The second week of “Dancing With The Stars 2012: All-Stars” was even more competitive than the first. During week one, former Mirror Ball Trophy winners like Helio Castronevez and Apolo Anton Ohno landed in the middle of the pack while underdogs like Melissa and Sabrina rose to the top. Even Bristol Palin out-danced Pamela Anderson. The blonde bombshell was quickly voted off. Who were the crowd favorites during week two? Keep reading…
DWTS 2012 All-Stars show featured all the most interesting Mirror Ball Trophy winners and crowd favorites from past seasons. By week two, something became crystal clear: Apolo Anton Ohno and Shawn Johnson are chasing Gilles Marini on the leader board and both better step up their sex appeal if they want to stand next to him in the semi-finals winners circle. With Emmitt Smith making a play to win the MVP award as crowd favorite, how did everyone score and what were the judges critiques of the week two performances?
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani: Melissa and Tony scored an impressive 8, 8, 7.5 after an energetic performance with a few faulty — but minor — missteps.The couple came out of the gate ready to entertain and the intention of upping the ante when it came to stage presence.
Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas: Oh that Palin girl… what can we say. Bristol and Mark tried their hardest and danced a quick step to the country song “Redneck Woman”. Bonking her partner on the head with a fake beer bottle to knock him out, she failed to impress judge Bruno. Carrie Ann sang her praised her for her act but busted her for breaking the ballroom dance rules. Len was not impressed either but claimed the routine was done in good fun. They gave her a generous 6, 6, 6 score.
Helio Castroneves and Chelsie Hightower: Helio and Chelsie did their best to bring it on week two after the race car driver was disappointed with low scores after the première. Dancing the jive, he paced himself at a lightening speed that went with his personality. Dressed in hot pink, the star celebs both looked adorable. Carrie Ann noted that last week he had been a little flat but said he picked up the enthusiasm level exponentially. Len said he had style with a smile. Bruno made mention that he brought his knees up too high but said he came down the stairs starting on the wrong foot. After all was said and done, the cute couple’s performance earned them a respectable 8, 7.5, 7.5 which left them mid-pack.
Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina Smirnoff: Apolo and Karina are emerging as one of the more fun couples on the show. Their All-Star qualities seem to help them stay focused on technical specifics while their egos won’t let them be boring in their routine. He may have 8 Olympic medals and a previous Mirror Ball Trophy but that does not make him invincible on the ballroom dance floor. Dancing the Quick Step, she looked darling in a buttercream yellow tea length ball gown. He looked dashing in a retro style pair of dark slacks, white shirt, vest, a fedora hat, and even arm bands. Len and Bruno were all praises for the pair and Carrie Ann made everyone laugh when she said, “Someone’s put on his competition pants.” They emerged as season competitors with their 8.5, 8, 8 scores.
Sabrina Bryan and Louis Van Amstel: Sabrina and Louis busted out a Quick Step that was absolutely a crowd-pleaser after the star was injured during rehearsal. All the live studio audience members were on their feet applauding. Bruno compared her to Ginger Rogers and said she was a true dazzler. Carrie Ann went crazy with praise and told her the routine was awesome. Len said what was great was she kept her upper body under control while working her legs and feet like a dance pro. There was no surprise when it came time to hear her scores — they earned a 9, 8.5, and 8.5 which actually raised the bar for the other competitors.
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Kirstie and Maksim were disappointed to have found themselves second from last on the bottom of the leader board during week one so they tried to attack their jive in week two with vim and vigor. She looked adorable in a black bob wig with a fringe flapper style dress. Maks wore white slacks paired with dropped suspenders and a black wife tank top with a gray stripe. Carrie Ann told her the routine proved age was just a number. Len called her flirty, dirty Kirstie. He loved that it was neat and precise and a great improvement over last week. Bruno called her a raunchy mama and was giggling at her wardrobe malfunction. They gave them a 7, 7, 7 score to keep her spirits up — as she’s been feeling down that she’s 61 and competing with 20-year-old Olympic athletes. Will they be the next star celebs voted off? Could be.
Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke: Emmitt and Cheryl were the best couple week one. Darling, daring, dashing, and enthusiastic he was on the dance floor and it was obvious that as dance partners they were having fun. Dancing the Quick Step, they looked sizzling hot in red. The lining on her dress and inside his tux tails matched in a sequined leopard print. Half the studio audience was up applauding his cool cat attitude while others simply clapped. Len thought the overall feel of the dance was well done. Bruno noted they frame was off and pointed out he went off-timing on the steps. Carrie Ann chastised him for not upping his game or for keeping a tight frame (something noticeably absent). Not intimidated by his competition, the football player and his pro scored a 7.5, 7.5, 7.5 for their dance during the week two round.
Drew Lachey and Anna Trebunskaya: Drew and Anna danced the jive but all anyone was really watching was her super-sexy dance outfit. Looking a mix of rock and punk, the red-haired dance pro really worked wonders making him look good. The crowd went wild, Tom was shocked, and the judges were ready to dish praise out. Bruno loved the attack but warned he went flat-footed. Carrie Ann said, “Welcome home, Drew…” She was really pleased that he brought an element of edginess to the competition. Len echoed the concerns that he had not danced on the balls of his feet the was he was supposed to but said there was just no way he was likely to end up in the bottom two in week two after such a dynamic performance. The got a 7.5, 7.5, and 7.5 — the same score as Emmitt and Cheryl.
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson: Joey and Kym wanted to focus on the technicality of their Quick Step for week two. Even though the singer is a big boy, he can still bust a move. Paired with Kym, they are so much fun to watch… her backless white gown and his Charlie Chaplin inspired suit and bowler hat dressed up their act. Carrie Ann noted that he had a great routine but that he went out of sync. Len noted all the things wrong with the dance then purred he really liked it. Bruno praised him for being a true entertainer but said that it could have been better. When Brooke interviewed the couple they said the show was all about fun and asked viewers to keep him on. They also earned a 7.5, 7.5, and 7.5 — which was a shock after the celebrity judges critical remarks.
Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough: Shawn and Derek were also in the middle of the pack week one which hurt the ego of the Olympian. Saying she could not afford to go easy on the competition and admitting it really burned her up to not be in the top three during the first week, they really danced an animated and well-choreographed jive. Cart-wheeling down the stairs in tandem to start the routine, there was just enough sparkle to make the routine passable. Len wanted more but Bruno adored the synchronicity. Carrie Ann spoke last and said Bruno was right on — then she named the cute couple the, “… All-Star sweethearts”. Telling Brooke that she’s working for a podium position she’s wearing Derek out. Laughing that he;s feeling old, he quipped, “Daddy needs to breathe.” They earned an 8.5, 8, and 8.5 from the celebrity judges — which appeared to make both of them happy.
Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy: Kelly and Val danced the Quick Step as well. She looked pretty in pink while he looked dashing in an off-white suit. During rehearsals she got really frustrated with him for not understanding the challenges of a busty girl when dancing or exercising so she retrofitted him with a hot pink push-up bra filled with water balloons and took him on a spin around the dance floor. Bruno sad the dance was very elegant and very pretty even though she messed up the footwork a little bit. Carrie Ann asked them to extend her lines more when she was out of hold. Len told her that he felt the opposite and warned her not to hunch while in hold. They gave then a 7.5, 7, and 7.5 — not the highest score, but not the lowest either. However, the most interesting thing to note about this pair is how much of a crush Val seems to have on her.
Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd: Gilles and Peta danced last during week two’s Monday night episode. He pulled a hamstring muscle on the morning of the first week one performance and his injury seemed to be getting worse. The doctor told him that it would take a week or two of total rest for it to heal. The French actor drew the Jive for week two and he did his best not to let it hinder his performance. Holy hotness, Batman — they seriously were the most exciting couple to watch of the evening! Carrie Ann bragged on his kicks and flicks. Len said the jive was fast, attacked, and was dynamic. Bruno went crazy over sexy Gilles. The celebrity judges rewarded his hard work and painful efforts with an 8.5, 8.5, and 8.5. After his willingness to push through the pain and dedicating the dance to his deceased father (who died 17 years earlier on the same night), they are likely to be front-runners after the phone in and Internet votes are tallied. Bottom line, if his legs hold out he will be the man to beat in the 2012 DWTS All-Stars competition.
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