‘Dancing With the Stars’: Double the dancing, double the fun

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Now that we’re in the quarterfinals and that elusive Mirrorball trophy (“television’s shiniest honor,” according to Tom) is almost within reach, the pressure has been ramped up yet another notch: Not one, but two dances for each contestant! AND each star had to perform a 15-second solo!

But let me say first that I liked how they started the show off with a medley of the different featured dances from our pros. It gave the show a ballroom kick of fresh air and was a fun tutorial on how these dances are supposed to look. We love our celebrities, but we wouldn’t be here if we also didn’t love the dancing and love to watch it done right, right? Which brings us to the competition dances themselves — and I was pleased as punch that we got to see rehearsal footage for both dances, rather than just the first (something I didn’t remember seeing from previous seasons). And we emerged with yet another lead change on this ever-revolving board. This week, it was…

Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani, rocketing up from last week’s hairline-fracture non-entry and regaining the lead with a total of 58 out of 60. And their sultry samba won them just the second perfect-30 score of the competition! First, let me say how glad I was to see Melissa coming down the steps in the initial lineup. It would have been a little bit of a letdown had her treatments not worked after last week’s save. But I still wasn’t convinced how they were going to perform. She’s still in pain. And her Viennese waltz get-up looked like Loretta Lynn collided with the aforementioned mirror ball. Melissa herself seemed a little tentative and stiff with the first dance. They got a 27 for their routine, though Len said he wasn’t loving her feet, and Carrie Ann said there was no sense of torque in the upper body (not sure what that meant, but it sounded serious).

Luckily, they really ended things on a high note with their samba. And Melissa looked like she was fresh from Carnivale and was having a blast from beginning to end. The routine totally reminded me of Stacy Keibler’s Season 2 samba, with the shoulder shimmies and the booty shake. And, funny enough, Tony exclaimed he hadn’t had scores like that since ... Season 2 with Stacy Keibler. I thought the dance lost some steam at the end, but the judges could find no fault with it — or with the fact that Melissa suffered a wardrobe malfunction after the routine. “My boob popped out!” she gasped. Bosoms aside, Carrie Ann deemed it “flawless,” and their score sent a spiky-haired Tony (who really seemed to be mugging for the camera, didn’t he?) into a perfect-30 reverie.

Just a point behind were Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas, with a total of 56 out of 60. Had Mark followed the rules to the quickstep and remained on hold with Shawn throughout the routine, I wonder if their first score would have been even higher. Their quickstep was super fast and super fun (even with the distracting, manic “Friend Like Me” song from “Aladdin,” complete with impersonated voices. Gilles gets “Fever” and “Sexual Healing,” and Shawn has to make do with a Disney movie tune?). All three of the judges seemed to dock them on that broken rule, even though Carrie Ann said it was Shawn’s best dance ever and Bruno exclaimed that she stepped “like Sporty Spice!” And kudos to Mark for allowing Shawn to have her breakdown moment during rehearsals. Shawn, like the true Olympic champion that she is, tried to continue practice even as she was dissolving into tears. And though that may have been the norm in a Karolyi-esque gym, Mark showed a kinder, gentler coaching style and had her take a moment and gather herself before they started up again. Way to go!

And I absolutely loved their paso doble. Though I was a little nervous about the “serious” and “intense” face Shawn copped before commercial breaks. I’m sure she was trying to be hard core, but cute Shawn looked more sullen teenager than angry bull. Luckily, it didn’t translate that way in the performance. First of all, Shawn’s costume was great (and redeemed the quickstep monstrosity) -- the feathers that lined the bodice of her dress, the mesmerizing red lining on the inside of the skirt. And the eyeliner worked for Mark. And their paso was something fierce. Loved her exquisite hand movements, her intensity and their flying split leap in unison. Bruno said she was “focused and powerful like a guided missile,” and Carrie Ann not only called her “girlfriend” but also said she “delivered the drama.” Too bad Len, whom Tom referred to as “the wet blanket of the West,” said it “wasn’t overexciting” and docked them a point, leaving them just shy of perfect with a score of 29.

Also scoring a 56 were Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke. And as this couple step along lively (with outstretched arms) toward the semifinals, I wonder if this is a team that has peaked too soon. Now that we’re familiar with Gilles’ more-than-capable skills, it’s harder to be impressed with what they perform. Or maybe I’m just suffering from hot-guy fatigue. Is there such a thing, or am I talking madness? Quick, where are Len’s meds when you need them! Anyways, noodly Gilles’ dances were fine — the first was the fox trot, which he did amiably, though without as much rise and fall as Len would have liked. And his rumba — which Carrie Ann dubbed possibly the most-anticipated dance this season — was more like embers rather than big burning flame, despite that sexy roll-about on the floor that put Len’s skivvies in a bunch. Maybe it’s the costumes: Was it me, or did Gilles look the best when he and Cheryl went to the DanceSport Competition and he was wearing that simple white shirt and jacket? Maybe a black jacket with leopard-print lining isn’t the best thing ever.

And how blatant was that lingering crotch shot during rumba rehearsal? It couldn’t have been more obvious if Kenny Mayne had been there to draw an arrow to his privates. (Can’t wait for his “DanceCenter” Tuesday night, by the way! Always a highlight of every season.) Carrie Ann was right to call Gilles’ solo moonwalk self-indulgent. (And to think that there could be such a thing in this competition!) And leave it to Bruno to compare Gilles’ entrance to a scene from “Showgirls.” “It started like a scene from ‘Showgirls,’ with Gina Gershon … and then it ended up ravaged by the savage,” he said. Though coming from Bruno, maybe it was meant as a compliment, instead of a criticism. He seems like a person who would appreciate the finer points of the stripper camp classic.

Just like how when he calls you a “tramp,” he means it in a good way. Like with Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough. Lil’ Kim had the unenviable task of dialing down the raunch and delivering an elegant, flava-less waltz. And though the routine was sweet and clever, the romance was strictly platonic. Plus, I have to take issue with her outfit: She looked like she was wearing a bedspread from the Tropicana. And I couldn’t get over the whisper of facial hair that attached itself to Derek’s upper lip. Carrie Ann told Lil’ Kim she needed to extend her arms all the way, Len acknowledged the challenge of not being able to show all the “razzmatazz,” and Bruno, ever the bon mot, said “You tried to be a lady, but you’re more comfortable being a tramp.” To which Lil’ Kim unleashed one of her high-pitched “squeeees!!!”

Though I’d much prefer those squeals to another mention of the rapstress’ “bionic booty.” Yes, she shakes it like a salt shaker. Or a pepper shaker … whatever’s hotter. She knows how to use her gadunkadunk to the fullest extent of the law. But can we do a moratorium on the term, please? It just doesn’t sound right coming from Derek or Len. And though Lil’ Kim’s second dance, the samba, looked like it had some timing problems, I loved the tricks Derek put into the routine — like the backward lean down to the ground and that twisty turn with Kim crouching low and how Derek caught Kim’s neck with his leg and propped her back up. And though they called her out for losing a bit of control, Bruno said Kim’s “booty can do no wrong,” and Len, with his British charm, claimed Lil’ Kim and salsa “go together like spotted dick and custard. It’s absolutely delicious.” Um, yum? They earned a 25 for their waltz and a 27 for their salsa, for a total of 52.

Which brings us to Ty Murray and Chelsie Hightower. First came the Argentine tango, and I was proud to see Ty embrace his inner dance animal enough to be seen in a leopard-print robe during the rehearsal segment. And their routine was strong — man, that Ty can do some incredible lifts. Bruno said he needed some subtlety, Carrie Ann said he lacked breadth of depth, but Len said he thought the cowboy captured the flavor and essence and that this was Ty’s best dance yet.

If only they could have fared as well with the rumba. Of course, we all knew that the Latin dances were Ty’s Achilles heel, and this poor bull rider couldn’t shake a hip if it was attached to one of those old-school electric weight-loss belts. At a Shakira concert. But he looked like he was having fun, didn’t he? He had a goofy smile plastered on his face the entire time. Though that may have been in anticipation for his solo at the end of the routine, where he arced his arms like a matador, did some quick predatory steps toward his wife, Jewel, put his hands on his head and stiffly swiveled his hips like a geriatric stripper for her viewing pleasure. How do you not love this man and his gumption? And this guy is smart. Ty might realize that his time on “DWTS” is short, but this gaucho’s thinking long-term here. Although he received a 21 for the rumba (and a 46, total), he slyly said, “My score wasn’t great, but I’m hoping that my solo pays dividends later.” Ka-ching!

Though as much as I love this cowboy and all his rough, roguish charm, unless something freakish happens with the voting, I think this may be Ty’s last trip out to this rodeo.

And in other news, Genya Mazo was axed from the pro competition and the three remaining finalists were paired up with previous ‘DWTS’ contestants. So Mayo Alanen will be competing with Lisa Rinna, Afton DelGrosso with the attention-deficient Cody Lindley, and Anna Demidova with Maurice Greene.

What do you think? Who do you think deserves to be in the semifinals? And which pro do you want to see next season?

— Allyssa Lee