Double the Dances, Double the Pressure on 'Dancing with the Stars'

It's down to the Final Five on "Dancing with the Stars"! The excitement continued Monday night as the stars and their pro partners took on two individual dances for the first time -- meaning double the pressure! Read on for the recap…


First out of the gate, football star Chad Ochocinco and pro partner Cheryl Burke danced a fine tango, but the judges were focused only on the limitations of their performance. "Learning two dances in a week really shows up any imperfections -- unfortunately Chad, that's what happened," said judge Len Goodman. Judge Bruno Tonioli agreed, "It has to be slicker," but said, "The emotional commitment was right." And judge Carrie Ann Inaba said, "There is definitely something growing here. … Next time, in your jive, I want to see that same attack; a lot more fun." All three judges each awarded the couple a 7, for a total score of 21 out of 30.
Niecy Nash of "The Insider" and pro partner Louis van Amstel danced the Viennese waltz for their first performance. Carrie Ann got serious, saying, "You really need to work on your transitions if you want to move forward." She gave them a 7. Bruno said, "Very, very pretty at the beginning … [but] you looked like you were being chased by a swarm of wasps." Still, he gave them an 8. Len countered with, "I'm pleasantly surprised." He gave them another 8, for a total score of 23.
ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews and her pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced the Argentine tango to a standing ovation, and the judges raved! "That was just so hot!" said a wide-eyed Carrie Ann. "Finally, a number that showcased your form, your most beautiful assets. … It was fantastic." She gave them a 9. "You dirty, dirty girl, I absolutely loved it," smiled Len, who gave them a perfect 10. And Bruno growled, "I never knew you could be so bendy! … You were on fire." With his 9, the couple scored a total of 28 out of 30.
Olympic skating champ Evan Lysacek and pro partner Anna Trebunskaya danced the waltz for their first outing. The judges were tough with their constructive criticism, but their scores remained high. "I'm not sure if I liked it or not -- I'd like to watch it again," said Len. "I'm in a state of flux." Bruno admired, "You produced some lines that are exquisite." And Carrie Ann offered, "Evan, you have to lose yourself in the moment. … I'm not sure if you're really there yet." Still, each judge awarded the couple a 9, for a total of 27.
For their first dance, Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger and pro partner Derek Hough delivered a fun-filled foxtrot to huge audience applause. Bruno raved, "One-and-a half minutes of pure dancing joy. … That was like a jewel created by a master. I salute you!" He gave them a perfect 10. Len smiled, "You turned it into an enchanting love story. It's irresistible. What a great dance." He gave them a 9. And Carrie Ann enthused, "You're dazzling and you're just defying my imagination. … You are challenging yourself every step of the way -- you are in it to win it!" With her perfect 10, the couple racked up an impressive 29 out of 30.
Part two of Monday night's competition was Latin themed, decade by decade, with Chad and Cheryl kicking it off with a 1960s-style jive. Len said, "It was high energy, it was fun, it was entertaining -- I thought it was good. Well done." Bruno shouted, "Chad, you definitely pimped that jive. … It's great to see you smile. … That's the way to go." And Carrie Ann offered, "It was very groovy. … The energy was a little wild at times, but I thought it suited the dance well. This was one of your better dances." All three judges each awarded the couple an 8, for a score of 24 out of 30 -- and a total of 45 for the night.
For their second outing of the night, Niecy and Louis danced a '90s-style paso doble, but the judges weren't pleased with the performance. "You threw yourself into this [but it was] a bit like an avalanche," said Bruno, who gave them a 7. "You've got two dances, they're very, very demanding -- and this was not good." Carrie Ann agreed, "It felt a bit like bumper cars … the power between you guys was out of whack." She also gave them a 7. And Len said, "Getting through the routine isn't good enough. … [The paso doble] doesn't suit you." He gave them a 6, for a total of 23 -- and an overall score of 43.
In their round two, Erin and Maks channeled the '80s rumba dressed in 'Flashdance' and "Miami Vice" gear. Carrie Ann advised to Erin, "The reason why you're not [the frontrunner] is because you doubt yourself. … You should love every minute of it." She gave them an 8. Len also awarded them an 8, saying, "I thought overall the mix of steps was great – [but] I thought it was jerky." And Bruno rallied, "I think you two make great music together. … You're dancing better and better, and I think you should be in the finals." With his 9, the couple scored a 25, with a total score of 53 for the night.
Evan and Anna had to dance a "futuristic" cha cha for their second routine, and Evan's trademark stiffness worked to his advantage this time -- for the most part. "Again, you've confused me," said Len, who was looking for the fluidity of the cha cha, but knew that the theme was futuristic and robotic. He gave them an 8. Carrie Ann said, "The stiff movement is what you were going for, and I thought it worked well." She gave them a 9. And Bruno summed it up best, saying, "It's Mr. Spock meets Barbarella in 'Cha-Cha Trek: The Next Generation.' I thought it was very inventive and very creative." With his 9, the couple scored a 26 out of 30, with an overall score of 53.
For the final dance of the night, Nicole and Derek rocked out to a '50s paso doble, which looked like a victory lap to the judges: They each awarded the couple a perfect score of 10! Bruno called the dance a "feisty, vibrant, passionate performance," while Carrie Ann was practically speechless, managing to say, "It was brilliant." Finally, Len smirked, "It's not in my nature to be nice about two dances -- [but] there was nothing I could see to criticize." Nicole and Derek's first perfect score of the season -- 30 -- pushed their overall score to 59 for the night.