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Dancing with the Stars: Mya Peaks While Joanna Keeps Giving More!
Commentary and Rankings By RTVC Staff Writer Joseph Braverman
November 5, 2009
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Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough
Current Ranking: 1 Previous Ranking: 3
I knew Joanna was my favorite for a reason, and this week she proved it in spades. Her rumba was breathtakingly beautiful, and she never once lost steam or gave up in the team dance-off. Joanna rules this competition because of her perseverance, her love for dancing, and her drive to win the whole shebang. Rarely can such a beautiful celebrity dance the way Joanna does, but each week Joanna is looking more and more like a bred champion steed. Derek’s choreography aides her as well as it showcases her strengths both from a performance perspective as well as a technique perspective. Joanna has been the most consistent dancer since the beginning, and she ties Mya for holding the number one spot independently for two times now. There is nothing more to say other than I hope Joanna’s hard work and commitment pays off in a well-deserved win. Of anyone, she has given the most toward the competition and deserves all the praise given to her.
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Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson
Current Ranking: 2 Previous Ranking: 2
Although I absolutely felt that Donny was over-scored this week in a Quickstep he kept screwing up on, I do have to contend that Donny may be the only shoo-in contestant to enter the finale. He has the fan base, the judge’s support, and most importantly he is a showman which really draws in viewers. Technically, I don’t think he deserves to go further than fourth place, but it’s not up to me which place he falls in. I try to look objectively about where individual contestants lie, and even though my gut is telling me that Donny isn’t a winner quite yet, there is no discounting the nagging feeling that he will be guarantee for the finale.
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Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff
Current Ranking: 3 Previous Ranking: 7
Over the past three weeks, Aaron has proved that he is a serious contender as far as the judging is concerned. However, he consistently falls into the bottom, this week being his third trip. Now even though he is not a fan favorite by any means, I think it is possible for him to go to the finale. His high marks really prove he deserves to remain on the show, and if he were to leave the show’s integrity would be slightly diminished. Aaron’s jive was ridiculously amazing this week, and even though it didn’t have the finesse that Mya’s jive had earlier in the season, it still managed to be instantly memorable. I love the energy Aaron is bringing, and his attitude is always positive even when faced with the fact that he’s seen the bottom more times than probably any competitor who has made it to this stage of the competition. If he keeps up the high scores, I think he has a definite chance of making it into the finale.
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Mya and Dmitri Chaplin
Current Ranking: 4 Previous Ranking: 1
This team has fallen so far from grace, and to be honest I’m not sure I care so much about this fact. Yeah, technically they are always on their game but their choreography is flashier than should be for a dancer like Mya. It’s like her and Dmitry are trying to remind viewers that they aren’t a dull, boring team. Well, flashy lighting and gimmicks are not the right way to go about showing the dynamism of a team. The team has to have that in their foundation as a partnership, and they need to show more commitment and heart in their dances. No one is going to vote for a pair that just exudes overconfidence and coldness.
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Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel
Current Ranking: 5 Previous Ranking: 4
I am sure a lot of people are surprised that I am ranking the deemed “fan favorite” of the competition in the lowest position, but let’s face it – the low scores that Kelly get work against her in a huge way, especially at this stage in the competition. I would not be at all surprised if she pulled out a Ty Murray victory and make it all the way to the final four, but I think that most viewers will probably give their votes to contestants who have proven they can actually dance well. I’m not saying Kelly is a bad dancer by any means, but in comparison to the rest she is the obvious weak link of the bunch.
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Mark Dacascos and Lacey Schwimmer
Eliminated
Ding dong, Mark Dacascos is gone! I know there were a lot of fans out there, but I just was not one of them. It was a bit odd because in his rehearsal footage he seemed focus and almost too serious to a fault, but on the dance floor his dances seemed silly and cheesy. Yes, his dance during the dance-off was a significant improvement but overall he was just a waste of space in the competition moving forward. I am definitely glad these last two results shows have not been left in the audience’s hands, because as shown with Natalie Coughlin, the viewers are usually out of their minds.
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Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova
Eliminated
I have to give a huge round of applause to Michael Irvin. Unlike last year’s footballer, Lawrence Taylor, Michael Irvin had class and a true respect for the competition. No, he wasn’t the best, but his effort and commitment gave him a few extra deserving weeks. I think everyone, including myself to my surprise, is proud of the hard work he has demonstrated. Do I think Anna helped him with her simplistic choreography? Probably not, but here’s to Michael who demonstrated that hard work and a good attitude can really pay off.
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Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower
Eliminated
Like Simon said to a contestant on last season’s American Idol, “If you don’t care about our opinions then we won’t care to judge or save you.” My feelings are similar towards Louie Vito. If he doesn’t have the decency to even try during his dance-off, even for his partner Chelsie, who he carelessly dropped several times on performance night, than I really have no comment for his dismissal.
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Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas
Eliminated
I have to say Melissa’s elimination was a bit surprising but certainly not undeserving. Unlike Michael Irvin, she never really stood out in the personality department. She was so fixated on getting her steps right that she failed to notice how bland and boring she was coming across as during her routines. Coming into the season, I thought Melissa’s fan base would take her a long ways, possibly to the finals, but after she displayed little-to-no talent in dancing, I know her goose would be cooked shortly. She seems like a nice girl, but this show requires more than just a recognizable teenage television icon.
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Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo
Eliminated
This is the most surprising eliminations since Sabrina Bryan’s elimination in Season Five, but for some reason I understand why this happened. When I watched Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo’s rehearsal footage, I groaned in disgust. The pair has no chemistry, and Alec Mazo really weakens Natalie’s confidence in her character, because he overemphasizes the technique. When they finally performed their Paso Doble, I felt like I was watching an attempted Paso Doble in the middle of cold Russia. Not even Sarah Palin could see their passion displayed from her back yard of Alaska. It was so utterly disconnected and without any sense of emotion, that I felt cheated as a viewer. I saw Natalie become robotic, and it almost seemed like she completely gave up. I know the latter is not true because of her reaction when she announced eliminated on result’s night, but to the audience it appeared that she had all but thrown in the towel. Natalie is still my favorite Olympic champion to compete on the show, but I wish she had a better, more likable partner. Alec Mazo was a complete disservice to Natalie, and I think he is what ultimately contributed to her early demise. In fact, I would have placed Natalie second to last, above either Michael or Louis, if she had remained in the competition, because this week she fell from grace. I just did not realize she would fall completely off without a chance of recovery.
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Chuck Liddell and Anna Trebunskaya
Eliminated
Wow, I hate to say this but I’m actually kind of shocked at Chuck’s early ouster. I am relieved that he is gone; there is no doubts about that, but man oh man, way to surprise me America. I just cannot believe the fighter’s fans let him down, especially since he was not even in last place with the scores this week. From a dancing perspective, it was definitely Chuck’s time to go, but I thought for sure the fans would keep him around for a very long time. I guess America pleasantly surprised me. Or the more likely reasoning is that fans assumed Chuck was safe and forgot to vote for him. I sure assumed, so I reckon other viewers out there did as well. I’m sure there are some who will be outraged at this earlier-than-expected elimination, but I say thank god the integrity of dancing is being maintained by America. Now they just need to get rid of Louie and Michael, and I will be thoroughly satisfied with the level of talent in Season 9.
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Debi Mazar and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Eliminated
Just as I predicted, Debi Mazar would be the next celebrity eliminated from the competition. I think she had the potential to be a sleeper on the show, but ever since episode one, her nerves have been as palpable as Maksim’s arrogant persona. They kept interfering in all of her routines despite her improvement in the technique department. It didn’t really help her case that she was partnered with bad boy, Maksim, and her fan base was never going to be a determinant factor to help her throughout the competition. All the odds were stacked against Debi in DWTS that it was evident sooner rather than later she would be hitting the road. I enjoyed Debi’s charming disposition when she was not dancing, and I wish her all the best of luck in her future endeavors.
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Tom Delay and Cheryl Burke
Withdrew Due To Injury
Tom Delay, we can be friends – we really can be! As a competitor and hard worker, I had so much respect for Tom this season. He gave it his all each and every time, and actually was a commendable dancer in some instances. I particularly liked how he respected Cheryl from the very beginning, which showed he was a gentlemen and greatly appreciated the help of the professional, something I think a lot of celebrities don’t anymore. Even more amazing was him, in front of millions of American viewers, attempt the samba while he has two severe injuries in both of his feet, preventing hardcore dance competitors from even trying that out. I give him major props for that. Like I said earlier, Tom is the type of competitor I would much rather see on the program than Cloris Leachman or Master P, and I wish him all the best in his recovery. I look forward to see him do his country two-step on finale night!
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Kathy Ireland and Tony Dovolani
Eliminated
Thank you voters for getting rid of the beyond-creepy Kathy Ireland! It may have been one week too late, but I’ll take one week late than more weeks of the creepiness. Kathy is probably a good mom and has a sweet disposition, but her “God made me learn how to dance” spiel as well as her robotic/pageant-like dancing and personality made me an anti-fan from dance one. I feel bad for Tony, because he really needs a partner he can win with (should have been Melissa Rycroft last year – yes I’m still bitter!). All in all, I am very much in agreement with the American public of their dismissal of Kathy “God Made Me Dance” Ireland.
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Macy Gray and Jonathan Roberts
Eliminated
Macy Gray is the only elimination I kind of felt was undeserved. Granted, she was never going to win this competition in a million years, but what’s wrong with a few screwball weeks of comedy. If America tortured us with Cloris Leachman, at least they can have us spend some time with the wacky and wild Macy Gray, who seemed a lot more entertaining than the Leach. I’m going to miss Macy’s “Crack is Whack” vibe.
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Ashley Hamilton and Edyta Sliwinska
Eliminated
Yawn…was this a shock to anyone? I think it would have been if Ashley hadn’t gone. The guy was a total bore, and he lacked any kind of dance skill or coordination. He was nice, but in this case a nice needed to finish last. I feel bad for Edyta. Other than Joey Lawrence and Jason Taylor, she’s never truly had an amazing partner.
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So those are my rankings for the remaining five celebrities still on the program.
Thank you everyone for reading! Feel free to email me, and by all means take advantage of our comments section, and post your opinions!
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Joseph Braverman is a 20 year old film student at the University of Santa Cruz,
California. Aside from being a reality tv junky, he loves reading, watching
films, and spending time with friends and family. You can contact him at
Joseph@RealityTVCalendar.com.
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