A Lord In for Len

Len Goodman was MIA this week, and the show didn’t really offer up a reason for his absence, simply saying that he couldn’t be there. So to serve as the third judge, the show brought in Michael Flatley, famous Irish step dancer who is commonly known as “Lord of the Dance.”

Back At One?

First to perform was Maurice Greene and his partner, Cheryl Burke, doing a Viennese Waltz. Maurice noted that this was the first ballroom style dance he’s done since Week 1, and it’s a little hard to shift gears.

He noted that his “mind’s on overload” since he had to worry about the steps, spins, along with “being smooth” while performing. He thought that he had the “competition well in hand [but now] it feels like [he’s] back at square one.” Their performance was very nice, but Maurice looked like he was walking at times, as opposed to gliding, and he did appear a bit stiff. Carrie Ann said it was “sweet” and she saw “definite improvement in [his] posture.” However, there was a “lack of chemistry” between Maurice and Cheryl. Michael said that it was quite something to “see the fastest man do something so slow and elegant” and that it was “really beautiful stuff.” However, Maurice’s “timing could be a little better.” Bruno said it “lacked fluidity” and that the “moves were not linked correctly.” The judges all gave Maurice 7’s for a total of 21.

Making a Comeback

Lance Bass and his partner, Lacey Schwimmer, had a tough week last week, and Lance was feeling a little down during rehearsals for this week’s Jive.

He noted that it was tough to put in all the work, and think that he was doing well, only to be roundly criticized in the end. To boost Lance’s spirits, his former ‘N Sync bandmates Joey Fatone (a former contestant on the show) and Chris Kirkpatrick paid him a visit and gave him a pep talk. Apparently it worked because Lance’s jive was lively, fun and his kick flicks were really good. Carrie Ann shouted “Whoo!” and told Lance that was “what we’ve wanted from you.” Michael said that Lance “had everything tonight” and he “came out smoking!” Bruno declared that “Lance is back on target,” with “sharp edges [and] gleaming confidence.” The judges all gave Lance 9’s for a total of 27.

Letting Loose. . .Kinda

Susan Lucci landed in the bottom 2 last week, and she really wanted to “get out of [that place.]” One of the criticisms of her dancing was Carrie Ann noting that Susan seemed to be “dancing in a glass box.” To help her loosen up and “dance with freedom,” her partner, Tony Dovalani, took her out for a night of no-pressure dancing with her friends. Susan declared that it helped, and that she was ready to show it in her Salsa. Her dancing was nice, but again, there was a reservation in her performance, like she was still being careful. She also lost the timing and missed some steps. Carrie Ann declared that Susan “broke the box, sister!” and said the performance “was great.” Michael said Susan was the “epitome of elegance, class and grace” and called her performance “intoxicating.” Bruno noted that she did “lose [her] timing” but that they were “finally seeing the devil lurking underneath Susan Lucci’s skin.” Carrie Ann and Michael gave Susan 8’s, while Bruno gave her a 7 for a total of 23.

Injured Rumba

Brooke Burke and her partner, Derek Hough, were thrilled by their scores and performance last week, but it came with a price – Brooke injured her right foot. Due to the injury, Brooke missed some practices for this week’s Rumba, and dancing with a bum foot put some limitations on her, and Derek’s ability to choreograph a technically tough routine. Their rumba was very nice, and we didn’t really notice her injury. However, Carrie Ann said that it was “not [Brooke’s] best dance” and that her injury “held [her] back” since she didn’t seem “comfortable on the dance floor.” Michael said it was “brilliant [and] sensational.” He declared that Brooke “took my breath away.” Bruno said that “the moves were great [but] the executions were not as sharp as [Brooke] can do.” Carrie Ann and Bruno gave Brooke 8’s, while Michael gave her a 10 for a total of 28.

Trying Their Patience

Cloris Leachman, still improbably in this competition, seemed to be trying everyone’s patience this week, particularly her partner, Corky Ballas. Corky was attempting to teach Cloris a basic Cha-cha-cha, but Cloris didn’t seem to be taking it seriously. This forced Corky to call in George, Cloris’s “once upon a time husband.” George’s presence helped as Cloris finally buckled down and focused on rehearsals. Her performance didn’t really resemble the cha-cha-cha, and again, the physical limitations that she had due to her age was very obvious. The judges also seemed to be losing patience with Cloris, with Carrie Ann stating that they “lost Toni Braxton for this, and that’s sad.” Michael tried to be diplomatic, noting that his father had warned him not to say a bad word about Cloris. He said that Cloris “is a legend” and was very lucky to have Corky as a partner. Bruno said that Cloris was the only person who could “sell such nonsense as a cha-cha, and have people buy it.” The judges all gave Cloris 5’s for a total of 15.