'Dancing With the Stars' All-Stars: 'Gangnam Style,' Guilty Pleasures
In the second of a special two-part performance show that started yesterday and ended tonight, four competitors on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars: All Stars" each performed to their guilty-pleasure songs, while another four did a team freestyle dance.
The performance show is usually presented on Mondays with a star eliminated on Tuesday, but the format was altered this week because of Monday night's presidential debate. Half danced in a shortened show last night, and the second half danced tonight.
There was no elimination this week, but a star will be voted off next week.
The Individual Routines
Melissa Rycroft, Shawn Johnson, Apolo Ohno and Sabrina Bryan each performed an individual routine tonight. Their scores were added to the 29.5 points they each earned for their group freestyle dance yesterday.
Melissa Rycroft: The TV personality danced a tango to Britney Spears' "Toxic," and judges said they liked her showing them a new side of herself. "That wasn't toxic, it was intoxicating," judge Bruno Tonioli said, while head judge Len Goodman said he really enjoyed the routine. He and judge Carrie Ann Inaba did acknowledge that Rycroft's moves could have been crisper at times, but said they understood, given that she injured her neck just days earlier during rehearsal. Rycroft earned 27 points.
Shawn Johnson: The Olympic gymnast's evocative rumba, set to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" from the movie "Titanic" brought the audience to its feet in appreciation, but the judges were divided. All three praised the number, but Inaba said Johnson and her pro partner, Derek Hough, performed an illegal lift. Hough replied that it was a "catch," and not a lift. Tonioli loved the routine, calling it "flawless." Both he and Inaba took issue with Goodman's assessment that there was not enough rumba content. Johnson was awarded 27 points.
Apolo Ohno: The Olympic speed skater's saucy samba to Rick James's "Give It to Me, Baby" also drew divided reviews from judges. Goodman thought it was "terrific," while Inaba told Ohno that something was not quite right. "It's good but it's not where Apolo should be," she said. Tonioli said Ohno was "terribly sexy" and had good rhythm. Judges awarded Ohno 27 points.
Sabrina Bryan: The singer/actress channeled Cinderella in a light, airy waltz that judges praised. "It was such a charming number," Goodman said. Using his trademark broad, sweeping hand gestures, Tonioli heaped praise upon the routine, ending his extensive review with "I loved it." Inaba told Bryan that she tried and failed to capture vulnerability but didn't need it, and also commended Bryan. The judges awarded Bryan 29 points.
Second Group Freestyle
In their group freestyle dance, Gilles Marini, Emmitt Smith, Kirstie Alley and Kelly Monaco performed their group dance to Psy's catchy hit, "Gangnam Style."
The routine, which featured a quirky mish-mash of costumes and styles in which the couples were sometimes out of sync with the group, drew laughter from the audience and the judges. "That was the craziest number I have ever seen … it was fun," Goodman said. Inaba jokingly called the performance "a hot mess" but agreed that it was entertaining. Tonioli had the ballroom audience laughing again when he asked Marini, who was clad in a towel over briefs, to throw him the towel. The actor obliged. Judges awarded the group's members 27 points, which was added to the scores from its stars' individual routines.
Yesterday's Routines
Kelly Monaco: The "General Hospital" soap opera star's flirty samba to Cher Lloyd's "I Want You Back" drew mixed reviews from the judges. Goodman found it a bit long-winded and said there was "too much gyrating," while Inaba said Monaco was out of sync with her pro partner. Tonioli found it titillating. They awarded Monaco 24.5 points.
Gilles Marini: The heartthrob French actor set hearts aflutter with his sensual rumba set to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." As Inaba was telling Marini how well he danced, she kept leaning sideways in her chair, then fell right out of it, landing on her back on the floor. Marini rushed to help her up. She was not hurt. Goodman and Tonioli also had rave reviews for Marini's performance. The actor earned 29.5 points.
Kirstie Alley: Dancing the quickstep to Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson," Alley's performance was smooth and confident, and the judges told her so. "I thought it was your best performance by miles," Inaba told the actress, who earned 25.5 points - her best score of the season.
Emmitt Smith: The NFL legend danced a suave samba to "The Copacabana" by Barry Manilow, and judges were pleased. Tonioli told Smith that the samba was very hard to do but he made it look easy. Inaba agreed, adding. "No one does the samba like you. You have the samba swagger, man!" Smith earned his highest score of the season so far - 29 points.
Rycroft, Johnson, Ohno and Bryan performed their individual dances Monday night. Their cheerleader-inspired freestyle set to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" earned them praise from the judges and 29.5 points.
The Overall Totals (Individual score; Group dance score)
Sabrina Bryan and Louis Van Amstel: 29 (individual score); 29.5 (group dance score): Total: 58.5
Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd: 29.5; 27: 56.5
Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough: 27; 29.5: Total: 56.5
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani: 27; 29.5: Total: 56.5
Apolo Ohno and Karina Smirnoff: 27; 29.5: Total: 56.5
Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke: 29; 27: Total: 56
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 25.5; 27: Total: 52.5
Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy: 24.5; 27: Total: 51.5
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