Dancing with the Stars: Halfway (Week 6)

For the first time this season French actor Giles Marini and his professional partner Cheryl Burke do not hold the top spot on the leader board. As the competition on “Dancing with the Stars” reaches the halfway point Giles and Cheryl find themselves tied for third place with gymnast Shawn JohnsonShawn Johnson and Mark Ballas. The top spot this week was taken by rapper Lil Kim and Derek HoughDerek Hough who after going cruisin’ fifties style performed the popular fifties dance the jive to a good old fifties rock and roll song “Jailhouse Rock” that had Carrie Ann screaming and calling the performance amazing and mind blowing. Bruno told Kim and Derek “I’m guilty, arrest me”, and added, “you rocked”; while head judge Len Goodman, ever the traditionalist, said that they got carried away with the theatrics and that the dance was fun and energetic but lacked the jive. After their jailhouse jive Kim and Derek took over the lead with a score of 28.

Former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Melissa Rycroft continued to please judges with her dance earning a 27 for her rumba with Tony Dovolani that Bruno called fabulous; but while Len Goodman said the dance was clean and precise Melissa needs to cease bringing her ballet style moves to her performances.

Teenager Shawn Johnson danced a rumba with partner Mark Ballas that judges agreed was age appropriate. Bruno called Shawn’s dance beautifully pure and angelic. The rumba is a sultry, sexy dance that exudes romance and passion. Carrie Ann said that she felt the rumba was a difficult dance for the 17 year old Johnson.

Tying Johnson with a 26 was Giles and Cheryl whose jive was called frantic by Len Goodman. In a dance that not only used the whole dance floor, Giles and Cheryl used the stairs nad upper stage as well. Giles deserved a 10 for his jump from the upper stage to the dance floor that would be the envy of a broad jumper.

Love birds Chuck and Julianne Hough performed a rumba that went beyond passion. Len Goodman remarked that some of the dance moves were more suited to the bedroom than the ballroom. The dance that earned them a 23 had Carrie Ann fanning herself and Bruno saying Chuck and Julianne had turn on the raunchy factor.

After a visit from last season’s runner up and fellow football star Warren SappWarren Sapp, Lawrence TaylorLawrence Taylor scored his best score this season with a 22 for his jive with partner Edyta SliwinskaEdyta Sliwinska. In the past judges have chided Lawrence for his inability to keep the rhythm and timing throughout the dance…until now. Bruno praised Taylor fir keeping in time the entire dance.

Dancing rodeo champ Ty Murray and partner Chelsey Hightower opened the show with a jive that resembled a country line dance. Ty and Chelsey earned an 18 for a dance in which Len said Ty always gave it his all and was a charmer.

The bottom of the board once again belonged to daredevil Steve-OSteve-O and partner Lacey Schwimmer whose rumba earned them a score of 16. The dance had judges scores ranging from a four from Len who said that you can’t confuse movement with dance to a seven from Carrie Ann who found herself mesmerized by the performance. Bruno, who gave them a five said thank god for racey Lacey and called the dance bad.

Along with the results of the vote and the new dance off are performances by the award winning band Rascal Flatts and members of the cast from “West Side Story”.