Week 3 of Dancing with the Stars provided a challenge to the ten remaining celebrities. They needed to tell a personal story through acting and, where possible, include the selection of music. Some of the couples thrived on this challenge, while others stumbled a bit, allowing the excitement of the story to get in the way of the performance.
Hines and Kym were tied at the top of the judges’ leader board with 25 points. They did a Samba that was fun, high energy and very entertaining to watch. Hines wanted to do this performance as a celebration of her mother, a single mother who fought to give her son a better life. Bruno said that the performance was an expression of happiness and Len told Hines that he was proud of him.
Also in first place this week were Petra and Dimitry. This was a bit surprising as Petra was closer to the middle of the pack in the first two weeks of competition. The judges thought her waltz suited her and called her a vision of heaven that she danced like an angel. Her story was inspired by her experiences in the 2004 tsunami.
Two couples were tied on 23 points this week. Chelsea and Mark danced a Cha Cha to a song written for Chelsea (named Chelsea) by her first love. Carrie Ann thought Chelsea was so adorable, while Len called it her best dance yet.
Kendra and Louis were the other couple to score 23 points, and they did a Rumba that told the story of the beginnings of her relationship with her husband. Bruno called her performance nice, erotic, hot and exciting, while Carrie Ann was pleased that Kendra celebrated her sensuality and who she was in acting.
Three couples scored 21 points. Chris and Cheryl danced a rumba that was more soulful than sexy because it was going to be a tribute to her mother who died a few years ago. Carrie Ann was moved to tears. Len said that overall, Chris did an excellent job with the dancing. Bruno said there was a feeling of warmth and naked vulnerability in his performance.
Kirstie and Maks also scored 21 points. They did a rumba to Over the Rainbow that was intended to convey hope after despair. They couldn’t have been more accurate with this description because Maks suffered an injury during the performance that caused them to fall. You could see the pain on Maks’ face as he danced, but because he’s a true pro, he kept going. Carrie Ann told them that something magical happened after the fall and she could see that Kirstie was determined to top the performance. Len said that dancing is about overcoming adversity, exactly what happened in the performance.
Ralph and Karina scored 21 points for their Rumba, they danced to Ralph’s wedding song with his wife. Len said it was crisp and clean but lacked refinement, while Bruno said it was a beautiful dance but his execution suffered. Carrie Ann told her to work on her core strength to improve her performance.
Two couples scored 20 points. Romeo and Chelsie danced a rumba that paid tribute to two of Romeo’s cousins who were killed when they were very young. Len thought that Romeo took a big step back this week. Carrie Ann said that while there was original footwork, she could see that he was emotionally invested in the piece. Len said that he got to see Romeo put his heart and soul into the performance.
Sugar Ray and Anna made a big comeback this week, with the Paso Doble being their best dance yet. Sugar Ray was showing how he proved the people who doubted him wrong. He was referencing his boxing career, but I bet he was also referring to the skeptics and people who criticize his performances on Dancing with the Stars. Bruno said that he was back in business, while Len said that he fought back this week. Carrie Ann told him that he saw a lot of improvements.
The lowest scoring couple this week was Wendy and Tony. They did a Foxtrot that told the story of Wendy and her beginnings in the media and broadcasting as a DJ. Carrie Ann thought that she had taken a step back. Both Len and Bruno said that the performance lacked movement. They finished with a score of 15.
Dancing with the Stars Week 3 Elimination
Ultimately, Wend Williams and his partner Tony Dovoloni were written out of the show. His large fan base couldn’t make up for the poor ratings he received this week.
