Dancing With Whe Stars Week 7: Fun With Fusion

Dancing With Whe Stars Week 7: Fun With Fusion

This week, the Dancing with the Stars All-Stars had to take on the challenge of fusing two ballroom dances into one number.

Some of the pros made it look easy, but it was a lot harder for the pros who had to figure out how to create balance.

How did they do? Let’s find out.

Apolo and Karina
Dance: Cha Cha and Paso Doble
Song: Scream by Usher
Score: 27

Last week, Apolo and Karina got a perfect 30 but can they do it again? Karina did an excellent job of mixing the fun and sexy Cha Cha moves with the dark strength of the Paso. The performance included a vigorous wind machine and Apolo’s bare chest for the first time. Len said it was like looking in a mirror. He said it was crisp, clean and on fire. Bruno said he should be in Twilight as the new leader of the pack. Carrie Ann said it started strong and ended stronger. She applauded Apolo’s decision to take off his shirt.

Emmitt and Cheryl
Dance: Rumba and Samba
Song: Fine By Me by Andy Grammer
Score: 27.5

They sound similar but the Rumba and the Samba each feature some very specific moves. One is very romantic but the Samba is a party dance. Emmitt prepared by spending some party time with his family then went back to work so he didn’t end up in the bottom like last week.

Bruno said it was a smooth and balanced blend. Carrie Ann said the upper body movement was lacking and that Emmitt was too in his head. Len broke the tie saying that he wore pink in case he’d have to fill in for Emmitt but he couldn’t have done a better job.

Kirstie and Max
Dance: Quickstep and Samba
Song: Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder
Score: 24

Mixing the Quickstep with the Samba seems like an impossible task but Kirstie and Maks got it done with their usual sense of humor and joy. But before that, we got a look at how the couple spent part of their work collecting relief supplies for the hurricane victims.

Carrie Ann said Kirstie lost in the second half and the dance fell apart. Len thought it was a nice mix but there were one or two “incidents” going on. Bruno said that only Kirstie can turn Cinderella into a stripper which was fun but led her to lose her timing.

Kelly and Val
Dance: Foxtrot and Cha Cha
Song: Don’t Stop Doing What You Do
Score: 27

Kelly and Val had some tension in rehearsal but you didn’t see it on stage. They delivered a sweet and charming fusion dance that delighted the crowd.

Len said it was lovely, Bruno said it was a flashy Cha Cha, the timing was very good and the control was better than ever. Carrie Ann loved the way they balanced the elegance of the Foxtrot and the sexy nature of the Cha Cha.

Melissa and Tony
Dance: Tango and Cha Cha
Song: Die Young
Score: 29

Last week, Len gave the couple a standing ovation and only Carrie Ann’s 9.5 kept them from getting a perfect score. More nervous than ever, Melissa poured her heart into his week’s rehearsals while trying to learn to combine the heel leads of the Tango with the toe leads of the Cha Cha. When she hit the floor she was sassy and sexy and the judges loved it.

Bruno called her the dark mistress of tango and said she was on fire. So sexy, she turned him on. Carrie Ann said that tonight Melissa was a star. Len scared them by saying he didn’t like it, then revealed that he was only kidding. He said he thought it was beautiful all the way through and he appreciated that they went from one dance to the other then back again. The perfect fusion.

Shawn and Mark (filling in for Derek)
Dance: Paso Doble and Tango
Song: Livin’ on a Prayer
Score: 30

Derek hurt his neck last week so Shawn had to practice with temp partner Mark. Add in her own knee injury, too many cooks in the kitchen and it was a trying week. Couldn’t tell come performance time. Shawn was killer pulling off both strong and sexy in this sharp number.

Carrie Ann was speechless for a moment before declaring it a perfect fusion. Len said it was a firecracker and Bruno called Shawn the queen of the night. Two dances performed to the maximum purity. Just sublime. They earn their first perfect score.

Gilles and Peta
Dance: Argentine Tango and Samba
Song: When I Get You Alone
Score: 28.5

Mixing the fun Samba with the dangerous style of the Argentine Tango was nearly impossible for Gilles. He took a break and got some advice from an old friend that set him back on the right path. When he hit the stage, he was strong, confident and smoking hot and of course, the shirt popped open by the end.

Len said they brought out a fabulous Tango then gave them a fantastic Samba. Bruno said that’s how you do it the South American way. Great command and presence. Carrie Ann started with wow but complained about the raptor arms again. Otherwise, fantastic.

They ended the night with a swing dance marathon. The last couple standing? Melissa and Tony. They get to add ten points to their total.

On a serious note, throughout the episode, several of the pros talked about family members who were dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. It was a poignant reminder of how easy it is to lose what we often take for granted. Luckily, they all made it through safely. ABC did their part collecting more than 14 million dollars in donations during the show through their Day of Giving initiative. If you’d like to make a donation, here are three ways:

TEXT: Text ABC to 90999 to give a $10 donation to the Red Cross.

ONLINE:  Go to www.redcross.org/abc to make a donation of any amount.

BY PHONE:  Call 1-800-HELP-NOW.

Because of the elections, there won’t be a results show tomorrow. Tonight’s scores will carry over to next week so it’s still important to vote.

Who’s your current favorite? And who’s going home next week? Leave your comments below!


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