Dancing With the Stars 8 -- Week 7

The big group dance and costumes designed by the stars?!? It’s almost too much excitement for one DWTS night. Will the stars’ costumes be laughable or lauded? Could the group dance possibly be worse than last year’s hip hop number?

Actually, the costumes didn’t seem all that different than when the pros design them. Except that Edyta was far from naked, and wearing clothes apparently takes some dancing adjustment. However, since DWTS made such a fuss over letting the stars have some design input, tonight’s reviews include my non-fashion-expert thoughts on their costumes. Bonus!

Last season’s hip hop routine set the group dance bar pretty low, but I still breathed a sigh of relief when tonight's dance was over and I had no (additional) reason to be ashamed of my DWTS addiction. The mod 60s style made it easy for them to have fun, but more on that after the individual dances.

Bonus costume-added reviews:

* Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani
Argentine Tango: 29

Melissa and Tony have made the Argentine tango my new favorite dance. I didn’t see the “tiny blunder” that made Len give them a 9. Sure, he’s the actual ballroom expert, but I thought that dance should have been a perfect 30. The choreography was amazing and I could hardly take my eyes off Melissa’s legs!

Costumes: There was plenty of sparkle under the lights and red is a safe bet for a tango. Though, I wasn’t sure about that boldly trimmed split up Melissa’s backside.

* Lawrence Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska
Waltz: 21

There were some lovely moments, but enough mistakes to show LT’s dancing weaknesses. Some were costume malfunctions -- like the dress getting caught over Edyta’s face -- but most were due to LT’s missteps. I think he’s more than ready to get back to golfing.

Costumes: I either loved or hated that plum and periwinkle color combo. The floaty dress under that coat was pretty, but those criss-crossing fabric bits tangled up Edyta’s arms and my eyes!

* Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough
Rhumba: 26

I wanted to love this rhumba more than I did. Lil’ Kim had sexier hip motion in her rehearsal footage than on the dance floor. The whole routine felt restrained, but it was still lovely to watch. I can see why the judges complained, but then gave them great scores.

Costumes: What is it about the rhumba that leads to sparkly bikinis draped in a loose swath of sheer fabric? The idea of Derek’s pink bow tie was fine, but it was oddly wide and unusual.

* Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough
Samba: 27

This was Chuck and and Julianne’s best dance and the first of their dances that I’ve really enjoyed watching. Maybe his costume designing brought out some of Chuck’s latent creativity. He finally seemed more connected to the dance and less afraid of shaking his hips.

Costumes: Chuck’s pink-red shirt and orange-red pants were clashingly garish and Julianne’s fringe baby-doll covered a sparkly, sequined one-piece. For all his manly protests, Chuck has ballroom flare.

* Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower
Waltz: 24

Ty shines in the ballroom dances. He and Chelsie had lovely lines throughout their waltz. There was nothing theatrical about it. It was just a simple, beautiful dance. I will be so upset if Ty and Chelsie go home before LT and Edyta. (Quick group dance preview: We need to see Ty in more short sleeves. That cowboy is muscled!)

Costumes: Simple, elegant, pleasing to the eye. Outfits you might see at a non-ballroom formal event. They were completely in line with Ty’s down-to-earth charm.

* Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas
Cha Cha Cha: 28

It’s the classic DWTS on-the-road fake-out. It’s almost a given that when the rehearsal footage focuses on lack of practice time and shows more training angst than upcoming steps, we’re going to be wowed. Shawn and Mark were great tonight, but the best part was Shawn’s confident performance.

Costumes: I think Mark had a hand in these outfits. Either that or Shawn really knows his taste. The costumes were cute and fit the music well. Plus, Mark looked a touch silly, which he seems to love.

* Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke
Viennese Waltz: 27

Any excuse to show Gilles in a bathing suit. (Not that I’m complaining.) I do not like those hand grasping head-roll things. Not when anyone does them. Other than that, it was a gorgeous dance. Their chemistry was good, their extensions were lovely. Not much else to say.

Costumes: These outfits were classically elegant and flawlessly beautiful. I imagine Gilles and his wife make a stunningly stylish couple when they go out in his real non-ballroom life.

* The Group Dance -- 60s Style

I’m so glad they chose mod 60s over hippie 60s. It’s not that I dislike the flower children, I just prefer the mod style. This group dance was fun to watch-- I loved, loved, loved the costumes and the overall style of dance. It was such an improvement over last year’s hip hop mess that it was hard to tell if it was a great dance or just a great relief.

It was also fun to see each couple create their own "signature move". Ty and Chelsie’s was different, and Mark and Shawn’s was pure gymnastics, but it all felt right. I like seeing the couples interact and dance when they know they won’t be scored.

Side note: The group dance gave me a Sweet Charity craving, so I had to go re-watch the Rich Man’s Frug before posting. (And The Rhythm of Life, and Big Spender... Man, I love Fosse!)


Leaderboard:
29 -- Melissa and Tony
28 -- Shawn and Mark
27 -- Gilles and Cheryl
27 -- Chuck and Julianne
26 -- Lil’ Kim and Derek
24 -- Ty and Chelsie
21 -- Lawrence and Edyta

It will be interesting to see if tomorrow night’s elimination is based on dancing talent or fan base. And if they have another dance off, will it finally make a difference?