I guess the surprise factor makes this weeks elimination so hard to take. Being top of the leaderboard the last two weeks usually means security. I think maybe some fans slacked off voting because they thought she’d be ok this week. I think she was slowly winning fans by showing a softer side. But, the other celebs came into the show with more fans and they’ve kept them.
I’ve split my votes between Sabrina and Melissa all season. Now they all go for Melissa.
I’ve felt the same way, yet she’s always so excited to find out she’s been saved for another week. You’d think she’d be clenching her fists and muttering “Oh, shit!” under her breath instead.
Whether we want her back or not, I’m sure Sabrina will be on week 8. Apparently that is return of the “Trio” dances and rather than a pro selected for this, an eliminated star or former star is selected. So in additon to Sabrina, we’ll probably see Drew and Helio in for an encore performance.
Given her after the show interviews she seems determined to go the distance. Is she great? no, but you gotta admire the tenacity up against people that could be her grandkids, and she’s pretty funny at times. She is by far the most successful over 60 something that’s been on this show, and by that standard I am glad she’s still there.
Yes Sabrina went out there and showed people a thing or two, but really as Peta said, Sabrina could right now audition for the troupe, there is NO difference in her dancing. The woman is a choreographer, that’s why the tongue baths from the pros, but the public doesn’t see someone who’s been parachuted in with much fanfare necessarily that appealing competing against people who are legitimate stars of their profession, like Emmitt Smith hall of famer and all time leading Rusher, Apolo Ohno most winningest winter Olympian of all time… Emmy winner Kirstie Alley… yeah, as fans people want to see legitimate stars, and I don’t blame them
Yeah, she’s always been pretty funny. Ted Danson said years ago that she was one of the funniest people he’d ever known. I liked her crack about the “Vietnamese Waltz.” I think it’s especially surprising that she’s been doing as well as she has given that she spent so many years being much heavier than she is now. I’m sure she’s been doing some conditioning along with her weight loss efforts the last few years, but it’s tough going to get back into shape when you’re older and have been grossly overweight for a long time. I’ve really come to have a fair amount of respect for her due to this show.
I’m not sure if I answered this before, but there’s an On the Red Carpet Interview wherein Louis explains that Sabrina did all the Hip Hop choreography of that routine, and was assisting Melissa with the cheerleader stuff, and she was counting the timing for the girls. Sounds like a lot of major choreography for a routine that was mostly cheerleading and hip hop.
Betting Odds for Week 7
Shawn Johnson
10/11 or 1.91/1
Emmitt Smith
13/4 or *4.25/1 *
Gilles Marini
7/2 or *4.5/1 *
Apolo Anton Ohno
9/1
Kelly Monaco
10/1
Melissa Rycroft
40/1
Kirstie Alley
66/1
Well I don’t know how betting odds work, so the last post doesn’t mean much to me. I truly enjoyed the fusion dances. Thought it presented a real challenge to the dancers, but for choreography and execution.
My fav’s were Shawn/Mark, Apolo/Karina, and Melissa. I don’t have a huge liking for Melissa, but I have to admit that she is a good dancer.
Also loved the marathon. Kelly and Melissa were the best in that they danced through it all.
Well, double elimination next week because of election this week. GO VOTE everybody.
I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the fusion dances. I didn’t realize fusion is a modern style that the pros were comfortable choreographing. Really, this week was just a notch harder than learning a new ballroom dance for the celebrities.
Melissa & Tony are still just a hair way from perfect scores. I enjoyed their dance best tonight.
Ballas & Shawn were really good too. The Marathon was fun and I saw some good moves.
I think Melissa and Tony are a hair from getting the boot and that’s why they were severely overscored tonight. Melissa should never Tango again. I like the girl, but geez, that was just as bad as it was the week previous. Absolutely no heel leads, everything on the toes, and a very awkward dip at the end. That definitely was not a good dance, nor was it a true fusion like Shawn Gilles or Emmitt’s dances. putting 10 sec of Tango on the end of a cha cha isn’t doing fusion. That’s what’s known as a segue.
and the Swing Marathon shoulda went to Val and Kelly. Melissa has been warming up for weeks doing the same swing moves in the Jitterbug, and the inbetween dancing was meh… Kelly is not a cheerleader or a dancer and that lady just is fearless. Val’s choreography was very entertaining to watch. He’s a far better choreographer than Tony.
But obviously this night was to keep Melissa in this, she’s not getting the vote.
She got mine, this week.
Like SYTYCD, DWTS is not really about the best dancer, it’s about your favorite dancer. Right now I’m rooting for Melissa and Kelly – most entertaining to watch, most likeable partnerships.
It’s Trio time. OK, pull your dirty minds off those possibilities. 
It’s a stupid gimmick they came up with last season. Remember Katherine Jenkins and the Velcro pantsuit that didn’t pull off?
Note that superman Derek is planning to dance. He just tweeted his doc reviewed the MRI asked how many car wrecks he’d been in. I guess risking paralysis is ok for a stupid reality show? <shrug> It’s his neck. I’m just amazed any doctor would sign off on a medical clearance.
Apolo was my favorite to win it coming in, but he seems to be forcing too much.
This week Shawn looked human, I don’t see her winning it all. Maybe that’s because she was with Mark instead of Derick.
I agree re: Apolo, absolutely loved him during his season, this time he just doesn’t seem to be having the same degree of fun. And, if he has Jive this next go round with camera hog Sasha? I worry for him. Jive was Apolo’s poorest dance season 4.
Shawn just doesn’t do it for me at all. Yes exacting step sequences is what she does for a living, but I’ve yet to see her come out of her comfort zone of gymnastics. Good thing the judges FINALLY realized it and did not award her for doing gymnastics instead of dancer’s lifts in the Swing. As for the Trio, it’s wonderkids v.2… no emotion just robotic flips and tricks.
I thought some of the best entertainment was during the Trio dances last season. I think Emmitt and Cheryl and Kym are going to do something really fun, if I remember last time Karina and Peta and Donald Driver brought the house down, so Emmitt if he has Salsa or Jive will be great entertainment. Kym is brilliant with her football players and I’m looking forward to this.
I figure Kirstie and Maks and Tristan will be a total boytoy thing, comical but unfortunately not a particularly good use of Tristan’s abilities.
I would have preferred a lover’s triangle between Kelly Val and Tristan… they could have played that up to the hilt, instead we get Louis, who no doubt is a wonderful dancer, but not a romantic lead the way MacManus is.
Gilles Peta and Chelsie - Chelsie is going to have to turn up the sex o meter for this one, but two blondes on either side of the Frenchman could be good fun.
Melissa Tony and Henry- well Henry doesn’t really make an impression on me, the last time was that awful bollywood/bad Samba Menounous mess that just didn’t work.
For last night’s dances, I liked the ones that went back and forth between the two styles better than the ones that danced the first half of the dance in one style then switched to dance the second half in the other.
Apolo should lose his shirt more often.
I really want Kelly’s dance shoes (in black)
Gilles’s dance showed that Cheryl is really good at choreographing Argentine tango - their tango during his season was amazing, this tango didn’t work for me and the transitions took me out of the dance.
Mark didn’t outdance Shawn. Good for both of them!
To be fair, Shawn got a gift getting Tango/ Paso, you have the same intensity all the way through the dance, so of course transitions are going to be super easy to achieve, she didn’t have to worry about hip action, rise and fall, change in emotional connection… Plus she’s emotionless and that works, I noticed Mark toned down his usual expression in the dance so that he could match the robotic expression on her.
Gilles got a tough one with Samba Argentine Tango, and I thought he coped with it well. Of course it could never have the same impact as doing AT all the way through the dance, especially difficult to find Argentine Tango in that music, compared with the raw emotion of assassin’s tango he did with Cheryl, this was bound to be so difficult to perform, and he for the most part nailed it.
Emmitt and Cheryl’s Rumba/Samba was deceivingly difficult and he really worked it. Man has the best hip action, and the transitions were pretty seemless.
I disliked anything that had the tear away dress, or tear away jacket (sorry Apolo you have a lovely chest) because it’s just so cornball. That’s really cheating the true meaning of Fusion dancing. it’s all LOOK everybody now we’re going to Paso… ugh, we should be able to detect the style within the dance not have a big ol neon sign telling us it’s coming.
Betting Odds for Week 8
Shawn Johnson 5/7 or 58% chance of a win
Emmitt Smith 7/2 or 3.5/1 or 22% chance of a win
Gilles Marini 11/2 or 5.5/1 or 15% chance of a win
Apolo Anton Ohno 9/1 or 10% chance of a win
Kelly Monaco 9/1 or 10% chance of a win
Melissa Rycroft 40/1 2.44% chance of a win
Kirstie Allie 100/1 .99% chance of a win
Thank you, Andiethewestie. I’m always confused by betting odds (even when they’re explained to me) so I appreciate this breakdown.
I’m surprised that Emmitt was thought second most likely - he seems to be falling off.
Yeah, I don’t think Shawn is nearly that much of a shoo-in. As other people get eliminated, their fans will shift around, and I don’t think it will necessarily be to Shawn.