DWTS: live blogging the team match

Can they come up with something better than having Kym show Warren how a man (in the form of Nick Kosovitch) dances a Foxtrot? These producers have got to come up with some more entertaining filler here!

Warren & Kym: Oh goodness, can you say tense?! Poor Warren: he did not look at ease at all with that Foxtrot! Until he did that teensy tiny jazzy little barrel turn. Then he seemed to come alive. Unfortunately it was all the way at the very end. He was musical and had the rhythm down and all the footwork was good — even did well on those fast-footed grapevine steps. He had the rise and fall too. It just lacked polish and most definitely character.

Susan & Tony’s Paso: ditto for Susan, except without the musicality. Actually, it was there, mainly because Tony was leading her. Notice how Kym will trust Warren with side-by-side action, not always keeping him in the close handhold. The better dancers can take care of themselves out there. But the weaker ones need to be led a bit more. But Susan is sweet and she’s trying. She didn’t follow through with all of her lines though; it looked like she stopped everything a bit short, going on to the next move before she’d finished the prior one. I noticed it mostly with the little dips. She’d let him take her down, then be pulling herself up before she’d finished her lovely leg line (or what should have been such). It’s something I used to do too all the time, though, particularly when nervous. And the long red and black dress, while gorgeous, was too much for her little body; it engulfed her. I know it’s Paso, but she could have had a short dress and just a light bit of fabric in back for a cape.

Maurice & Cheryl’s Cha Cha: best routine of the night so far. Very rhythmic — rhythm’s just in the man’s body — awesome body rolls and hip swaying and circular hip rolling / almost Samba-like action. And notice all the side-by-side / solo dancing. And he’s a very good partner for her. He was very strong in those dips and stretches; she really threw herself out there and trusted him to hold her. Looked like he had a bit o’ trouble getting through her legs there on that little floor trick toward the end. But who cares; he’s so much fun.

Cody & Edyta’s Viennese Waltz: AHHHHH, I LOVE him! He’s a gawky teen trying hard hard hard to be a polished gentlemanly ballroom dancer and I love him so much for trying so hard and taking this very grown-up competition so seriously! Darling boy! What a cutely serious face he had on, huh! Well, he had that footwork down, and he was moving pretty fast in lots of circular floor patterns, with a partner, often in close handhold — so he did damn well and deserves big kudos for that. His lines need LOTS of work — particularly arms. Keep those fingers together! Eeee!

Lance & Lacey’s Rumba: Well, my very first Latin teacher, the excellent Mr. Kelvin Roche, used to play that song (I think it’s called “Wonderland” right?) for our beginning Jive classes. Because it is a jive — a very slow one, and hence perfect for learning the dance. It wasn’t a rumba at all. It was fun though but I totally agree with Len about the shoes. You wear the shoes with the heels (high for ladies, Cuban 3/4 inch for men) to pitch your foot forward to put your weight on the ball of your foot, so that when you put your heel down, your weight tends to shift at the hip. So, he was flat-footed and hip-less. Which is not rumba. I’ll give him the arms though — those bolero-like above-the-head full sways from the shoulder to the fingertips were lovely. And he followed through with the movement, and had nice, full lines. Best arms of the night.

Brooke & Derek’s Foxtrot: Oh, very nice, very elegant. She looked like a real dancer. Not quite as fun as Maurice, and so my second favorite of the night, though I understand the judges’ giving her three tens. Very beautiful lines — I agree with Carrie Ann on that. Lovely how he carried her across the floor in the splits. It was a very basic routine, but basic Foxtrot is hard, and she kept in proper close frame well, and she had the rise and fall, and just overall looked very glamorous and in character. I love the little kiss-blowing. Nice 40s hairstyle.

Okay, now onto these (new to the show) team matches:

Team Cha Cha (Susan, Lance, and Cody & partners): cute. I mean, so these team comps apparently are basically the three couples dancing one at a time with a tiny bit of team work with formations and synchronization. During the brief bits where they all danced together, I wasn’t sure if they were supposed to be moving in unison each doing the same steps or if each couple was supposed to be doing its own thing. Carrie Ann seemed to think they were supposed to be in unison. Anyway, Susan looked tense, and hence stiff, again — poor Susan, I think her nerves are really getting to her, and whose wouldn’t when you’re basically the one woman dancing alongside Edyta and Lacey! I agree with the judges that Lance and Lacey were best, most on and rhythmical, but I also like Cody’s effort and stage presence.

Team Paso Doble (Brooke, Maurice and Warren & pro partners): this one was much better, clearly the winner, though Len is totally right about it being much easier to keep formation in a slower marching dance than a quicker-paced Cha Cha. Having said that, excellent formations and everyone was perfectly in sync during the group parts. And each couple was amazing — Brooke and Derek’s continuous pivot turns — badass!!! Whoa! That blew me away. The men were good too — Warren looked much more at ease here than in his Foxtrot earlier in the evening. His tough footballer attitude fits much better with the Paso character.

All in all: my favorites of the night are a tie between Brooke and Maurice. I think, unfortunately — because I like her personality a lot — Susan may be going home this week.

You guys, by the time we see the results we will have a new President. Eeeeee, I’m nervously excited…