Mel and Mak performed a beautiful rumba |
I know, right? Mel and Maks’ rumba was absolute perfection. But I’ll get to that.
Tom and Samantha (I hate the fact that my daughter shares her name with this stuttery bore) welcomed us to the show and introduced the couples.
First up was Sabrina and Mark’s foxtrot, which I was fairly excited to see. And for the first time this season, I was disappointed by one of her dances. While it started off beautifully, I agreed 100% with Len and Bruno that she danced some parts way too hard. I’m no expert but I’ve watched enough of these dance shows to know what the judges look for. The foxtrot is supposed to be graceful and smooth and there were just too many sharp, jerky motions. They received 25 out of 30, their lowest score to date.
Up next were Jennie and Derek, who danced the mambo. It’s a raunchy dance that involves a lot of hip and booty shaking and getting down and dirty. And the two pulled it off. I like when Jennie looks like she’s having fun, because she’s been doing such a great job so far. While she looked absolutely terrified awaiting the judges’ scores, she needn’t have. They earned nines from all three judges.
Third up were Jane and Tony, jamin’ the jive. Um, what was Jane wearing? I’m not sure if it’s because her head looked so big (even though it’s normal-sized) or because her body is so teeny, but the skimpy sailor outfit was not her best look. As you all know, the jive is my absolute favourite dance – to watch and to dance. But their jive… not so much. It looked like it was in slow motion or something. Don’t get me wrong, girlfriend looks and dances like she’s half her age, but the jive just didn’t suit her. The judges agreed and they received a 22.
Next to dance were Cameron and Edyta. After past seasons of so-so partners, Edyta has finally scored with Cam. They danced my second-favourite dance, the samba, and it was good. They were sexy and shook their hips when they needed to, and twice (once during the dance, and again when the number was over), Cameron did that thing where you’re on your back and throw yourself forward and up and then land on your feet. Hubby was like, um, he wore a brace as a kid? Seriously. Whatever he endured as a kid has paid off in spades. They earned a 25.
The aforementioned rumba of Mel and Maks followed, and like I said, I actually liked it. More than liked, actually. It was romantic, sensual and told a beautiful, mesmerizing story. The judges agreed and gave them 10s, putting them at the top of the leaderboard.
Marie and Jonathan were up next and we were reminded, for the 84th time, about her collapse last week. Their paso doble had drama but at the same time, it seemed a little simple. Most likely because they were playing it safe. They received a 23.
The last dance of the evening before the group dance was Helio and Julianne’s cha cha. After a bit of a stumble last week, our boy returned with a vengeance! Their cha cha was cheeky, lively and flirtatious and Helio’s adorable smile was back. The judges loved it and gave them a 28.
During the group dance practice, hilarity reigned. I love to see how well the competition actually gets along with one another, and like in past seasons, the camaraderie was obvious. The actual number, performed to “Rockin’ Robin” was swing-y, jive-y, bouncy and filled with lots of flips. Loved it.
Barry Manilow is in the ballroom tonight. Meh. I’m so not a Fanilow. There’s something about his face that freaks me out.
Who’s going home? My guess is Jane and Tony will join Marie and Jonathan in the bottom two, and the classy Brit will dance her last official dance tonight. Agree? Disagree? Let me know: denette.wilford@tvguide.ca
Aired: Monday October 29, 2007
Published Tuesday October 30, 2007
