‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 18 Recap: Week Seven Performances (Latin Night)

Drew Carey’s elimination last week showed that even if you are a fan favorite crowd pleaser, you need both strong scores and fan support. This week the pressure increases as the celebrities have to learn two dances for the first time this season. We start the week with a performance to Ricky Martin’s “Vida” and it set the precedent for what we were looking for this week on DWTS: passion and party spirit.

Ricky Martin was also our guest judge and was looking for entertainment, passion, and focus. The contestants were all excited to dance even with Danica mentioning her injured rib. Even with the rib injury, Danica & Val were first to be safe with James & Peta in jeopardy. During the dances, Amy injured her back after her rumba and had to go to the medic before the group dances began. Her body seized up and had trouble breathing after her performance and couldn’t perform the team dance.

Round One - Solo Dances

Amy & Derek
Dance - Rumba
Song - “Light My Fire” by José Feliciano
Derek tried to explain the whole concept of the dance of love for Amy, but it caused Amy to think too hard. The love theme stressed Amy out because she explained to the audience about her long term relationship with Daniel Gale who we also saw on ‘The Amazing Race.’ Derek decided to act crazy during rehearsal to make her feel better. The couple began on the stage and I liked the shapes that the couples made. Amy’s hops made up for some occasional foot positioning or abruptness from not having more of a slippery sole. The final split pose looked beautiful.

Len thought that the sharp and smooth moves were great and the dance was rhythmic. Bruno thought that Amy never lost the elegance of the dance. Carrie Ann thought she was sexy but she had to criticize her for her feet coming off the ground. Ricky loved the sensuality, passionate nature and connection. Score: 36 (9,9,9,9)

James & Peta
Dance - Samba
Song - "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee
Peta warned James that there was a lot of rubbing and hip action in a traditional samba. Peta noted that there was a unique chemistry between the two that she’s never had with other celebrities. James tried to quell the fire by saying that the two wanted to stay as platonic as possible during the season. The couple set themselves up at a gas station to match the title of the song. The problem was the song was nowhere near what a samba’s tempo should be, The two fit in as many samba moves in as possible and also included a lot of stripping to help cover up the fact that it was so hard to find the beat.

Bruno thought that the routine blew up his sparkplugs. Carrie Ann’s head was spinning, she appreciated the chemistry between the two. Ricky thought the routine had unexpected moves. Len thought the footwork wasn’t the best and his hip action could have been better. Score: 35 (9,9,8,9)

Danica & Val
Dance - Salsa
Song - “Watch Out For This (Bumaye)” by Major Lazer
Val loves taking on the challenge of beating Meryl this week. He explained that he wanted the moves to go from hot to cold in a few seconds. Danica thought that she had a strong core, but during practice, Val tried to flip her and they heard a popping sound in Danica’s hip and she had to go to a doctor. She explained that her rib was fractured and the doctors suggested she couldn’t practice. The couple still chose to dance and Danica covered up any pain she may have shown. I don’t like the fact that she got the troupe and her facial expression didn’t match the dance. Her smile covered pain. The routine looked like a hip-hop routine and some of the arm passes looked sloppy; the routine clearly lacked the polish it needed from extra practice.

Carrie Ann felt the pain, but she missed the down and dirty nature of the routine. Ricky asked how she was feeling and he respected fighting through the routine. Len thought there were only two sections that were salsa, but it looked too much like a pop video. Bruno appreciated the concept of the dance, but the feel was missing because of the injury. Score: 33 (8,9,8,8)

NeNe & Tony
Dance - Argentine Tango
Song - “Can’t Remember to Forget You” by Shakira Feat. Rihanna
NeNe knew that the people with dance experience were still around, but she would own her dance. She explained that she was bringing a bit of “NayNay” to her dance. Tony also wanted to bring dancers to give her more character. She knew that she had to up her technique as well. Tony danced shirtless after Twitter forced him to. I thought there was a little bit too much crowd interaction in the beginning and I forgot to look at NeNe. Once the couple got on the dancefloor, I thought that NeNe tried to extend her legs and flick, but the kicks were a bit slow for my taste. The drag section was a bit clunky and the ending was a wasted opportunity.

Ricky thought the character was strong and NeNe was glowing. Len agreed, but noted the technique still could have been crisper. Bruno thought the hooks needed to be sharper. Carrie Ann needed sharpness in the movements, but was impressed by the evolution of NeNe. Score: 31 (8,8,7,8)

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Charlie & Sharna
Dance - Paso Doble
Song - "Sail" by AWOLNATION
Charlie wanted to push for 10s and he had to chat with Meryl because he wanted to push the right buttons. Charlie channeled his olympian as the couple began. There was something that flowed a bit too much for a Paso Doble for me, but the movements were tight and all there. I also don’t understand how “Sail” matched Latin Night at all. Charlie had this great eye contact with Sharna the whole performance, but I still think there was an element lacking in the routine even with the mistake in the way.

Len thought the routine wasn’t special enough for a 10. Bruno had the flair and purpose, but he lost his timing and steadiness. Carrie Ann agreed with the issues. Ricky was living the moment and was blown away. Score: 36 (9,10,8,9)

Candace & Mark
Dance - Argentine Tango
Song - "1977" by Ana Tijioux
Candace was cracking during the camera block last week and Mark explained to production that she got nervous. Mark booked a meeting with a sports psychologist and Candace explained that she was blacking out; the psychologist thought she was going to be a perfectionist. She felt like she was pulling down Mark, but took her doctors tips to help her out. Candace still looked a bit scared, unless that was supposed to be her character. In comparison to NeNe, her leg movements were sharper and the fact that she had a few lifts showed a much better athleticism. Candace looked like she missed one or two small leg or arm motions, but had a generally smooth performance.

Bruno thought she aced the routine. Carrie Ann loved the crisp lines, but she looked she missed two choreography pieces. Ricky appreciated the focus and lines. Len loved the legs and thought the dance was hot. Score: 35 (8,9,9,9)

Meryl & Maks
Dance - Salsa
Song - “Adrenalina” by Wisin feat. Jennifer Lopez & Ricky Martin
Maks quickly asked Meryl if she knew how to salsa, but Meryl was doubting her pure sexual nature. During practice, Meryl hurt her wrist and it caused problems with Maks’ passes. As the music began Meryl immediately showed that she was the focal point of the routine, unlike NeNe. When the couple got into hold, it seemed like it was tricks galore as they moved. Meryl was flipped and spun so many times. The fact that Maks was smart to put a few slow motions helped the routine. I also appreciated that Meryl was back as a solo in the end, though it may have suffered from too many group segments for me.

Carrie Ann was blown away and was surprised how down and dirty she got. Ricky thought the dance was amazing. Len thought the production was too much and she just needed to perform without the gimmicks. Bruno thought Meryl was the leader of the gang and she stood next to the professionals like an equal. Score: 39 (10,10,9,10)

Round Two - Team Dances

After last week’s performances and elimination Erin brought the celebrities out for a team pick without the pros around so Meryl kept with the brothers and Candace was last picked.

Team Vida - Charlie & Sharna (Captain), James & Peta, NeNe & Tony
Song - “La Copa De La Vida”

The group knew there was a lot of pressure dancing both to Ricky Martin and going up against Derek who has never lost. Sharna knew that the men were strong and NeNe had sass, but she was scared of being lifted.

As the group danced, NeNe was first to show up on camera and NeNe showed that she wasn’t the strongest. The men had harder choreography but lacked good timing. As the couples began their segments NeNe looked like the weak link and it looked like she forgot some of her steps as Tony dragged her along. The transitions between solos were nice, but James’s part of the routine looked recycled from his previous Latin dances. There was a section where NeNe got more focus and it was a waste of time. Charlie looked a little too out of control as he danced his solo. James and Charlie made a nice pair but they really ignored NeNe by the end..

Ricky thought that the routine was beautiful. Len knew that the couples coped well with the routine. Bruno thought the energy was incredible, but the synchronization was a bit off at times. Carrie Ann appreciated the featuring moments, but Charlie and James had a bit of issues. Score: 35 (8,10,8,9)

Team Loca - Meryl & Maks (Captain), Danica & val, Amy & Derek, and Candace & Mark
Song - "Livin' La Vida Loca"

Val thought the group was full of superstars and Meryl made suggestions for how to look Latin, surprising Maks. Candace was nervous as Maks tried to show her now to get down. Because of Amy’s injury, it seems like the whole group had to suffer and the group had to have their rehearsal performance.

As the rehearsal was shown, I was surprised about how well the routine looked with an audience around. Some of the timing seemed a bit off, but again that wouldn't have been the issue with practice videos. Even without the judges pressure the couples were still giving their 100%. Candace still lacked some polish that she gains during live performances. Amy’s section looked really strong considering that she was in “practice” mode. Meryl and Maks ended the routine and Meryl brought the same energy that she would have if the routine was live. The couples section was really good all things considered, even though you saw that Meryl struggled to get to her place near the end.

Carrie Ann thought the group was tight even during the rehearsals. Ricky loved how there were so many styles and they all blended wonderfully. Len thought the routine was fantastic, but he knew that there was less pressure during the routine. Bruno thought the routine was a showstopper and it would have deserved an encore. Score: 39 (10,10,9,10)

Round Two - Team Dances

After last week’s performances and elimination Erin brought the celebrities out for a team pick without the pros around so Meryl kept with the brothers and Candace was last picked.

Team Vida - Charlie & Sharna (Captain), James & Peta, NeNe & Tony
Song - “La Copa De La Vida”

Team Loca - Meryl & Maks (Captain), Danica & val, Amy & Derek, and Candace & Mark
Song - "Livin' La Vida Loca"

The three couples in Jeopardy were James & Peta, Charlie & Sharna, and NeNe & Tony, all from Team Vida. NeNe was eliminated, but was proud of her time on the show

Week 7 Scores

Meryl - 78 (39 + 39)
Amy - 75 (36 + 39)
Candace - 74 (35 + 39)
Danica - 72 (33 + 39)
Charlie - 71 (36 + 35)
James - 70 (35 + 35)

NeNe - 66 (31 + 35) Eliminated

'Dancing with the Stars' Season 18 Recap: Week Seven Performances (Latin Night)