Dancing with the Stars: Jason Taylor, The Mambo King!

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Dancing with the Stars: Jason Taylor, The Mambo King!

March 24, 2008 08:55:25 by Jennifer_Brown

It’s the first chance for all 12 contestants to dance together tonight, on Mambo and Quickstep Night!

First up are Steve & Ann, dancing the mambo. During rehearsal, Anna, who worries that she’s too hard on Steve, brings in her mother — Irina Trebunskaya — for help. Steve works up “a little bit of rhythm and a little bit of love,” calling it a “Macho Mambo Combo.” But the judges aren’t feeling the love. Len compares Steve’s dancing to his own cooking skills (can you say “spotted dick” on TV?!), and says Steve’s dance “just didn’t really work.” Bruno complains that Steve put all of his energy into facial expressions and forgot his body. Carrie Ann says, “It wasn’t your best, but you guys look cute.” They score a 16, bringing their overall score to a 34 out of 60.

Next up are Cristian & Cheryl, dancing a quickstep. In rehearsal, Cheryl brings in a military uniform to help Cristian concentrate on posture. Carrie Ann calls Cristian “a whole new person.” Len says the dance “had a little bit of wildness about it.” Bruno says he liked the gangster persona and calls the performance “good.” Cristian & Cheryl score a 20, giving them a combined score of 41 out of 60.

Next to take the stage is Monica, with her partner, Jonathan. The couple is planning to dance a mambo, and Monica worries about her lack of ability to put on a sexy facial expression. Monica has to travel to Japan for a prior engagement, and drags Jonathan along with her, so they can practice long into the night. Bruno criticizes that Monica “didn’t connect with the music.” Len says, “You tried your hardest but there are so many technical problems at the moment.” Carrie Ann, Monica’s sole trumpeter, says, “You came out and you attacked it!” Monica & Jonathan score a 15, bringing their total to 30 out of 60.

Penn & Kim take the stage next, with a quickstep. In rehearsal, Kim tortures Penn with a posture bar, but Penn won’t let that spoil his fun. He comes out on stage with a little trickery — a Bruno voodoo doll and a trick tie. “You convinced me that you were having a go at a proper quickstep,” Len says. “The footwork was really, really, really bad!” Bruno complains. But Carrie Ann says, “I like you out there.” Penn & Kim score a 17, giving them a combined score of 33 out of 60.

Next up are Priscilla & Louis, with a mambo. Priscilla worries too much about perfection, but says, “I think mambo can be sexy at any age and I’m going to prove that tonight.” Carrie Ann tells Priscilla, “You’re so glamorous and so sexy!” Len called the dance a little too precise, but Bruno says it was “very good.” The judges give Priscilla & Louis a 21. Their combined score is 45 out of 60.

Next on stage are Shannon & Derek. Shannon worries about dancing the quickstep, as she has no cardio stamina. Derek responds by making her jog. Bruno’s assessment of their dance: “That’s what dancing’s all about! This is what we want!” Carrie Ann says Shannon’s posture is great and footwork is fantastic. Len calls it “the best dance so far tonight.” They score a 24, for a total of 45 out of 60.

Jason & Edyta are up next, with a sexy mambo. Jason’s not big on the dance, but promises, “I’m going to turn up the heat!” (Um…he does…I’m still having palpitations…). Len cries, “You’re a winner!” Carrie Ann concurs, saying, “I think you’re a real contender. You’ve got a great shot at winning this thing!” Bruno sums it up by calling Jason “The Mambo King.” Jason & Edyta grab a 27 for their mambo, bringing their total score to 49 out of 60.

Next on the floor are Marissa & Tony. In rehearsal, Marissa is tearful, sad because she “messed up” last week, and because she can’t do some of the things some of the other ladies can do. Tony talks her up, reminding her that “performance” can’t be taught and she’s got the lion’s share of that. They dance a quickstep. Carrie Ann says, “You’re just so much fun to watch,” but admits being disappointed that their synchronicity was off. Len calls Marissa “lovely and bubbly.” Bruno finds the dance to be a huge improvement over last week. Marissa & Tony score a 21, for a combined score of 39 out of 60.

Adam & Julianne are next up with a mambo. Adam struggles, but makes the dance fun with his jokey personality. “You’re not a natural dancer but you made me laugh,” Bruno says. Carrie Ann calls the dance “entertaining,” and Len says it’s “brilliant!” The judges give the dance a 19, for a total of 34 out of 60.

Next to take the stage are Marlee & Fabian. The couple will be dancing the quickstep, which means they won’t be able to rely on eye contact like before. Len says Marlee has the “potential to go a long way.” Bruno says she has “incredible stage presence,” and Carrie Ann says Marlee has “natural musicality.” The dance scores a 24, for a combined total of 46 out of 60 for Marlee & Fabian.

Kristi & Mark have a lot to live up to, having scored the highest first round marks in Dancing with the Stars history. Kristi is wary of the mambo, finding loosening up “embarrassing.” Mark wears a skirt in rehearsal to help ease her out of her shyness. Carrie Ann claims to be “boggled” by Kristi’s precision. Len cries, “You’ve done it again!” and Bruno concurs, saying, “It’s incredible what you do.” Kristi & Mark score a 27, for a total of 54 out of 60.

The final quickstep of the night belongs to Mario & Karina. Mario, feeling the pressure after having such a good night last week, says, “It’s all about the feet.” Karina even takes him to the beach to work on his footwork in the sand. Bruno calls the dance “charismatic,” while Len says Mario needs to work on his hold and his finesse. Carrie Ann liked the dance’s “vibe.” Mario & Karina score a 26, for a total of 50 out of 60.

Tomorrow night the scores of the judges and the callers’ votes will determine who will go home in a double-elimination. Someone will be sent home right away, when the show opens at 9:00 PM (ET). Also, there will be performances by the Jonas Brothers, and word has it Dancing alum Cameron Mathison will be hitting the streets of New York for a little Dancing talk.

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Photo Courtesy: Kelsey McNeal/ABC

Topics: Dancing with the Stars |

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