Dancing With the Stars All-Stars Recap – Week Two

It’s time for the second round of competition in the first ever Dancing With the Stars: All Stars season!

Melissa Rycroft and her partner Tony opened the show with an energetic Jive. In a flirty 1950s-style halter top and hoop skirt, Melissa was all smiles on the ballroom floor. Len praised the couple, but Bruno was critical of their performance, prompting Len to tell him to “Shut up!” When the judges are already bickering after the first dance, you know it’s going to be a long night! Melissa and Tony received 23.5 total points out of 30 possible points.

Bristol Palin, who was voted the “most improved” by Carrie Ann last week, decided to dress up like Woody from Toy Story and perform a two-step version of the Quick Step. The self-professed “Redneck Woman” took too many creative liberties with the routine by breaking hold for a hoedown in the middle of the dance. An irritated Carrie Ann quipped, “You slammed us in the face by saying ‘I’m not going to follow your rules,’ so guess what? SLAM BACK!” Bristol and Mark got slammed with a total of 18 points, the lowest score of the night.

Helio Castroneves rocked the Jive in a glittering hot pink jacket to match his partner Chelsea’s dress. As usual, the judges praised Helio’s charming performance, but noted that it was not without flaws. The couple received a total of 23 points. To everyone’s surprise, Helio and Chelsea were one of the three couples at risk of elimination the following night. Would Helio’s charismatic smile be enough to keep him in the competition?

Apolo Anton Ohno took the lead in his Quick Step – and in the competition, at this point of the night. Dressed like they snuck into a speakeasy, Apolo and partner Karina delivered a performance Len called “gold medal” worthy. It was later revealed that Karina was the victim of an “accidental” headbutt during the dress rehearsal earlier that evening. WWE moves aside, the couple received one the night’s highest scores, a total of 24.5 points.

After enduring an injury during rehearsals, Sabrina Bryan bravely tackled partner Louie’s choreography. In a sparkly black leather corset top gown, Sabrina mastered the Quick Step and impressed the judges enough to earn the encore performance during this week’s elimination episode. Their score was the highest of week two’s competition, a total of 26, which included this season’s first “9.”

Kirstie Alley brought the daring attitude of the flapper era to her Jive in a black bob wig and black fringe dress. The dance began with a stripper pole and ended with Kirstie flirting with Len. The judges enjoyed her performance, but Kirstie and Max received the second-lowest score of the night, a total of 21 points. Undaunted, Kirstie remarked, “I think the only thing you can be in life is yourself, because that’s the only thing someone else can’t be.” When partner Max was asked what Kirstie has that the other celebrities don’t, he replied, “Maturity.” Ouch!

Last week’s leader, Emmitt Smith, made it known that he is not intimidated by the competition – namely “an actor, an Indy racer, or a speed skater,” referring to Gilles, Helio, and Apolo. While looking sharp in a red suit with leopard lining and matching red shoes, Emmitt kept his cool during the Quick Step. Carrie Ann warned that he might want to watch out for the “speed skater and the racecar driver,” but overall the judges praised his performance. Emmitt and partner Cheryl received a total of 22.5 points, and vowed to continue to put a lot of hard work into their dances.

Rebounding from last week’s near-elimination, Drew Lachey was possibly the most motivated to perform well. Drew returned to the ballroom showing off his rocker style look complete with black eyeliner, and turned out a Jive with partner Anna that prompted Carrie Ann to declare, “Welcome home, Drew.” The couple earned 22.5 points as Drew pleaded with viewers, “I’m not ready to go home yet!” Personally, I feel like he deserved a better score, but I’m partial to guys who wear eyeliner.

Joey Fatone and his partner Kym took a comedic approach to the Quick Step. Dressed as Charlie Chaplin, Joey hammed it up and really seemed to let loose. Maybe it was just the strange lounge-singer version of Radiohead’s “Creep,” but this dance was a little uncomfortable for me to watch. The judges enjoyed the entertaining aspect of Joey’s performance, but were critical of his technical mistakes. The couple earned a total of 22.5 points, but that was not enough to protect them from the danger of being eliminated.

Beginning their performance by cartwheeling down the stairs, Shawn Johnson and partner Derek took the Jive to new heights in this week’s performance. Looking equally cute in their 1950s school dance attire, Shawn and Derek were dubbed “The All Star Sweethearts” by Carrie Ann. Bruno praised their synchronicity, but Len said he wants to see more from the star, calling their dance a “just enough Jive.” With a total score of 25, they were sure to advance to the next round of competition.

Kelly Monaco returned to the ballroom last week after seven years since her winning season and impressed the judges by proving how much her dancing skills have improved. This week, Kelly looked like she had walked straight out of a fairy tale, wearing a pink ballroom gown and gliding down the steps to her awaiting prince, Val. Their Quick Step was enchanting and earned a total of 22 points from the judges. Unfortunately for this couple, a fairy tale ending wasn’t guaranteed, as Kelly and Val faced week two elimination.

The final performance of the night belonged Gilles Marini and his partner Peta. Gilles dedicated their Jive to his father, as this was the anniversary of his passing. Bearing a striking resemblance to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, Gilles pushed through the pain of a hamstring injury to deliver a dance so stunning that Bruno exclaimed, “Let the good times roll!” Gilles and Peta received a total of 25.5 points and secured their place as top competitors this season.

During the week two elimination episode, Helio, Joey, and Kelly were announced as the three contestants with the lowest combined scores. Judging by the audience’s reaction, it’s difficult to understand why any of these three would be at risk for elimination. Joey was eliminated from the All Star season of Dancing With the Stars, but he assured everyone that he had a great time – and that’s all that matters! Next week, the celebrities face new challenges by taking over creative control of their performances and facing a double elimination!