So we are finally at the Finals and the first round is about redemption as the couples will get another chance at a dance that wasn’t their best. Erin and Maks are up first and they get Bruno as their visiting judge. He has her work on her hip action and tries to get her to loosen up for the Samba. She and Maks dance and it seems she really came out to give it her all tonight. She’s a good competitor. Len says he’s grateful Maks didn’t take his clothes off and that Erin showed improvement from her last Samba to this one. Bruno said Erin was “hotter than noon in the tropics”. Carrie Ann said she moved up three notches and it was fantastic. They get a 10,10,9 from the judges for total of 29. I am surprised Bruno gave her the 9.
Second to perform tonight is Evan and Anna. They get a visit from Len who gives Evan pointers on the Viennese Waltz. He wants Evan to connect with Anna and focus on her. To do that he should look at her in between moves. They dance to “Piano Man” and I really enjoyed the choreography although I found Anna’s dress a little distracting for some reason. Bruno says they were good in hold and he felt sparks. Carrie Ann remarks that all the problems from the past were gone and she said it was a “beautiful, emotional, endless, enchanting dream”. Len says it was elegant but Evan’s form collapsed a little bit. They get a 10,9,9 from the judges for a total of 28.
Last to perform in this round is Derek and Nicole. Carrie Ann is their visiting judge and she wants Nicole to focus on the emotional quality of the Rumba rather than the movement quality. They dance to the “Lady in Red”. Derek lifts her at the end. Carrie Ann said Nicole softened all her edges but then she has one of her lift spazes while Len and Bruno look at her like she’s crazy. Len says he loved the subtlety of the choreography but he felt she lacked confidence at times. Bruno commented on the extreme beauty of the performance. They get a 9,9,10 from the judges for a total of 28.
Now the infamous freestyle round. Maks and Erin are up again. They decide to take a risk and do a lyrical, contemporary dance with the help of choreographer Mandy Moore from So You Think You Can Dance. I always enjoy the cross-pollinating of the two shows. They say they are telling the story of themselves in the dance. They dance to “Alone” and there’s a couch and bed as prop, so I guess as a part of their journey they experienced a slumber party together. I enjoyed it and thought it was sweet for the most part. Len aid they took an enormous risk and it was “emotion and commotion” and he didn’t love it. Bruno says she put her heart and soul into it and pulled off some incredible moves. Carrie Ann said it was the perfect choice but there was a little stumble on the bed. Maks replies that it wasn’t the bed they rehearsed on. They get a 9,8,9 from the judges for a total of 26.
Evan and Anna are up next. Evan wants to take a huge risk and he does not like Anna’s choreography for the freestyle. Anna is upset and sheds a few tears. She says the freestyle is a lot of pressure and whoever wins the freestyle, wins the whole competition. She enlists the help of choreographer Bobby Newberry to help them find a middle ground. They dance to “Footloose” and I thought it was a little too hectic reminding me of an aerobics class at times. Bruno thought Evan lost precision but is appreciative of how Evan went for it. Carrie Ann says it was “odd” and their side by side dancing didn’t match. Len said it was what neither of them wanted to do and not what Len wanted to see. They get an 8,8,8 from the judges for total of 24.
Derek and Nicole are next and usually Derek knows exactly what the judges want to see. They dance their freestyle to “A Little Less Conversation” and it included little bit of everything in it from ballroom and some other cool moves but no hip hop, which is what some people were expecting. Derek had problems with a lift at the end. Carrie Ann said it was the “freestyle we have been waiting for.” Len said he saw salsa, quickstep, jive, lindy hop and he saw fun and entertainment. Bruno says it had “dazzling creativity” and they pushed the bar really high. He said the slip at the end was because “what they tried to do had never been done before.” All the judges give them 9s for a total of 27.
I have been torn between Nicole and Evan all season but I feel that Nicole out-performed Evan tonight. It’s a shame that Evan and Anna had such a problem with the freestyle. Erin and Maks did a great job but I can’t see her winning it over Nicole. Nicole and Derek were truly fantastic the entire season, not just toward the end.
