Tonight on Dancing With The Stars, the remaining couples will dance to music by American icons. Another American Icon, Emmy Award-winning director and choreographer Kenny Ortega will fill the guest judge seat. Ortega choreographed such landmark films such as Dirty Dancing, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, and To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar. He has also directed and choreographed the films Newsies and Hocus Pocus. For over two decades, Ortega was Michael Jackson’s director and creative partner, a partnership that lasted until Jackson’s death. Recently Ortega directed Disney Channel’s High School Musical and High School Musical 2, which was seen by over 17 million viewers when it premiered, making it the most watched program in cable telecast history. Basically, if there was ever a perfect person qualified to judge dancers, it is Kenny Ortega. He is a legend.
Tonight, the remaining five couples will perform a variety of dance styles including Foxtrot, Rumba, Jazz, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Samba, Cha Cha, and Jive. At the end of the night, one couple will face elimination leaving only four couples to move on to the Finals.
Candace Cameron Bure & Mark Ballas 1-800-868-3407
Dancing the Viennese Waltz to If I Knew by Bruno Mars
Candace wants a little bit of ‘80’s dance moves that she grew up with. I love that she’s free to be her self and never feels pressure to be anyone other than lovable Candace. Candace introduced a woman that she considers a legend, Angela Thomas, a Bible teacher and best-selling author. Candace’s ‘50’s themed Viennese Waltz was cute, but not without a few errors.
Len: “I look for the little things. I think you did great.”
Kenny: “I saw you surrendering to the partnership. I credit you.”
Bruno: “You started very well, bright as a summer day, sweet as candy. If you go wrong, cover it. You just collapsed.”
Carrie Ann: “We’ve all been there, we’ve all messed up … Come back, balls to the walls.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 8, Len: 9, Kenny: 9, Bruno: 8, total 34 out of 40
After Candace’s disappointing performance, Tom announced that Candace and Mark were safe after last week’s performances and will be dancing in the finals!! Wow! The energy in the ballroom changed dramatically from sad and disappointed for Candace to absolutely exhilarated. What a fun surprise!! But now the question is: who has been eliminated?
Next, two of the couples announced as in jeopardy of elimination were Amy & Derek and Charlie & Sharna.
Charlie White & Sharna Burgess 1-800-868-3412
Dancing the Fox Trot to New York, New York by Frank Sinatra.
Charlie brought in his idol, Scott Hamilton for a little advice. He has inspired Charlie since childhood and he always trusts Scott’s great advice. Scott’s advice is to make them laugh, make them choke up and to blow them out of their seats. Charlie can’t even say “Mo Money, “without correcting it for grammar. And hip hop isn’t Charlie’s thing ,so we’ll see how he fares with this in his second dance. But first, the foxtrot. I was very nervous to see a cane for a prop. We know how that went during Disney week… Thankfully, the cane wasn’t discarded until the proper time. The dance was light and vibrant, just like Charlie. This dance was most like how Charlie looks when he is ice dancing, so it was magical.
Kenny: “Bring out the champagne! You were the toast of New York.”
Bruno: “And the flair, and the sophistication. You started as Astaire, and ended as Baryshnikov.”
Carrie Ann: “The I was looking forward to something fantastic and you just slapped my face with: Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!
Len: “That’s right, tonight. Charlie White, that’s all.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 10, Len: 10, Kenny: 10, Bruno: 10, total 40 out of 40!! Whoo Hoo!!
Amy Purdy & Derek Hough 1-800-868-3410
Dancing the Quick step to You Can’t Hurry Love by the Supremes.
The quickstep is a dance that travels and moves across the floor. Amy is going to be using her running legs, which are carbon fiber and have bounce, unlike her normal dancing feet which are wood and foam and have no give. While rehearsing, Amy gets a call from Oprah Winfrey, her icon. Amy was floored that Oprah watches the show and votes for her. With her running legs, Amy had a lightness that was unbelievable.
Bruno: My jaw was dropping on the desk. If I wasn’t watching this live, I would have thought you were on wires.”
Carrie Ann: “It was so nice to see you in your full throttle. Gorgeous, Took my breath away.”
Len: “There was plenty of bounce in the ounce. Watching inspires me to go and do something.”
Kenny: “Do Oprah and Me an big favor and bring them back next week.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 10, Len: 9, Kenny: 10, Bruno: 9, total 39 out of 40.
Next, Meryl & Maks were announced as in Jeopardy and James & Peta are safe and will be dancing in the finals. James & Peta were thrilled!!
James Maslow & Peta Murgatroyd 1-800-868-3402
Dancing the Cha Cha Cha to Love Never Felt So Good by Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake
James has his Idol L.A. Reid, who was a close friend and producer of Michael Jackson. L.A. shared tales of Michael’s tremendous work ethic, something that James shares. The song’s co-author Paul Anka was in the audience, talk about icon!!
Carrie Ann: “It is hard to pull off Michael Jackson well. What you did tonight was spectacular!”
Len: “Nice Michael Jackson cues, lots of cha cha – A terrific number.”
Kenny: “It was obvious you put your heart and soul into it. It was electrifying.”
Bruno: You were effortlessly cool, but on fire.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 10, Len: 10, Kenny: 10, Bruno: 10, total 40 out of 40!!
Meryl Davis & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 1-800-868-3406
Dancing the Jive to Hound Dog by Elvis Presley
Last week, Meryl and Maks found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard and for Maks it was stressful and frustrating. Maks finds incredible pressure in performing with the show’s best dancer and wanting to not disappoint her. Their dance was fun but for the first time, my eye wasn’t drawn to Meryl. Her arms were in tight, and Maks was absolutely Elvis incarnate. He looks incredible hot with his pompadour.
Len: No peril Meryl, that was fantastic!
Kenny: You were ice skating! Your kicks and flicks were sending sparks across the floor
Bruno: The king and queen of rock and roll! Perfect.
Carrie Ann: Maks, did you just kiss me? Your movements were flawless and perfect.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 10, Len: 10, Kenny: 10, Bruno: 9, total 40 out of 40!!
Macy’s Stars of Dance returned its third and final third installment with creative oversight and choreography by Derek Hough and Christopher Scott from So You Think You Can Dance. The unique performance to Classic by MKTO featured Hough and Disney Channel’s Jessica Lee Keller from Teen Beach Movie as the leads. The piece will also featurd 26 additional dancers including a variety of Dancing With The Stars Pros. Macy’s Stars of Dance was amazing as usual. I’ve never seen a rose used as an effective dance prop before, but leave it to Derek Hough to find new ways to amaze. The male back up dancers also danced with push brooms which was awesome. Is Derek Hough the next Kenny Ortega?
Candace Cameron Bure & Mark Ballas 1-800-868-3407
Dancing Jazz to Nasty by Janet Jackson
Candace was hot and sexy in a costume that straight out of the musical, Chicago. Perhaps we’ll see Ms. Cameron Bure on Broadway next?
Len: “I thought it was marvelous.”
Kenny: “That reminded me of the great ladies of Broadway. You took Bob Fosse and Janet Jackson and smashed them together.”
Bruno: “It was Janet Jackson channeling Liza Minnelli, and you did it well, my darling.”
Carrie Ann: “You rehearsed the heck out of that number. It was pristine.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Len: 10, Kenny: 10, Bruno: 9, total 38 out of 40.
Charlie White & Sharna Burgess 1-800-868-3412
Dancing the samba to Mo Money, Mo Problems, by Notorious B.I.G.
Charlie looks incredibly uncool dancing hip hop. And I’m not sure about him wearing a sweat suit while Sharna is in a more traditional cha-cha costume
Kenny: “I thought it was clean, committed, but lacking a little funk.”
Bruno: “I hope you are coming back, because you deserve it. Hit that rhythm stick.”
Carrie Ann: I want to live in Charlie’s world. Everything you do there’s white fluffy clouds and flying kitties.”
Len: “It looked a little heavy at times. Tonight is all about who deserves to be in the finals and Charlie, you deserve to be in the finals.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Len: 9, Kenny: 9, Bruno: 9, total 36 out of 40, for a night’s total of 76 out of 80.
Amy Purdy & Derek Hough 1-800-868-3410
Dancing Jazz to It’s Too Darn Hot By Ella Fitzgerald (also from the musical Kiss Me Kate)
Once again, Dynamic Derek choreographed something unbelievably innovative This time, he used a large wooded table in ways that a single dance should be physically impossible, If this was a movie, it would have needed several takes from different angles, but Derek and Amy were able to do the impossible in a single take.
Bruno: “It’s too darn good! That was another classic moment on DWTS”
Carrie Ann: “Girl you were working it. That looked so much fun! There was one little non-synchronized moment…”
Len: “Derek, I salute you, Amy that was outstanding.”
Kenny: “Derek, you redefine choreography for this generation.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Len: 10, Kenny: 10, Bruno: 19, total 39 out of 40 for a night’s total of 78 out of 80.
James Maslow & Peta Murgatroyd 1-800-868-3402
Dancing the Rhumba to Islands in the Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
James is so sexy in Western wear. And Peta looked radiant in her huge Dolly Parton hair. They are so steamy together. Their hips were sensual and still classy.
Carrie Ann: “I think you are the smartest competitor we have. You listen to everything we say.”
Len: “You lack expression through the hands.”
Kenny: “You have to extend that brilliance through your hands.”
Bruno: “I felt like islands in the steam.”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Len: 9, Kenny: 9, Bruno: 9, total 36 out of 40, a grand total of 76 out of 80.
Meryl Davis & Maksim Chmerkovskiy 1-800-868-3406
Dancing the Viennese Waltz to Just a Fool by Christina Aguilera
Meryl and Maks had a dramatic country & Western-themed waltz. I thought Maks looked like a sexy farm hand in Of Mice and Men and Meryl was a living Taylor Swift song.
Len: “You took that right on the edge. There was no playing it safe.”
Kenny: “You blew me away last week, and this week power, grace, synchronization.”
Bruno: “You two are unbelievable. This week it was Giant. Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson in West Texas.”
Carrie Ann: “Meryl, what you do is amazing. The elegance, grace and the power. You better not go home!”
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 10, Len: 10, Kenny: 10, Bruno: 10, total 40 out of 40 for a night’s total of 80 out of 80.
After the break, the three couples in jeopardy stand on the stage. Amazing that the three Olympians are all in jeopardy. Meryl & Maks, Amy & Derek and Charlie & Sharna all stand nervously. Amy and Derek are safe. Who will go home? Meryl & Maks or Charlie & Sharna. The couple going home is shockingly Charlie and Sharna. We will miss Charlie’s joy. The judges are shocked. Charlie remains humbled and grateful.
Like Dancing With The Stars recaps? read more here!
Episode 1: Premiere
Episode 2: Double Elimination
Episode 3: Memorable Year
Episode 4: The Switch Up
Episode 5: Disney Week
Episode 6: Party Anthems
Episode 7: Latin Week
Episode 8: Celebrity Dance Duels