A Night of Sassy and Sensuous Spanish Dancing on 'DWTS'

Two dancers were struck by the flu -- Mark Ballas recovered enough to take to the dance floor Monday night, but Derek Hough sat the night out, appearing on the program but with Maksim Chmerkovskiy taking his place in the competition.

First up were Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo with the paso doble, which earned them a score of 22. Judge Len Goodman thought the pair could use more chemistry, while judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued, "I think you move really, really well. I just want you to remember to go out passed your body."

Up next were singer Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff with their own Argentine tango, which scored a 24. Carrie Ann thought it was "excellent," while judge Bruno Tonioli enthused, "Aaron you've done exactly what I've asked you to do."

Football champ Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova's paso doble scored a 21. Carrie Ann thought it was her favorite dance that Michael has done, while Bruno crowed, "Your stock is rising again."

Singer Mya and Dmitry Chaplin's Argentine tango wowed the judges, who awarded them a 27. Len said, "To be honest with you, I never really know what I like until I see it, and I've got to say I liked that." Bruno said it was "precise with a great air of sophistication." Carrie Ann critiqued, however, "It was distant without an inner dialogue."

"Iron Chef" chairman Mark Dacascos and Lacey Shwimmer's paso doble thrilled the judges, earning a 26. Bruno complimented how well Mark got into character, saying, "Mark, you're turning into Mephisto, the red devil. I thought you were going to sprout horns." Carrie Ann said, "Tonight, you were in your power."

Entertainer Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson became the top scorers of the night with their Argentine tango, which scored a near-perfect 29. "The Argentine tango loves Donny Osmond and I think about a million other women at home just fell in love with you," Carrie Ann said. Len said, "It was truly your best dance," while Bruno loved Donny's dark side, saying, "It's bonanza time. Finally Donny Osmond it turning into Donny Darko."

Snowboarder Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower got a chance to show off their Argentine tango next, earning a 22. Len said, "I wasn't expecting a lot and I've been so pleasantly surprised." Carrie Ann said, "What I really like is the way you partner her. You did a great job on that."

Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas were up next with their Argentine tango, which earned a 23. Since Mark had the flu, Anna Trebunskaya helped Melissa train. Bruno commented, "You looked slightly grumpy more than sexy." Carrie Ann disagreed, saying that she "nailed her character," and added, "You had a few stumbles, but this is how you sustain the energy and the lead." Len also had supportive words for Melissa, saying, "What I like, the music was fast, it was full on, you coped with all that difficult choreography."

Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel danced the Paso Doble to "Crazy Train" (a song that Kelly's dad Ozzy made famous), to earn a score of 24. Carrie Ann said, "My little birdie, the intensity is so great. You have to stay with it, because it is all there, honey." Bruno said, "You are on it. When you're on it you can deliver. So, stay on it."

Last up, Joanna Krupa took to the dance floor for the Argentine tango with her substitute dance partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Despite Joanna taking a slight stumble, the judges awarded the pair with a 24. "I was living my fantasies up until that stumble," Bruno said. Len said, "Getting a new partner is a bit like getting a new pair of shoes, it takes awhile to get comfortable together."

To see who will get sent home next, tune in to "Dancing with the Stars" on Tuesday night on ABC.

Published 10/20/09 by