DWTS - Performance #8

I don't know about you, but I thought that was the best night of dancing so far this season!

As always, we start with the Star Stair Parade (type that three times fast). For some reason I always love this part. The moment I hear that "da da da daaaaaa, DA DA DA DAAAAAAA" at the top of the hour I have to run to my living room, plop on the couch and stare at my TV. Tonight we have Erin in a very pretty shade of blue, Chad in a sheer shirt that I swear he wore earlier this season, Nicole looking very Latin and Evan all old-school dapper. Nothing terribly offensive so far.

This is when Tom says he has a Big Announcement - it turns out that all four remaining couples have led in viewer votes at least once this season. That's actually kind of interesting, because many people consider Erin an underdog in viewer votes. Chad has the NFL juggernaut while Nicole has Derek's rabid fan base. Plus she and Evan have scores high enough to withstand most popularity contests. It'll be interesting to see how that plays into the results tonight.

On to the dancing...

Erin and Maks - First dance is the Viennese Waltz, which starts well and - OH FOR THE LOVE OF PEACHES, SHE IS WEARING PANTS. Wide-legged, sheer-covered floppy pants attached to her sparkly halter top. Why, oh why, would you put someone in pants to do a waltz? She's supposed to float across the floor, and seeing what her whole leg is doing disrupts that illusion completely. Not to mention that it essentially turns her dress into a 70s disco pantsuit. Anyway, Erin's legs are shaky with nerves and her turns are odd (I've always found them halting; you can see it in her Pulp Fiction jive, too), but overall she does well and earns three 9s. Her paso doble is much better and she has a blast dancing it, but Maks again gives her a wacked-out costume. This one is a gold lame (lam-AY, not "lame") top and cape/skirt, black hot pants and black thigh-high boots. She looks like some kind of ballroom superhero; perhaps she can deflect Len's cranky comments with her wrists? Turns out she doesn't need to - she gets a 29 for her paso, and combined with her 27 for the waltz is sitting at 56 for the night.

Chad and Cheryl - C&C (are they a Music Factory?) also start with the Viennese Waltz and, hey, he's standing up straight! It always amazes me that someone with an ego as huge as Chad's gets so hunchy when he dances, almost like he's embarrassed to be so tall. But he finally got the message and is gliding, upright, across the floor. My only problem with it is that I see very little waltz to it - mostly posing, with a little waltzing here and there. Apparently I'm the only one who thinks so, however, because the judges give him the same 27 that Erin and Maks got. Things went downhill a little for his samba later, with Chad getting 25 for a stiff and jerky routine. The salsa is a party dance - he should be having more fun than that. With their 52, C&C are at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Nicole and Derek - I always find it odd that the Argentine Tango isn't in the Latin round, don't you? Just seems like it should be since, you know, it's from Argentina. And in Nicole and Derek's hands, it's amazing. You know how much I can't stand the fact that Nicole is even on this show as a contestant, but this is a beautiful dance - mesmerizing, technically perfect, and they do their flicks and kicks as they're spinning around instead of while standing still. Good lord, that must have taken ages to perfect. They get a much-deserved 30 from the judges before trotting out later to do the cha cha cha, complete with Prince-themed costuming. I'm just thankful they didn't put Derek in the purple velvet jacket and slap a black curly wig on him. This one was fun, although I'm surprised that giving a chair a lap dance counts as a ballroom solo. With their 29 for that routine, N&D are at the top for the evening with 59.

Evan and Anna - If Evan can sing (and for some reason, I get the feeling he can't), I hope he tries out for some theater's production of The Wizard of Oz. He would be an awesome Scarecrow, because he can move that gangly body with great flow and ease and because he's completely charming. And that is how I can describe his foxtrot. Dancing to "I've Got The World on a String" I totally believe he's in love with Anna's character in this moment. He gets a 29, but is saving the best for last. And that is... a paso that absolutely floors me. I missed the moment where they said it's inspired by those insipid Twilight movies (I just love the Evanescence song they use), but that explains the weird kiss he gives her at the end - which is actually a "bite" from the vampire. It's an unbelievable routine that nets them a perfect 30, tying them with Nicole and Derek at 59.

So who's going home? It's obvious who should - Chad. I think we can all assume that Evan and Nicole have their tickets punched, so it's down to the athlete and the sideline reporter. Erin has a four-point edge, but NFL stars have been known to overcome larger point gaps in this show. I think she'll just be happy if she makes the finals, so hopefully the viewers will be enough to keep her ahead for another week.