Dancing with the Stars Week 2 reiewed by Fred Astaire Dance Studio Owner

Week Two of Season 17 is here, who will be first to leave the show?

Opening the show this week was Elizabeth and Val dancing the Samba. This was a good performance to open the show. Elizabeth showcased power and dynamic movement with a fault free performance, the only thing I would have liked to see was a softer more rhythmical look and is was a little brittle.

Total Judges Score 25

Next dancing Paso Doble was Christina and Mark. This was a non-traditional song so there choreography wasn’t what would typically expect. This weeks performance was less inhibited and that is so important when dancing this aggressive story. Christina’s outfit did not enhance her posture but she showed good quality and performed well.

Total Judges Score 25

Bill and Emma came out and danced the Jive. This had a lot of energy and Bill attacked it with a crisp leg action it was entertaining number ad Bill showed a definite improvement on his performance on last weeks show. Back in England I used to compete against Emma and I can vouch for her ability as a dancer so I like that she is focusing on showing her partner off.

Total Judges Score 21

Jack Osbourne was up next dancing the Rumba with Cheryl and I was a little surprised with the quality of his dancing. He had a very good arm extension and showed good musicality. For two weeks I am very impressed with how someone with no dance experience has progressed so quickly.

Total Judges Score 24

Keyshawn and Sharna were up next dancing the Samba. I would have liked to have seen him dance a little more as the first twenty seconds Sharna just danced around him while he was stood there. Posture and timing are things that could hold him back from going furtherin this competition.

Total Judges Score 18

Nicole and Sasha were tasked with dancing the Rumba. Technically this was ok but the idea of this show is to entertain not educate. One of the hardest things to do in dancing is create emotions purely because it takes time to get the quality needed. This routine didn’t flow and looked like ‘steps’ just pieced together rather than a story. One of the biggest myths in Ballroom Dancing is that you have to learn steps but at Fred Astaire Dance Studios we find that people have the most success dancing socially when they feel comfortable leading or following and being able to navigate around the dancefloor to the music.

Total Judges Score 20

King of Queens star Leah Rimini danced the Samba with Fred Astaire Dance Studio favorite Tony Dovolani. I felt this was an improvement on her previous weeks performance. She let loose and showed more rhythm in her body and executed a difficult routine with confidence. Tony fully utilizes his many skills to always ensure his partner learns to dance the correct way and looks good doing it!

Total Judges Score 24

The science guy Bill Nye and Tyne danced Paso Doble with a composer theme. Bill stepped up this week and improved on his dance from last week by getting into character. He danced with commitment and what he is lacking in technique he makes up with his charming personality.

Total Judges Score 17

Corbin and Karina came out kicking with a Jive. He obviously has experience with performing and has control and a good energy about his dancing. I would have liked to have seen more rhythm in the knees and ankles. It was good, but not as good as last week for me.

Total Judges Score 26

Last weeks crowd favorite Valerie and Tristan and they also performed a Paso Doble. She embodied the senorita character and did several sections by herself which shows she has good balance, control and co-ordination. She had a lot of content in this routine and to improve need to keep her focus and intensity level consistent.

Total Judges Score 19

Dancing the Rumba Brant and Peta steamed up the dancefloor with a hot performance. He actually danced his body with conviction but needs to work on his leg action to gain higher scores moving forward.

Total Judges Score 23

Emmy winning choreographer Derek Hough and Amber were selected next to dance the Jive. Derek showed how amazing he is by creating a routine that showcased her strengths and she blew me away with her speed, rhythm and performance. Her footwork could be more articulated but I feel this girl could have a chance of getting through to the final.

Total Judges Score 24

The first couple eliminated from the show was Keyshawn and Sharna. The results are heavily driven by the audience vote and it is important to have a following to help ensure your progression on the show. I think the main reason for them leaving was that he didn’t excel on the dance floor and obviously wasn’t able to gain enough votes from the public to ensure his continued participation on the show. He was very gracious and hopefully we will get to see him dance again at the season finale.

At the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Menomonee Falls we are having our Summer Sizzler event this Friday September 27th beginning at 7.30 pm. This will showcase our students dancing with their Professional Instructors which will have a similar look and feel to the DWTS show format. In addition there will be some Professional Demonstrations and the whole evening is free to the public.

For more information please call (262) 251-2000 or visit www.fadsmenomoneefalls.com

We hope to see you there!