Dancing With The Stars: Season 3, Episode 3
Last night the judges proved tough in enforcing the rules. While it pains me to see them ruthlessly tear apart great dancers like Mario Lopez and Joey Lawrence, I agree that the rules have a purpose and must be respected. If we didn’t have them, we probably wouldn’t see a lot of ballroom dancing. What a relief to know that this show is not just about wowing the audience with risky and graceful moves, but also emphasizing proper technique and ballroom dance fundamentals, which are key to promoting the art of ballroom dancing.
Still, the best performance of the night was undoubtedly the dramatic and charged tango by Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff. Can we tell what amazing chemistry these two have? After watching such a riveting performance, it’s easy to dismiss the fact that they broke the rules once again by breaking control of the dance in the middle of their routine.
Joey Lawrence and Edyta Sliwinska also suffered the ire of the judges because their performance included lifts and a rather unexpected and unpleasant handstand. Last night, her performance seemed too excited and over the top for my liking. However, who can blame them? His near-perfect performance last week was hard to beat.
Monique Coleman continues to impress me considerably. She has clearly emerged as the most improved contestant on the show. Not only is she becoming more ingrained on the dance floor, but she also displays the most solid and clean fieldwork among famous dancers. At this rate, he is likely to go far in this competition and finish in the top four.
The most disappointing performance had to be Sara Evans’ rendition of the Jive. He couldn’t bear the sight of those boots on his feet. Sara looks pretty clumsy in heels; in boots it looked like he was trotting like a pony. While he relaxed a bit more, he still lacked enthusiasm and power. Jive is supposed to be a lively, energetic, and high-powered dance. Instead, Sara danced in a relaxed and calm manner, which might have been appropriate for Country Western dancing, but did not match the true spirit of the Jive.
Who should go: Let geriatric Jerry finally go home and rest.
Who will end up going: Willa Ford. Her performance was once again disappointing and that ridiculous pink costume screamed to be thrown off the plane. Also, the home audience will want Jerry to come back so he can learn the waltz from his daughter’s wedding. Awwww …