September 12, 2006: They Feel Like Dancing
Loved the new bigger and better set. The chandeliers and balcony seats add a kind of theater glamour to the show.
Tom Bergeron was back in top form with his snappy comments, proving he's one of the best reality-show hosts out there. And the judges were back to bickering amongst themselves in no time. As for the new crop of stars, some lived up to expected awkwardness, while some surprised.
Let's start with the top of the pack:
Mario Lopez. Sure, I expected A.C. Slater could dance well; after all, he had some pretty killer moves back at those Bayside High dances. But I never expected his dancing to be that good: those hips, those feet, those dimples. Did I mention his dancing was really good? He has the lean body of a dancer, and could almost pass for one of the professionals. And right on his heels in the competition was
Emmitt Smith. After fellow football great
Jerry Rice made it to runner-up in the competition last year, it should be no surprise that football players can dance. But Emmitt's natural ease on the dance floor was mighty impressive. And his hip action was terrific. And while he wasn't exactly in Mario and Emmitt's league,
Joey Lawrence gave an energized performance and showed he has some good moves. I'm still getting used to his new look, and I was a little worried that his new Rambo-style build would make him top-heavy and therefore not light on his feet, but he proved me wrong.
Also very good:
Vivica A. Fox. There was a lot of talk about how she was the oldest female competitor, but I think she showed everyone that age doesn't matter. She was sexy and confident and bested her younger female competition. Not that they didn't put up a fight:
Willa Ford also gave a seductive performance, and young
Monique Coleman was very graceful.
Shanna Moakler's attempt at the fox-trot was so-so, but she does win hands down for costume with the most distracting fringe. As for
Sara Evans, she gave the quietest performance of the night. There were moments of grace in it, but her nervousness seemed to overtake her most of the time.
And now onto the disappointment of the evening:
Harry Hamlin. I really expected more from Mr.
L.A. Law, as did the judges. He's got a great build for dancing, and he had the benefit of watching his wife,
Lisa Rinna, go through this experience last season. And yet, he was extremely stiff and ill at ease.
Last but not least, there were the class clowns:
Tucker Carlson and
Jerry Springer. It's hard to call what Tucker did "dancing," since he sat on a chair for most of the number. Then he sort of walked. But he gets points for having a good time out there. The man didn't stop smiling. Oh, and he also gets points for ditching the bow tie during the performance. And Jerry... was not as bad as Tucker. He actually moved on the dance floor. As
Bruno Tonioli said, it looks like Jerry's trying to be this season's
George Hamilton (only a less debonair version), and relying on that humor angle could carry him for a few weeks. Plus, it's sweet that he's learning to dance for his daughter's wedding.
If there's any justice, Tucker will be the first one going home. But, just as people like to see bad singers stick around for a while on
American Idol, I think they also enjoy seeing bad dancers embarrass themselves. So I think Tucker might stay, with Sara perhaps being the first one sent home.
