Shawn reunites with pro-dancer Derek Hough in the eighth week, as Melissa Rycroft continues ruling the competition with perfect scores.
- Nov 13, 2012
AceShowbiz - "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" paid tribute to those in the service of the U.S. in its week 8 performance show. Airing Monday, November 12, a day after Veterans Day, the episode saw the remaining contestants performing trio dances in addition to the usual couple routines.
Taking the stage first was Shawn Johnson who reunited with Derek Hough after the pro-dancer took a hiatus last week due to an injured neck. They danced a Viennese waltz which Len Goodman called "quiet and gentle ... poignant... fabulous," and Bruno Tonioli deemed "heavenly perfection." The retired gymnast earned 29.5 points.
When they returned later, Shawn and Derek were accompanied by Mark Ballas for a threesome samba. Donning tribal costumes, they got a standing ovation from the crowd, but Len and Bruno said it wasn't a real samba. Carrie Ann Inaba disagreed and gave them 10 points, while Len surprisingly gave them low 7 points. Bruno gave 9 points for a total of 26.
Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina Smirnoff danced a tango for their couple routine and earned rave reviews from the judges. "It was amazing!" Carrie Ann gushed, while Len said, "It was full-on attack and it was great." The speedskater earned nearly perfect scores of 29.5.
For the trio dance, Apolo and Karina were joined by Sasha Farber to perform a jive. Bruno said, "You conquered this brilliantly!" as the judges gave him a total of 29 points.
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced a Viennese waltz, which Len dubbed her best dance so far. Carrie Ann praised the beautiful musical interpretation, but would "like to see a little bit more difficulty in your next number." The actress got 27 points.
Kirstie and Maksim teamed up with Tristan MacManus for a winged paso doble. Bruno said, "As a paso doble, it could have been a little more refined," while Carrie Ann noted "it was a little sloppy." The judges gave Kirstie 24 points for her trio dance.
Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy also performed a Viennese waltz for the couple dance. Len said it "flowed nicely," but added, "I thought it was a little bit sharp at times." Bruno and Carrie Ann, meanwhile, had nothing but praises for the performance, which earned 28 points.
Kelly and Val got Louis Van Amstel's help to dance a trio jive. The two male dancers fought over Kelly, who ended up kissing Len, prompting the judge to quip, "I like the end." In a more serious note, he commented, "It was fun, it was fast, it was flamboyant and it was fabulous." They judges gave Kelly 28.5 points.
Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd danced a quickstep to "Danger Zone" from "Top Gun". Bruno said, "That variation in the middle was absolutely fantastic." Carrie Ann also loved it, but pointed out that there were "a few little slips in his feet." The judges gave the actor 29.5 points.
Chelsie Hightower lent a helping hand to the pair for a trio salsa. Bruno praised Gilles for "taking care of the ladies," but noted, "You lost timing a couple of times." Carrie Ann loved that he "took control over the dance floor," while Len credited him for not hiding behind the two women. Gilles got 29 points for this routine.
Another couple, Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke, danced a Viennese waltz. Len said it was "smooth," but "would've liked a little more fluidity in your arms." Carrie, meanwhile, noticed he "slipped a little bit there on that." The judges gave him 28 points.
Kym Johnson stepped out to join the pair for a trio salsa, which earned perfect 30 points. "It was like working two yo-yos at the same time... Knockout," Len gushed. Bruno also praised him, "You do it naturally, and it's great to see."
Dancing a quickstep with her partner Tony Dovolani, Melissa Rycroft got rave reviews. "It was quick. There were a lot of steps...That was the bees-knees!" Len commented, as Carrie Ann exclaimed, "You're on fire!" The TV host earned 30 points.
She also got a perfect score for a trio paso doble, which she performed with Tony and Henry Byalikov. "Jaw-dropping, whip-cracking Queen Bee!" Bruno gushed. Carrie Ann added, "I love seeing you so in control out there. You owned that paso!"
The scores from the latest performance show and last week's dances will be combined with viewers' votes to determine two contestants who are sent home this week. The results will be announced Tuesday, November 13.
