“Dancing with the Stars” Recap: Season 10, Episode 2

I have to be honest—“Dancing with the Stars” has never been my favorite show (I’m a diehard “So You Think You Can Dance” devotee). But I will admit, I am totally digging this season of “DWTS!”

First of all, I adore Brooke Burke. She’s fun, lively and really gets the show (obviously, since she was a contestant just a few seasons ago). Much more entertaining than former co-host Samantha Harris. I loved watching Brooke, Derek Hough and Nicole Scherzinger’s three-way flirtation after the duo’s performance. Adorable.

Onto the dancing… Last night the pairs performed the Foxtrot and the Jive. Both quick, tough dances. Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas were up first with a Jive. The judges seem to be enjoying watching Doherty, but I find her to be stiff and awkward. Ballas definitely steals the spotlight from her, which I’m sure he’s not trying to do! But the choreography seemed to be too fast and too intricate for her to keep up with.

Next was Aiden Turner and Edyta Sliwinska (who, in my opinion, is the hottest pro on the show—her body is slammin!) with a Foxtrot. Turner is good. Not great, but definitely not bad. He kept up with his partner last night, which is an improvement from last week. I think he’ll stick around for a while.

Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya
‘s Jive was one of my favorites of the night. Evan Lysacek is SO CUTE. Sure, he’s got a bit of an advantage because he’s a performer. But he is an absolute delight to watch. He’s a master of keeping his upper body controlled and his presence is always just right. He’s not overly showy or over-the-top, which I appreciate. I’d love to see him win this season.

Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel
came next with a Foxtrot. She is hilarious. I loved watching their rehearsal footage. I think Louis van Amstel is a bit more serious than his partner, so I’m enjoying seeing her loosen him up a bit. I was also impressed with her femininity in this piece. She kept up with the choreography and she’s becoming a crowd pleaser. Not bad.

Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower
‘s Jive was another of my favorites. Dang, he’s cute! They’re an awesome pair. Pavelka didn’t seem to be catching on very well during rehearsal, but something amazing happened when the music came on—he got his groove on! Those microphone tricks that he opened the routine with were super impressive. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’s so easy on the eyes…

Ohhh Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa. Their Foxtrot (danced to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon”—too cute) wasn’t the best of the night. But come on, judges! A 12?! I think Aldrin is as graceful as can be at 80+ years old and Ashly Costa is a perfect partner for him. She’s so encouraging and just wants him to do his best. What more can you ask for?

Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough
‘s Jive was my final favorite of the evening. That Pussycat Doll can MOVE. Together, they’re a wonderfully sexy pair. Judge Len Goodman seems to have it out for Scherzinger a bit. Everyone loves her—Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli awarded the pair with the first 10s of the season—and I think she’ll go quite far (Top 2 is my prediction!) in the competition.

From here on, the show started to lose its momentum for me. Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy‘s Foxtrot, Pamela Anderson and Damian Whitewood‘s Foxtrot and Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke‘s Foxtrot were all fine. The “stars” all looked a bit awkward and uncomfortable executing the quick choreography, but that’s to be expected during the second week of competition. They are all capable dancers and I look forward to seeing them improve both their movement and performance quality.

Lastly, Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani‘s Jive. SHE. DRIVES. ME. NUTS. During their practice time, Dovolani was openly very frustrated with Gosselin. He probably shouldn’t have been SO hard on her—she’s not a professional, that’s the point of the show!—but her whimpering and panicking was too much for me to handle. Her stress showed in her performance, and she seemed very flustered throughout the dance.

I’m nervous about tonight’s elimination. I never quite trust America with these shows (the same goes with “SYTYCD”) so hopefully people picked up the phone to vote last night. At this point, my favorites are Evan Lysacek, Nicole Scherzinger and Jake Pavelka. Until tomorrow…