'Dancing with the Stars' recap - Week 3 Performances

This week begins the theme-related dancing where the celebrities had to dance about memorable years. While most of them tried their best to actually pick songs from the year they mentioned, others like Rob Kardashian had to stretch to get a song to fit his story. With the concept of themes introduced, there are several genres of dance, though most were dancing the Rumba.

Rob & Cheryl - Foxtrot - While Rob is happy about his last week's improvements, he instantly remembered the loss of his father in 2003 when he was 15. He danced to "Fly Me to the Moon" which was a nod to his father. Cheryl wanted to make sure that he still had a frame while being goofy. The opening was simplistic, but it allowed the couple to get into hold really quickly. Rob looked rusty when he wasn't in hold, but he's improved in the past three weeks. He needs to work on where his arms go when he's not in hold. While I liked the use of the stairs at the end, it was a waste of time.

Len appreciated the posture and footwork; he knew that Rob Sr. loved the performance. Bruno liked the playfulness with the dancing and was reminded of Guys & Dolls. Carrie Ann liked his genuine progress. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

Chynna & Tony - Rumba - Chynna was criticized for playing her jive too safe. This week, Chynna explained that 1990 was her most emotional moment when Wilson Philips released "Hold On," which was actually a song about making a change in her life. Tony wanted to incorporate some of the lyrics as dance steps. Chynna wanted to make the song perfect because of how much she thinks about the song and stressed herself out. The opening was really pretty with the split. Chynna had a smooth nature to her body. Their rumba benefitted from Chynna almost dancing the lyrics to her song instead of singing it; she's obviously not an actress, but she did her best.

Bruno called her a smoldering siren and loved her body shapes and lines. Carrie Ann called her stunning and compared her to butter. Len thought that Chynna would make it weeks; he thought she brought the level up. Score: 26 (8,9,9).

Chaz & Lacey - Rumba - Lacey tried to explain that the rumba was just a slow cha-cha. I'm upset by the blanket statement, but the cha-cha, rumba, samba, paso doble and jive all fall under the Latin category. Chaz thought that this year was his most memorable and picked a song that his father performed. Chaz knew that he had to make motions sexy, but had to be comfortable first. Chaz began by getting rid of that tacky jacket. Luckily for the dance, Chaz didn't have to put high impact on his knees and Lacey did a lot of the sexy work; there was an obvious point where Lacey danced around Chaz and he just stood there.

Carrie Ann was impressed by Chaz's courage, but he looked really distracted. Len thought the rumba was his best dance and loved how he was a fighter. Bruno knew that Chaz was endearing, but he lacked the continuous motions of a rumba. Score: 18 (6,6,6).

Kristin & Mark - Samba - Kristin thought that 2005 was her most memorable moment where she graduated from high school. She dreaded the samba and wanted to get it over with. Mark wanted to push her as hard as possible and make sure she's memorable. As the couple danced, I realized that this song is overused on this program. Mark's over-dancing didn't help Kristin's really bad "playing with hair" dance move. I didn't like the "Single Ladies" choreography in the middle of the song and there were many parts where Kristin looked like she was being dragged around by Mark.

Len disliked the Beyonce-esque moments and said they weren't needed, but the other 80 percent of the dance was great. Bruno gave the dance a big yes. Carrie Ann was impressed by the difficult choreography. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

Carson & Anna - Tango - While Carson felt like a loser, the two continued to push hard. He chose No Doubt's "It's My Life" because in 2003, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy just started, and Carson got to be himself. He knew he was a dork as a kid and was stuck in the closet; but he was proud of what he became. Anna choreographed the dance from a fashionista's point of view. The dance started with a red carpet theme that was better incorporated than Kate Gosselin, but the dancing was only a few steps above hers. Carson's face was hysterical to watch. Carson tried his best to keep with timing and attempted some bold choreography. I loved the epic shoe ending.

Bruno thought the dance was brilliant and crazy. Carrie Ann loved Carson because he was dramatic and had an improved shape. Len called the performance flamboyant and he had the right technique for the dance; he enjoyed the dance. Score: 23 (8,7,8).

J.R. & Karina - Rumba - He explained that the year he was injured (2003) was his most memorable year. He thought that he would have been better if he wasn't alive and cried at night. He performed to "If You're Reading This" and dedicated it to everyone that didn't make it home. Karina started in that Ghost-like moment. J.R. had some nice shapes to his body as they danced. There was a minor lift, but it was because J.R. accidentally lifted Karina a bit too high. I liked Karina's choice of choreography, which had this sense of longing with the way she positioned herself next to J.R.

After a long applause for J.R. Carrie Ann was choked up and thought he did an extraordinary job; she called the dance honest. Len thought that J.R. was setting the standard; he thought the arms needed more musicality. Bruno thought he was a hero, dancing from his heart. Score: 26 (9,8,9).

Nancy & Tristan - Waltz - Nancy explained that "Moon River" was both her wedding song and her first lullaby for her children. The birth of her children was a big challenge in her life because they struggled to live. Tristan tried to put some movements that were dedicated to Nancy's children. Nancy had to shuffle to keep her shorter legs matching with Tristan, but tried her best to have as much grace as possible. I thought the choreography was a bit boring, but Tristan did a good job making Nancy look good.

Len suggested improving her posture, but she did show the emotion of the dance. Bruno thought it was soft and dreamy, but needed to work on her extensions. Carrie Ann thought that it was a live action Disney film because of the tenderness. Score: 21 (7,7,7).

Ricki & Derek - Rumba - Ricki's memorable year was 2010 because after her divorce, her house burnt down, but she found a wonderful man. Her song was "Gravity" and hoped that it reflects the early relationship struggles she had. After having the intense smoke machine churn out the clouds, I liked the undertone of the drums in the song. I liked the acting and the sensual choreography; her trust as she dropped into Derek's arms was amazing.

Bruno thought every step was expressive and essential. Carrie Ann thought Ricki was on fire. Len congratulated Derek's choreography and Ricki for doing a great job. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Hope & Maks - Cha-Cha - Hope lacked synchronicity last week. The year 2011 was her most memorable because she made it to the World Cup. Even though the team failed, she learned from the experience. They danced to "Tonight" which was the Soccer team's mental prepping song. Maks tried his best to get the sexiness out of Hope. The beginning with the chair was a little stupid, but it tried to make Hope look as sexy as possible. I wasn't a fan of Hope's occasional pouting as she danced, as if she put the emotions through her lips. She's still awkward with her sexiness, but the overemphasized skirt helped cover it up. Her timing was a bit off near the end and she ended up smacking her hand into the lighting rig right at the end.

Carrie Ann thought the dance was sexy, but she needs to be like a Pussycat Doll. Len thought there were parts that were too provocative, but the cha-cha was decent. Bruno compared Hope to a panther. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

David & Kym - Rumba - David was shocked that he was in the bottom two. He picked 2010 as his most memorable year because of how much he fell apart and turned to alcoholism. He's grateful at looking at himself for his daughter. He dedicated his dance to his child. Kym explained that the dance was about love, so she wanted to make sure he was telling the story. The graphics department had a fun time recreating a rainstorm turning into sunlight. The dancing was a great improvement from last week, even though he was still rusty with some of his hip movements. I liked how he kept the emotion of the song throughout his face.

Len liked the combination of motion and emotion. Bruno loved the sensitivity of the dance. Carrie Ann thought the dance was a comeback; his raw emotion was pure magic. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

Final Scores:

High
Ricki & Derek - 27 (9,9,9)
Chynna & Tony - 26 (8,9,9)
J.R. & Karina - 26 (9,8,9)

Middle
Kristin & Mark - 24 (8,8,8)
Rob & Cheryl - 24 (8,8,8)
David & Kym - 24 (8,8,8)
Hope & Maks - 24 (8,8,8)

Low
Carson & Anna - 23 (8,7,8)
Nancy & Tristan - 21 (7,7,7)
Chaz & Lacey - 18 (6,6,6)

It seems like the judges want to get Chaz out of the way, possibly to bring back a marathon, group, or team dance for next week since he lacks the knees to keep competing.