DWTS - Week Seven

Well, here we are again! Now there are six. There's also something new I don't recall their doing before - a team competition that counts half of their score! This makes their score a possible 60. One team does the Paso Doble and the other the Cha Cha. Hmmm. Check here for descriptions of all the dances. For now I'll pick a couple for you to read about.

Foxtrot Fast Facts:

* During the summer of 1914, actor Harry Fox was appearing in shows in New York with Yansci Dolly, in an act of Hammerstein's. Soon people at the Jardin de Danse on the roof of the New York Theater began copying the act that Harry was putting on downstairs, leading them to refer to the dance as "Fox's Trot."
* The foxtrot is a very smooth dance and there should be no jerkiness. It is a dance with many continuously forward or backward moving patterns which are straight and well aligned on the competition floor. It is called the Rolls Royce of the standard dancing styles because the smoothness that is required. ***
* The timing is very important. It should be: slow, quick, quick, slow. The dancers should drive off on the slow and let the quicks take care of themselves. This makes it a very difficult dance.

Distinctive moves:

* The Weave - the weave is six quick steps in a row, all taken on the toes. Quick steps are generally taken on the toe, slow steps on the heels.
* The Feather Step - when the man steps outside the girl.
* Look out for the zig zag patterns that the dancers create on the floor.

*** American Smooth Style:

On Dancing with the Stars the couples will be dancing an "American Smooth"-style Foxtrot. The American Smooth style means couples can break the traditional ballroom "hold" throughout the performance allowing more open movements, including under arm turns. Think Fred and Ginger.

Paso Doble Fast Facts:

* The Paso Doble on the competition floor should create a Spanish Bull Fighting atmosphere. The Paso Doble is the dance for the Man, which allows him to fill the "Space" with strong three-dimensional shapes and movements danced with "Pride and Dignity."
* The woman's role varies depending on the intepretation of the dance. The woman can take the role of the matador's cape, the bull or even the matador at different times within the dance.
* Characteristics of the Paso Doble are the "Marching" flavor given to the steps and the cape movements creating the required tension between both dancers.
* It is one of the only dances that is danced only in the ballroom world.
* It is one of the most dramatic of the dances.

Distinctive moves:

* Look out for chassez cape - the man using the woman as the cape to bring her around.
* Apel - this is when the man stamps his foot - this should be very strong. The man would stamp his foot as if he was trying to attract the bull's attention (the bull often gets distracted by the crowd in a bull fight).
* There are strong Flamenco influences in the dance where the use of castanets is simulated.
* The arpel is a commencement of a movement with the stamping of the feet where the man and woman walk in separate directions.


• Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson
Dance: Foxtrot
Score: 21 / 50

I like this dance. Len is back in all his glory this week. All the judges said it wasn't his best dance and that it wasn't a smooth dance and a regular foxtrot. Carrie Ann asked him what was wrong, and he said those weren't his shoes. He wears 15 EEE's!!! My goodness! Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more!


• Susan Lucci and Tony Dovolani
Dance: Paso Doble
Score: 24 / 44

Praise from the judges. Carrie Ann is acting strange this season. She's been jumping up and whooping (not as horrifying and shrill as Mary Murphy on that other dancing show, thank goodness!). Now she asked Susan to come over there by her, look at the audience, and shout, "I'm doing good!" (incorrect grammar and all). Oh, please!



• Maurice Green and Cheryl Burke
Dance: Cha Cha Cha
Score: 25 / 54

The judges were happy with Maurice's dancing tonight. He was crestfallen about being in the bottom last week which made him try harder but also feel discouraged because he wasn't learning the steps fast enough. He overcame it and danced well.


• Cody Linley and Julianne Hough
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Score: 22 / 42

Edyta helped Cody since Julianne had surgery. It was hard for Cody to adjust to a new partner but said this was for Julianne. I thought he did well. Len didn't. Bruno said it was like watching a fledgling bird not quite able to take off and that he was clumsy. Carrie Ann said he wasn't clumsy. And so goes the bantering of the judges!


• Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer
Dance: Rumba
Score: 25 / 45

Oh, drama with Lacey! She's tired of trying to make Lance happy 24/7 and trying to be positive and can't do it any more. Oh really? In this case, I have to say that she seemed unreasonable. I don't know what has been going on and how he's been, so she might have had a point. She seems really high-maintenance to me, and I'm not that crazy about him. She might not be cut out for this show. They did a barefoot rumba that Bruno loved (9). Carrie Ann liked it very much (9). Not Len! He hated it (7). Then the judges argued! Tom (LOVE HIM) said to Len, "Fiber, Len, fiber!"


• Brooke Burke and Derek Hough
Dance: Foxtrot
Score: 30 / 59

Elegant and graceful! All the judges loved it. I'll bet they get the first 10's from all the judges this week. Yep! First time for this. They'll definitely win this.

Now for the team dances!

Orange Team Cha Cha: Tony & Susan, Lacey & Luke, Cody & Edyta
Score: 20
The judges said the team part was a disaster but that Lance and Lacey's solo saved the team. Who knew?

Blue Team Paso Doble: Derek & Brooke, Kym & Warren, Cheryl & Maurice
Score: 29 (Wow! They deserved it.)

The blue team kicked ass! They were great!! I loved Warren in rehearsal! He took on the role of team captain and watched everyone and gave Maurice pointers. Then he gave a team pep-talk. The judges were enthusiastic about how they looked like a team and did great solos. Len brought it down some, and Tom (LOVE HIM) asked how his love life was. LOL