Dancing with the Stars: Season 11 Week 1 Recap

Before I go any further with this hub I want to give all the readers a spoiler alert. I do talk about scores, judges’ comments and results. If you don’t want to know the specific information about the show please bookmark this hub and return once you’ve had a chance to watch the performance show and results show.

The eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars premiered Monday, September 20, 2010 on ABC. The new celebrity cast and their professional partners performed either a Cha Cha or a Viennese Waltz. Here is an overview of the performances, in the order in which the couples danced on the show.

Audrina and Tony started the show with a Cha Cha to Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.”  Audrina is the beautiful star of the MTV reality show “The Hills.”  In the behind the scenes footage we see her and Tony talking about starting the show and how this decision had him change up the choreography a bit to be a little more challenging.  The performance was nice, even though Audrina looked kind of nervous to me.  Her eyes didn’t go out over the crowd and she kept looking at Tony for approval or for hints for the next steps.

The judges thought it was a good performance.  Head Judge Len Goodman said she danced with confidence and had some good technique.  Len said he would like to see a little more fire from her and have her be a bit feistier in this dance.  Bruno Tonioli said she looked like a beautiful show pony that needed to be pushed more.  He also told her she has everything the competition needs.  Carrie Ann Inaba said it took guts to start off the entire season with a solo and that she has the right attitude for the show.  Carrie Ann did caution her to not jump into moves so it doesn’t look like a lift.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 7; Bruno 6; Carrie Ann 6; total 19/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 5th place

Retired NFL quarterback Kurt and Anna danced a Viennese Waltz.  Kurt looked very handsome and elegant if not a bit nervous.  The judges’ were split in their opinion of Kurt.  Bruno said he had a natural stagecraft and good timing, and was surprised he was light on his feet.  He told Kurt he saw great potential in him.  Carrie Ann also saw the potential in Kurt to be a great dancer.  She commented on his easy connection with Anna and the audience.  Len, on the other hand, didn’t like the performance.  He said there was very little to commend it and that it was not graceful at all.  He and Bruno got into a little bickering match over whether or not the performance was graceful, and Bruno accused him of needing rehab because he couldn’t see the greatness of Kurt’s performance. 

Judges’ Scores:  Len 5; Bruno 7; Carrie Ann 7; total 19/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 5th place 

Kyle is an actor, best known for his show “Cory in the House” on the Disney Channel.  Lacey is back to the show after taking last season off.  They danced a Cha Cha that seemed to be more mature for Kyle than his years.  I thought he had a natural enthusiasm and performance quality that was great to watch.  The judges were in agreement in their critique, with all three enjoying it.  Carrie Ann said she fell in love with him and he was her first crush of Season 11.  Len said that while he didn’t care for the beginning of the dance he did enjoy the rest of it.  Bruno called him an enjoyable, naughty puffin that he wanted to take home with him.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 7; Bruno 8; Carrie Ann 8; total 23/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 2nd place

Rick and Cheryl danced a very elegant Viennese Waltz this week.  I was a bit put off by the height difference in the couple at first, but he danced so smoothly and never bent down to reach Cheryl that by the end of the performance I hardly noticed the difference at all.  The judges liked the performance.  Len said that he had a great elegance and smoothness, and great posture so the height difference didn’t get in the way for him.  Bruno said he can’t wait to see him go toe to toe with Kurt Warner next week when they both do Latin dances.  Carrie Ann said she was blown away by his performance and that he had a grace and elegance about him.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 7; Bruno 7; Carrie Ann 8; total 22/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 4th place

Margaret and Louis performed the Viennese Waltz this week, and it was a performance I just didn’t like.  Margaret is a talented comedienne – there is no denying this fact.  However, their Viennese Waltz was filled with comedic gestures and slapstick elements that I don’t think belong in the dance.  Louis has successfully introduced comedy into his dance routines in the past, but that has always been far along into the season as a way to help him and his partner stand out from the rest.  I’m not so sure this belonged in week 1 of the competition, when the fans want to see the celebrities dance.

The judges were not happy with the choice of choreography.  Bruno said “what the hell was that?” and told Margaret that her face looked spiteful during the performance.  Carrie Ann said it was a bold choice and there is no doubting that Margaret is a lovely and talented lady but...and then left it hanging there.  Len said he was really encouraged by the start of the performance and said based on that he felt the rest of the gimmicks were not necessary because he thinks she can dance. 

Judges’ Scores:  Len 5; Bruno 5; Carrie Ann 5; total 15/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 10th place

Brandy is an award winning R&B singer, and in past seasons singers have done well on the show.  Perhaps it is because they are used to moving on stage and performing in front of live audiences.  Brandy is an example of a singer who will most likely do well on Dancing with the Stars based on her performance of the Viennese Waltz on Monday night.  Her performance was a hit with the audience and the judges.  Carrie Ann called her a very beautiful performer who has the potential to go far in the competition.  Len said that you can’t win the show in week 1, but you can make a good impression and she made a fantastic impression on him.  Bruno called it sweeping and electrifying.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 8; Bruno 8; Carrie Ann 7; total 23/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 2nd place

Of all the celebrities on the show in Season 11, Bristol probably has the biggest disadvantage.  She’s not coming into the show with a fan base, and she really has no experience at all in acting or performing in front of a large, live audience.  If her mother wasn’t a recognizable political figure she probably would not have been invited onto the show at all.  That being said, I have a bias for her this season and would like to see her do well, even though I had some low expectations.  She really was a nice surprise in her Cha Cha.  While she wasn’t the best dancer on the floor, she wasn’t the worst dancer either.  You can tell that she is really trying and working hard and wants to do well.

The judges were pretty positive in their comments towards her.  Len said that it was a very acceptable performance for week 1 and advised her to try to loosen up.  Bruno said if she works on her performance and focus she will get better.  Carrie Ann told her that she sees a future for her on the show and commented on her fantastic legs.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 6; Bruno 6; Carrie Ann 6; total 18/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 7th place

I think everyone in the audience is pulling for Florence Henderson.  As fans we always love to see the older competitors do well.  At 76 years she is by far the oldest competitor this season.  I was surprised to find out that “Mrs. Brady” has a potty mouth.  I know that the actor who plays a character is usually nothing like the character, but Carol Brady is an American Icon and I think that, whether it is right or wrong, we think that Florence Henderson is actually Carol Brady. 

Florence and Corky danced a Cha Cha that was pretty good, and better than some of the ones performed by the younger couples.  Bruno told her that she still has it, and while her performance is there she needs to work on technique.  Carrie Ann said you could tell she was enjoying herself but also advised her to work on technique.  Len said it was great entertainment, and commended Corky on the job he did.  He said it is much easier to make a 20 something, fit young woman look good than a more mature woman, and Corky was successful in making Florence look great.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 6; Bruno 6; Carrie Ann 6; total 18/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 7th place 

I really wanted Michael to do well.  I love his music and for that reason I’d like to see him stick around for a while.  Maybe the producers will let him sing during one of the results shows!  However, his Viennese Waltz was a bit rough.  You could see how nervous he was on the stage and that made me feel bad.  Carrie Ann criticized him for allowing Chelsie to lead too much during the performance and told him he did not provide the frame for her.  Len told him that while he moved well he really needs to improve his posture.  Bruno told him he was too tight, and needed to relax and enjoy the performance more.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 5; Bruno 5; Carrie Ann 6; total 16/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  9th place
 

Oh my, what can you say about Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino?  He is an overly confident young man and a member of the cast of the MTV show “Jersey Shore.”  This couple was at a major disadvantage since The Situation was unable to begin training for the show until five days before the season premier.  Their performance of the Cha Cha reflected the lack of training.  However, when it came time to listen to the critique by the judges The Situation took the criticism like a gentleman.  He made no sarcastic comments or faces or anything while the judges spoke.  This behavior might have me change my opinion of him as the season goes on.

The judges all said that they knew he only had five days to train, but they couldn’t take that into consideration when giving his score.  Len said he thinks he has potential but was obviously under-rehearsed.  Bruno said he saw a spark of something, and that it may or may not be talent, but unless he applies himself and takes it seriously he won’t be successful.  Carrie Ann also said she saw something there as well.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 5; Bruno 5; Carrie Ann 5; total 15/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 10th place 

Of all the Season 11 Dancing with the Stars celebrities I was most looking forward to seeing Jennifer perform. Her role in “Dirty Dancing” was kind of like a Dancing with the Stars story – a person with no dancing experience trains for a short period of time to perform in front of a live audience. OK, I might be stretching things there but there are similarities. Plus having returning champ Derek Hough as your partner never hurts your chances for success!

The judges loved her performance. Bruno said “Baby is back where she belongs” and told her the Viennese Waltz was beautifully danced. Carrie Ann was moved to tears, telling her that something profound happened to her while she watched her dance. Len told her the dance suited her well, but challenged her to come out strong in the Latin dance next week.

Judges’ Scores: Len 8; Bruno 8; Carrie Ann 8; total 24/30.
Place on the Leaderboard: 1st place

David and Kym were the last couple to perform this week, dancing a Cha Cha.  Perhaps the producers thought they were saving the best for last...or maybe they didn’t want to scare people and have them shut off the show if this performance was first.  It was strange.  David danced as if he was the hottest man on the planet, but his dated faux-leather look did nothing for me.  He was stiff and awkward on the stage.

The judges didn’t get his performance at all.  Carrie Ann said it was bizarre and said he reminded her of what the offspring of Donny Osmond and Jerry Springer would be.  Len told him it was never too early to panic.  Bruno called his performance a potpourri of madness.

Judges’ Scores:  Len 5; Bruno 5; Carrie Ann 5; total 15/30.
Place on the Leaderboard:  Tied for 10th place 

At the beginning of this week’s results show host Tom Bergeron said that the producers were surprised by the results.  Six couples were in jeopardy until the end of the show:  The Situation and Karina, David and Kym, Kyle and Lacey, Brandy and Maks, Kurt and Anna and Bristol and Mark.  The final two couples in jeopardy (and not necessarily the bottom two) were Kyle and Lacey and David and Kym.

In the end the first couple eliminated from Season 11 of Dancing with the Stars were David Hasselhoff and Kym Johnson.  I wonder if fans thought David had such a large fan base that they didn’t need to vote for him and voted for someone else instead.  This elimination proves one thing very clearly – if you don’t vote for your favorite couple chances are good they will be eliminated. 

The two dances that will be featured next week are the Quickstep and the Jive.  Dancing with the Stars airs on Monday, September 27th at 8:00 pm Eastern Time on ABC. 

The picture of the couple dancing the Tango above is from sxc.hu.  The photo was provided by a user named katagaci.