pulls my focus from her, but not this time.  She danced with tremendous control and outstanding technique.  Her footwork and placement was excellent, which allowed her to really relax into her hip action.  I can't really find anything to dislike about the dance.  They danced with great energy and made the performance hot and sexy.  I really liked it.  Judges say 10,9,10 for a total of 29.  Harumph!  I would have said 10's across.

Kirstie and Maks dance Samba.  Bruno visits rehearsal to provide some coaching.  He gives her some tips on how to keep from turning open too far, pulling closer and tighter, and taking that slight pause to emphasize the movement and engage the audience.  She really looks fantastic when you think of the changes she's gone through this season with her weight.  She's got that Samba bounce to characterize the party dance.  She's a little bit stiff in the Samba rolls, but her walks are terrific.  The dance was very smooth.  She really connected each movement.  Her musicality was wonderful.  The dance was sensual and relaxed.  There were a couple of missed steps.  I love Maks' choreography for her.  She looked very comfortable.  Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.  I think those couple of wonky steps cost her at least one 10.

Hines and Kym dance Quickstep.  Len visits rehearsal to provide some coaching.  He helps Hines get his feet pointed correctly while maintaining his solid frame.  You might have thought they would choose a Latin style for Hines because he's so good at that, or perhaps Foxtrot.  But I think that if he solves his foot issue, his natural charm and personality will make this great.  I loved his frame in hold.  He also did a terrific job in the side by side work.  And I think he got his feet mostly squared away.  That was a fun performance.  The speed of the dance never slowed, and he managed it well without losing his technique.  Perhaps it could have been sharper and a little cleaner, but it's tough to beat the pure entertainment value of the performance.  Judges say 10,9,10 for a total of 29.  I would have thrown a 10 for the entertainment, however I'm not sure it was quite perfect.

Now I know that commercial is coming so I can look away!!  DAMN YOU AT&T anyway!

Here's our leader board after the first round:

29 Chelsea and Mark
29 Hines and Kym
27 Kirstie and Maks

I have to agree with the placement reflected in those scores.  I think Chelsea has the edge in technique, and she's able to combine that with performance.  Hines' strength is the presentation of the overall package, and so we sometimes forgive his flat feet.  Kirstie can compete with her ability to perform, but she loses a bit of ground on the technical side.  But it's still anyone's trophy at this point.

Now it's freestyle!!

Chelsea and Mark are up first.  I expect this to be innovative and super difficult.  Of course you can make it too difficult so that the actual dancing isn't done well.  They have some synchronicity issues to begin the routine.  I think Mark danced way over her ability and actually made her look less talented than she is.  The malfunction with the shoes didn't help either.  I don't think that choreography made the best use of her strengths.  I think the tricks were so difficult that they stumbled through a couple of them.  I like that they made use of Latin rhythms, but it was essentially a hip hop dance with special effects in the shoes that broke and took away from the whole.  I'll be honest...I didn't care for it.  I thought Mark just danced without any consideration for Chelsea, and that's a shame.  I was expecting something else and this felt like a throw away opportunity to me.  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.  That dance wasn't perfect.  Even taking into account my dislike of it, you can't be perfect if your side by side choreography is out of sync.

Kirstie and Maks are up next.  I have no idea what to expect.  I like the way they began with Rumba.  Maks decided to emphasize her strengths in the Latin styles.  There was a little Cha Cha Cha and a little Samba in that choreography, plus some pretty solid lifts and tricks.  Even if she doesn't make the last two, and even if she doesn't win the show, she deserved her spot in the final three.  I never expected how good she was to start the show, or how well she did in this freestyle.  This was her paean to living your life.  It wasn't a perfect dance with some of the wobbles on the lifts, but it was entertaining.  I think Kirstie can be very proud of that freestyle.  Judges say 9's across for a total of 27. 

Hines and Kym get the final spot.  I'm not sure what to expect from this dance either.  With the scare Kym had last week, I can't imagine they'll go too extreme with lifts and tricks.  Oh now I remember!  Hines said he wanted to be the halftime show, because he'd never seen one in his career as a football player.  I liked this performance.  They used a drum line on stage that kept the rhythms to some disco type music.  The lifts were more difficult that I expected.  And I really liked that they incorporated so much movement from the Latin styles that they danced throughout the season.  Then there were some funky things tossed in.  It was kind of hard to follow musically because of the drums.  It was certainly different that any of the freestyles from past seasons.  Well done!  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.  I don't know if it was perfect.

Here's our leader board with the freestyle scores added:

59 Chelsea and Mark
59 Hines and Kym
54 Kirstie and Maks

Yeah, I can't really argue that final placement.  I think Chelsea and Hines are the two best celebrity dancers, with Kirstie running a close third behind them.  Although I don't agree with the perfect scores for either freestyle, I have to say that they all danced really well.  It was an enjoyable performance finale.

Each pair has one more dance tonight for scores.  Then the votes will be added and we'll find out who takes home the Glittering Globe of Glory!

We spread out our 20 votes (5 for each of our 4 phones) among all three...7 for Hines, 7 for Chelsea, and 6 for Kirstie.  So I guess we sort of chose, but only because 20 doesn't divide evenly by 3!

Now, if we'd gotten 6 votes for each phone we would have made it even at 8 a piece!

Tune in tonight for the final results!  And check back here tomorrow for the full recap!

Later gang!

"Have you settled on a Set for this week?"  asks Pam.

"Not yet," I reply.  "But I was thinking about letting the random go on my Ipod and picking the first five that play."

"I see," says Pam.

"We wonderss...yesss we doess...sshe hass a better idea, doess sshe?"

Pam laughs.  "Yes precious, we does, but I can't do Gollum like you!"

"HA!"  barks I.  "Whatss her idea, we wonderss precious?"

"Well, if it's to be random, could I maybe do another Set?"

And that's how we came up with Set 69.  Pam's birthday Set was so well received, and now she's caught the FoF bug.




If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.

3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

If you visit the LOLCats over at I Can Has Cheezburger, then you'll be familiar with Maru.  Normally a box kitty, he's trying something a little different in this video.





I love the catch and sink, but the ending is priceless.

Happy Thursday!

Edit:  Sorry gang!  I thought I saw this posted this morning.  DOH!

It's encores and results, live from Hollywood!

We're almost there, gang.  Next week we've got the performance finale featuring the three couples who survive elimination this week, followed by the announcement of the winner of our Fabulous Mirror Ball Trophy!

Cool beans!

Here's what we liked from Monday's performances.

Despite a bit of a disconnect between Ralph and Karina, we did like their Argentine Tango.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



We liked the Viennese Waltz from Kirstie and Maks.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



We liked the Rumba from Chelsea and Mark.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



Dance of the night honors go to Hines and Kym for their outstanding Salsa.  Click here if the video doesn't play.



Excellent!

It's another super-spectacular-step-over-lip-lock two hour results show.  In our first hour, we are treated to some of the memorable freestyle dances from seasons past.  I'll link to the clips.

But first, let's have our pros with our Dance Troupe.  That was a kick ass Jive!  And they followed it up with an equally outstanding Cha Cha Cha, which seems to be the dance style of Season 12.  Louis choreographed this routine.

DAMN YOU AT&T!!  STOP THAT FREAKING COMMERCIAL!!!  I swear I will never own an AT&T phone or use their service.  I am not kidding.

We have a clip of the freestyle from Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson from Season 7.  He finished second.  I love this freestyle because it was a combination of ballroom and Latin styles that they danced throughout the season.

Donny Osmond won Season 9 with Kym, and his freestyle made utmost use of his theatrical background and performance skill.  Pam gave us a variety of squees every week, because she was that little teenager with her crush on Donny.

Season 4 champion Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough developed a great partnership, which definitely helped with their hip hop freestyle.  They went fun, youthful, and high energy.

YAY!  More dancing from our pros and Dance Troupe.  We've got a little Rumba and a little Disco, with some Salsa and Samba.  Love it!  Tony choreographed the routine.

Season 7 champion Brooke Burke and Derek Hough also made tremendous use of ballroom and Latin elements from the season for their freestyle.  They just took them all to another level.  The lifts, throws, and tricks were phenomenal.  I'm always surprised that this dance isn't voted the best freestyle.  And they were both injured during rehearsals, so the first time they danced it all the way through was on finale night.

But, voters chose Season 2 champion Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke as the best freestyle.  I can't argue against it, because this dance was full of difficulty and it was performed so well.  Drew was not an early front runner, but he embraced the challenge and developed into a terrific all around ballroom dancer, equally strong in both ballroom and Latin styles.  The freestyle sealed the deal for him and Cheryl.



Alrighty then.  Let's move on to our second hour, shall we?

The judges select the Rumba from Chelsea and Mark as the encore.

First results...Hines and Kym are in the performance finale.

Stevie Nicks is in the ballroom!  I love me some Stevie.  She is accompanied by Dmitry, Damian, Anna, and Peta.  Two of my favorite things...Stevie Nicks and our pros.

So Pitbull and Ne-Yo, with allegedly the hottest dance track in the nation.   Whatever.

Next results...Chelsea and Mark are in the performance finale.

Here's a special performance...a 13 year old dancer, battling primary immune deficiency disease with a 60% chance to make it to age 18.  And she gets to dance with Chelsie and Lacey.  What a little performer she is!  Outstanding!

DAMN AT&T...breathing...breathing...kitties puppies and bunnies...breathing...breathing...kitties puppies and bunnies...DAMN AT&T.

Stevie Nicks returns to perform Landslide, accompanied by Tony and Cheryl.  Thank you Stevie for such an amazing song.

Final results...Kirstie and Maks are in the performance finale.

And that means Ralph and Karina were finally done in by the Latin styles.


You know I don't have a favorite, no matter what combination of our remaining pairs moved through to the performance finale.  But I think the viewers got this one right, and in the end, only one of our couples is going to hoist the Glittering Globe of Glory.

And we'll know who that is, one week from now!

Later gang!

It's the Final Four, live from Hollywood!

Just two more weeks and we'll know who dances off with the Fabulous Mirror Ball Trophy!  I'll tell you, I've never gone this late in the season without a favorite.  But as of right now, I can't decide who gets all my votes.

It's been a tough week of practice, so maybe it'll be injuries that decides it.  If they can make it through, our pairs have three dances this week for votes and judges' scores...two individual routines and a winner take all Cha Cha Cha worth 15 points to the winner.

Let's begin with ballroom for round one.

Ralph and Karina dance Argentine Tango.  I expect him to be able to take charge of this dance.  It relies on precision and drama, which he should have covered with his acting ability and his attention to detail.  I like his posture and frame, except as he pulls his middle away from Karina through some of the more difficult footwork passes.  They should keep their bodies a little closer together to really emphasize the precision of the movement.  I thought there was a lot of difficult content, but I thought that there could have been more passion between them.  I liked the performance, but I think it was missing some of the heat.  Judges say 8,9,8 for a total of 25.

Kirstie and Maks dance Viennese Waltz.  We've got high drama in rehearsal as Maks pushes hard and Kirstie breaks a little bit.  Whatever they have between them really does translate to the dance floor.  This was a wonderful mix of sensuality and romance.  Her technique was excellent, and she mixed that with performance.  She was focused on bringing the dance together with the acting, and the finished product was seamless.  She made beautiful lines with her arms.  Her extensions were lovely.  And her spins were controlled.  I loved the performance.  Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.

Chelsea and Mark dance Argentine Tango.  Chelsea is so good that it's hard not to set expectations too high for her, or even to judge her under a different standard.  I know Mark faces the same challenges with his celebrity as the other pros, but it always seems more like a professional partnership and result with him and Chelsea.  I did not care for some of the leg positions in this choreography.  They didn't seem sexy or enticing, and that surprises me.  She didn't seem as sharp and she didn't seem to finish her lines like she normally does.  I thought they danced extremely well, but I did not enjoy the performance.  Dangit.  I really wanted to like this dance.  The judges were also divided, but with little impact in the scoring.  Judges say 9,9,10 for a total of 28. 

Hines and Kym dance Argentine Tango.  Kym took a nasty fall during rehearsal and injured her neck.  I read about this earlier this week.  I did not watch the footage.  She went off in a neck brace on a stretcher in an ambulance.  Yikes!  And then they went out and performed some very difficult Tango choreography.  The lifts were standard, which I was glad to see.  Sometimes you just have to go for the basics and then perform it with precision and fire.  The emotion in the dance was clear...just to be dancing, and then to dance so well.  Hines strength was the hero in this dance, because he was aware of how delicate she could possibly be.  He was careful, but at the same time they both attacked the dance.  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.  Now I don't think the dance was perfect, but I'm not going to argue it after the way they pulled it together after the fall. 

And now let's have some Latin for round two.

Ralph and Karina dance Salsa.  Ralph has struggled with the Latin styles all season.  He has trouble getting the right hip action, and also with smoothly connecting the movements into a cohesive whole.  He's dancing the character, which is sleesy club guy.  This reminds me a little of his Jive from way back in week 3, where it was so full of energy that it was almost out of control.  This dance seemed very rough and there was very little technique.  I don't know if I liked it, but they went for it and I guess they had fun with it.  It was hard to recognize any competition Salsa choreography.  I guess it was more of a club Salsa, but more on the raunch side than on the smooth 1-2-3 of a pure Salsa.  Judges say 8,7,8 for a total of 23.  Well that could have been worse. 

Kirstie and Maks dance Paso Doble.  I like that Maks gave her a little solo at the top of the dance.  Normally I would not care for a Paso to a rock song, but it makes sense for Kirstie for some reason.  I thought that dance had the correct attitude for Paso.  She has developed the stamina to work the choreography all the way through the dance.  She mastered the technique, the attitude, the passion, and the aggression needed to perform a truly excellent Paso.  The choreography was difficult and she handled it with precision.  Well done!  Judges say 9's across for a total of 27.

Chelsea and Mark dance Rumba.  I thought she might excel at this style and I was hoping Mark would make a sexy dance, but not over do it.  I'm pleased with the choreography.  It had passionate romance.  The movement was sinuous and sensual.  The whole intent of the story was so clear, but they built it in the choreography by suggestion and shade.  It was a combination of beautiful poses framed by smooth movement.  The musicality blended everything together.  Outstanding.  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.  That score is well deserved.

Hines and Kym dance Salsa.  You know, the only thing wrong with Hines Ward is that he plays for Pittsburgh and I'm a Raider fan.  Other than that, what's not to like about the guy?  This is a great dance for him.  This choreography has that 1-2-3 smooth feel of a true Salsa.  And he's having a great time dancing it.  That choreography wasn't easy, but he handled it like it was nothing.  After that terrible fall, they both came out and performed like it never happened.  From the first movement, that performance had me smiling.  Judges say 10's across for a total of 30.  Now this perfect score I can't possible argue with.  Well done Sir!

Here's our leader board after two dances:

60 Hines and Kym
58 Chelsea and Mark
54 Kirstie and Maks
48 Ralph and Karina

Now we've got a winner takes all Cha Cha Cha competition.  Hines and Kym or Chelsea and Mark can practically guarantee a spot in the finale with those 15 points.  Ralph and Karina may need the points to overcome the 6 point gap between them and Kirstie and Maks.

Let's see how this third round breaks down.  Two pairs compete in an instant Cha Cha Cha, 1st against 4th from the leader board after two dances, and 2nd against 3rd.  Then the winners of those matches will compete for the 15 points.  Nobody else scores.  The idea here is to reward the better dancers without any input from viewer votes. 

First up it's Hines and Kym versus Ralph and Karina.  Hines and Kym take the floor first.  Hines is a little slow to get into the choreography, but he relaxes into it pretty quickly and dances very well.  Next, Ralph and Karina step in, and he's still struggling with his hip action although he attacked the choreography and gave it his best in a style that just doesn't work for him.  I'll have to give the round to Hines and Kym, and so do the judges in a unanimous vote.

Next we have Chelsea and Mark versus Kirstie and Maks.  This should be your typical tough 2 seed vs 3 seed battle, because both celebrities are outstanding at Cha Cha Cha and there doesn't seem to be a clear favorite.  I remember the issue I had with Chelsea's first Cha Cha Cha...she dances so tall.  She seemed stiff instead of relaxed in this performance.  Now Kirstie has that sexy, relaxed hip action.  The movement flows and seems very natural, even if she's not completely sure of her steps.  This is a tough call.  My heart leans toward Kirstie, but I wonder if the judges will go with Chelsea's clean and precise steps.  Fun and flirty versus sensual.  I don't know!  Judges say Chelsea and Mark, again in a unanimous decision.

So now it's Hines and Kym versus Chelsea and Mark, and they get their music right now and have to put the choreography to the music during the commercial break!  Yikes!  Chelsea and Mark win the coin toss and elect to dance second.  

DAMN YOU AT&T and ABC!!  Don't put scary NCELMs on the TV when I'm watching my Dancing!!!  Hokey smokes Bulwinkle!!  I hate that commercial.

Breathing...breathing...kitties bunnies and puppies...breathing...breathing...kitties bunnies and puppies.

OK.  Winner takes all Cha Cha Cha.  Hines and Kym are up first.  It's basically the same choreography...what can  you do knew in 4 minutes?  You just have to go out and do your thing.  Hines hits it smooth and relaxed.  Same with Chelsea and Mark.  But this time I thought she was less about posture and more about movement.  There were a couple of places where she got a little bit lost.  This is a tough decision.  I thought they both did great.  I can't choose.

Judges say the winner is...Chelsea and Mark in a unanimous decision.  I can't disagree.  I couldn't disagree if it went the other way either.  I think Chelsea and Hines are the two best celebrity dancers.

Here's our final leader board with the winning points added:

73 Chelsea and Mark
60 Hines and Kym
54 Kirstie and Maks
48 Ralph and Karina

And we still don't have a favorite!  I like something about each of our celebrities, and they are matched with four terrific pros.  There's no one to vote against.  They all handled all the dancing so well, despite injuries and exhaustion.


Votes for all!  Somebody else can choose.  We will continue to enjoy each celebrity until one of them wins the Glittering Globe of Glory.


Tune in tonight for results, and check back here tomorrow for encores and my results recap.

Later gang!