© (C) 2009 ABC/photo by Craig Sjodin Mya and Dmitry Chaplinin DANCING WITH THE STARS - SEASON 9

TV REVIEW:

TV Review - DANCING WITH THE STARS - SEASON NINE - Week Seven - The Final Seven Compete

The show heats up with just a few weeks to go and Aaron Carter kicking major butt for the night's best performance

Grade: A -
Stars: Mya, Joanna Krupa and Kelly Osbourne, Donny Osmond, Michael Irvin, Mark Dacascos, Aaron Carter

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By PAMELA HARLAND, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Published 11/2/2009

This may be the hardest challenge ever for some of the contestants. Never before has DANCING WITH THE STARS been taken so seriously. These last seven couples are in it to win it. And now the only way to succeed is to eat, drink and live ballroom. Just watching the show is stressful because you know how hard these guys have worked to get this far and for them to see it all go away would be petty traumatic. It’s truly amazing to see the transformation Donny Osmond has gone through. He has shown the world a side they have NEVER seen before. And Aaron Carter – Boy Wonder - has grown right before our eyes. It will be sad to see any of them go…well, almost any one of them.

But what really stood out tonight were the team dances. It was Team Tango - Joanna & Derek, Kelly & Louie, Donny & Kym against Team Paso with Aaron & Karina, Michael & Anna, Mark & Anna (Lacey Schwimmer was out sick), Mya & Dmitry. Team Tango nailed Team Paso to the floor with the most exciting and awesome collaborative dance. There was no contest. And in the end Joanna Krupa was put forth as the leader once again with a new last placer in Mark Dacascos.

Mya and partner Dmitry Chaplin

Dance: Fox Trot
What the Judges Said: Let’s face it, head judge Len Goodman is NOT a Mya fan and he never will be. That said, he did manage a half compliment to her, "I liked the parts that were in hold." Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba gushed, as always, over Mya with a myriad of "I loved it," and things such as "perfectly captured glamour" spewing from their lips.
Scores: CI – 9, LG – 7, BT – 9
What Pamela Says: It was classic with a modern touch. The same parts Goodman didn’t like I didn’t like. They always use too many gimmicks to hide the doldrums of their dancing.
Score: 8

Joanna Krupa and partner Derek Hough

Dance: The Rumba
What the Judges Said: Goodman chimed in for all saying," I think that tipped all of our boxes." Tonioli called Krupa a "love goddess." And Inaba noted how much she really loved watching Krupa dance.
Scores: CI – 9, LG – 9, BT – 9
What Pamela Says: It was sizzling. It was smooth. It was romantic. One misstep kept it from a ten. Ouch, now that must hurt.
Score: 9

Kelly Osbourne and partner Louie Van Amstel

Dance: Salsa
What the Judges Said: The judges were more or less pleased with Osbourne’s end result of her struggle to get the Salsa just right. All three agreed Osbourne showed confidence and looked unafraid of the dance this time around. Tonioli proclaimed, "You let it out."
Scores: CI –8, LG – 8, BT – 8
What Pamela Says: The dance did look too hard for her and in the upcoming weeks if she is already puttering out she is not going to make it. As Goodman said, "You need to step it up in all areas."
Score: 8

Aaron Carter and partner Karina Smirnoff

Dance: The Jive
What the Judges Said: They all LOVED it! Tonioli enthusiastically ranted about the unstoppable momentum, claiming this dance to be Carter’s best. And Goodman Said, "It had enough energy to light up Hollywood." Inaba stayed simplistic with her," it was SO good."
Scores: CI – 9, LG – 10, BT – 10
What Pamela Says: The Boy Wonder hits the stage with E-N-E-R-G-Y! Very Entertaining!
Score: 10

Mark Dacascos and Anna Trebunskaya (Partner Lacey Schwimmer was out sick)

Dance: The Samba
What the Judges Said: Unfortunately there is no time for sickness in any competition. Inaba went for the jugular with, "That was a mess." Goodman managed to be polite, "It's not your best dance." And Tonioli had the absurd analogy of, "Kung Fu Panda does the Samba on the planet of the apes."
Scores: CI – 6, LG – 7, BT – 6
What Pamela Says: Dacascos just might have blown the whole competition by losing Schwimmer this week. He ranked last for the first time.
Score: 7

Donny Osmond and partner Kym Johnson


Dance: The Quickstep
What the Judges Said: Talk about a backward compliment Tonioli did it beautifully with, "As a performer you are solid as a rock…nobody could cover up the mistakes you made as well." Goodman thought it was "full on." Inaba thought less of it saying, "It was not your best."
Scores: CI –8, LG – 8, BT – 8
What Pamela Says: Great, fast paced and showy, what’s not to love? I must admit I didn’t catch all the mistakes that were made, but I don’t care any-hoo!
Score: 9

Michael Irvin and partner Anna Demidova

Dance: Fox Trot
What the Judges Said: Goodman is a true come late fan of Irvin. He even gives Irvin higher scores than Mya! I believe "brilliant" was the word he used. Tonioli looked to the positive with, "Your musicality has improved." And Inaba was impressed with his fluidity and gracefulness.
Scores: CI – 8, LG –8, BT – 7
What Pamela Says: This week, again, is a double elimination Irvin, the odds are not good.
Score: 6

Reader Comments

Larry Fleming from Atlanta, Ga sez....
Getting down to the final weeks makes for great dancing! I would think that they are beyond most of our abilities by this time. I now look for the little details that make up each dance. They are all great. I agree "It will be sad to see any of them go" I am still pulling for the old guy...Donny
11/3/2009 9:00:47 AM

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