'Dancing with the Stars' Recap: Week 8 Performances (Instant Choreography)

We're finally at the point where the contestants have to deal with two dances and we met the return of the Instant Dance. The Instant Dance is themed to Jive this year, so I'm convinced they are trying to get someone to fall from not knowing choreography. Will anyone rise to the occasion? We started the night with the individual dances.

Round One - Individual Round

Rob & Cheryl - Quickstep - After having positive feedback from the Tango, Rob was worried about the speed of the challenge. Cheryl wanted to make sure that there was great posture, good speed, and keeping his bottom in. During the practices, Cheryl was tougher than ever trying to make sure Rob succeeded. The dance started off a bit awkward with Rob's solo dancing, but when he got into hold, Cheryl kept him in the right areas. I appreciated the big smile throughout the dance and there wasn't anything blaring about Rob's choreography.

Len thought that the opening was terrible, but the hold was amazing. He kept his butt in check. Bruno compared his quickstep with a drag race and thought his lines have improved. Carrie Ann thought that he's evolved through hard work. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Hope & Maks - Quickstep - The judges claimed an improvement, but with the quickstep Maks wanted to make sure the two were communicating better. The two may have become too competitive, while Hope became more insecure about the dancing. Maks tried to be gentler so the two went to have dinner with Maks' family, including Val. Hope's broken umbrella was upsetting but in hold Hope was decent. There was a point where Hope looked like a doll out of control, but she kept her chin up. There were some motions where I wished that Hope was more graceful but she survived.

Bruno thought that Hope was re-energized and moved better than ever. Carrie Ann gave Hope a hug in appreciation. Len appreciated the speed and control. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Ricki & Derek - Waltz - Ricki wanted to make sure her shoulders weren't riding up. Derek tried to continue with her shoulder issues and Ricki stressed herself out. Ricki got a chance to talk with Jennifer Grey and Jennifer calmed her down. The couple looked graceful as they covered a great amount of area as Ricki looked light on her feet throughout the whole dance. It was so beautiful that I was left speechless.

Carrie Ann saw a minor stumble at the end, but her shape was beautiful. Len thought it was gentle and beautifully executed; he warned her about her footwork. Bruno thought the dance was dreamy and soft. Score: 28 (9,9,10).

Nancy & Tristan - Tango - After falling from Grace Nancy knew that she had to come out fighting. Tristan wanted a story about a love/hate relationship. The two complained about their communication between each other, but Nancy decided to channel her energy into the spirit of the dance. The two were surprisingly better than I expected but Nancy's footwork occasionally wobbled as she danced. There were moments where she was off-timing, but she put all her focus in the dance.

Len thought that Nancy's finally improved. Bruno was shocked by the improvement. Carrie Ann loved the spirit of the dance, but the dance was clean and sharp. Her toes needed to be pointed. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

JR & Karina - Waltz - JR's tango suffered and he was upset with himself. Karina wanted to make sure that the waltz was perfect, but JR was giggling too much during practice. The two made sure that every detail was perfect. The two looked beautiful doing the waltz, but there were a lot of times were Karina was doing all the work for them while JR just had to frame her. I liked JR's ground slide.

Bruno thought that JR danced with his heart on his sleeve. Carrie Ann loved the natural grace of the dance. Len knew that the dance was a battle and he fought hard. Score: 30 (10,10,10).

Round Two - Instant Dances (Jive)

Rob & Cheryl - "Maneater" - Cheryl explained that Jive has the same tempo so they could practice with other music. While the couple had the jive in week two, Rob's stamina struggled. Rob began the routine on the judge's table and wasted the first few bars clapping. Rob stumbled a bit but the rest of the routine was decent. The couple struggled with a bit of timing but did decent

Len saw a few incidents and suggested flicking his feet better. Bruno thought that his arms have improved. Carrie Ann liked the seamless transitions of the dance. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

Hope & Maks - "The Best Damn Thing" - Maks wanted to make sure there was a good choreography throughout the routine. Hope wanted to make sure that she improved from week two. Her problem was the lack of counting skills. The two had better kicking than in week two, but I thought the content was a little lacking. The dancing was spirited and fun, but I'm a bit confused as to why the two kept dancing even with time ran out.

Bruno thought that Hope was wild but she needed to stretch the back of her knees. Carrie Ann thought there was improvement from the last jive, but her hands looked a little crazy. Len thought the dance was great and Carrie Ann and Bruno were crazy for not seeing it. Score: 25 (8,9,8).

Ricki & Derek - "Land of 1000 Dances" - Ricki hoped that the jive was good since she did well in week two. Derek's technique was to choose a whole ton of different songs with varying tempos to make sure Ricki was calm under pressure. They spent time clapping in the beginning but produced content all the way until the end. The swinging body in the end was a bit redundant but fun to watch.

Carrie Ann saw a few moments where she had to stop and start up again. Len thought that she coped with the dance. Bruno thought there was very demanding choreography, but her lack of flow was a problem. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

Nancy & Tristan - "Upside Down" - Nancy was stressed out by how much the dancing happened. Nancy wanted redemption after having the jive last week. She knew that she wasn't the youngest and most athletic, but was ready to fight. Tristan wobbled over Nancy in the beginning and it took Nancy some time to find her rhythm. She lost the choreography several times, but tried to have as much as fun as possible. She basically pleaded her way into decent scores by trying a cartwheel.

Len thought that this was Nancy's time to go home. Bruno thought there was a lack of energy and sharpness. Carrie Ann knew that she got lost in the choreography, but she had strong trust in Tristan. Score: 20 (7,6,7).

JR & Karina - "Tutti Frutti" - Last time, JR wanted to make sure that their jive was pure jive instead of Lindy Hop. Karina decided to make four different sections that could be shuffled around when they got the music. The routine looked stunning in comparison to the rest of the competitors and Karina's plans worked really well.

Bruno thought JR was like a rocket, his timing and kicks were great. Carrie Ann thought he was in a class of his own. Len thought he had the most fantastic jive of the night. Score: 30 (10,10,10).

Week Eight Scores
JR & Karina - 60 (30 + 30)
Ricki & Derek - 52 (28 + 24)
Hope & Maks - 52 (27 + 25)
Rob & Cheryl - 51 (27 + 24)
Nancy & Tristan - 44 (24 + 20)

With a 16 point difference from JR and a 7 point difference from Rob, it almost looks like a guarantee that Nancy will finally go home. While she's tried her hardest, she's out of her league now.