Dancing With the Stars Judges Award High Marks as Competition Narrows

Results Episode Recap, 4/7/08

Welcome, Dance Fans!

Wow! Monday's show really got off to a flying start. Mark Ballas and Kristi Yamaguchi took the floor first with a difficult paso doble routine that forced even head judge Len Goodman to admit that Kristi really never dances badly. Len also pointed out the consistency in Mark's great choreography each week. The couple scored two 10's and a 9 from the judges. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba pointed out that Mark and Kristi's performances are now setting the standard for the rest of the competitors, and we couldn't help but notice that nearly all of the other celebrities seemed intent on "beating Kristi!"

Reigning champion Julianne Hough and her partner, comedian Adam Corolla also pulled out all the stops this week in their bid to stay in the competition. Did you SEE Adam Corolla's entrance for the paso doble? He was smartly dressed as Zorro, riding a unicycle, and flourishing a cape, no less! Talk about dramatic! Julianne and newly-mustachioed Adam "Zorrolla" added flair and fun to a flashy routine (and appeared to overcome what looks to be a HUGE height difference between the two.) Judge Carrie Ann Inaba admitted she'd never seen a paso doble quite like that one before, and gave the pair an "A" for creativity. They only received two six's and a seven for the night, but they're obviously having a great time. Even Adam admits he's been bitten by the dancing bug. Having lost ten pounds, he says he's "now in it not to lose it."

One of learning2dance.com's most popular instructors, Karina Smirnoff, was determined to improve her scores with her partner, R&B star Mario. And boy, did she look fierce in that tomato-red and gold dress for the paso! WOW! The judges loved the performance, and said they could tell how much time Mario spent practicing this week. Mario and Karina scored a 7, 8, and 9 from the judges.

Jason "Sir Dancelot" Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska also pleased the audience with a smoldering Viennese waltz that left Carrie Ann fanning herself and Len exclaiming, "That was a WOW of a waltz." Jason and Edyta scored two perfect 10's and a 9 that left them tied with Mark and Kristi for the lead.

Most of the couples seemed to have really upped their game on Monday, and Derek Hough and Shannon Elizabeth were no exception Derek hurt his neck last week, so he was forced to sit in a chair and supervise Shannon's rehearsals with Jonathan Roberts taking his place. Derek withstood a great deal of pain during the week, but admirably took the dance floor with a romantic waltz so beautiful that it moved judge Bruno Tonioli to wax poetic, describing the performance as "Two young lovers meeting each other in a scented meadow - it was like spring." Len announced that he'd seen the best dance of the night, and Derek and Shannon scored two 9's and a 10 (from Len) for their performance.
Dancing With the Stars is so popular that it's inspiring people around the country to take up dancing. Even Adam Carolla is enjoying it now! And that ten-pound weight loss he's bragging about is not too shabby. Any dancer can tell you what great exercise dancing is. It works your entire body.

If you're interested in dance, but don't know how to start, visit learning2dance.com to try a FREE online instructional dance lesson. Want to support Mark, Derek, and Julianne? We've got Team Hough and Team Ballas shirts available on the site as well. Click here to check out our full product list!

Everyone wants to know about Julianne's new CD. Well, it's slated for release on May 20th. Click here to listen to her single, "That Song in My Head." You can also pre-order the CD here. For info on Julianne's upcoming tour with Brad Paisley, visit her music website at http://www.juliannehough.com Get the latest news, videos, and music from Derek Hough and Mark Ballas' band, Almost Amy, by clicking here.

After such a great night of competition, it's really hard to guess which couple will be eliminated during Tuesday night's results show. Thank you for supporting our dancers. Keep voting, and keep dancing!

Dance and Live With Passion,
Corky Ballas

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