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'Dancing With the Stars' Recap: Jive Walking

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova is the first to get bounced

By Kate Mulcrone Mar 27, 2012 8:16PM

'Dancing With the Stars'/ABC

It was hard to say goodbye to tennis legend Martina Navratilova even after only two performances and a bit of a surprise to see her cut rather than singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw. It's clear that she worked hard on her routines, though her second round jive went over like lead with the judges. Martina seemed genuinely sad to be leaving the competition. She wished everyone luck and held hands with Tony as they walked to center stage for their last dance.

 

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As always, the show must go on. Here's a rundown of the remaining stars' performances so far:

 

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Melissa Gilbert

"Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa's cha-cha was just so-so and her energy flagged during her second-round quickstep. Melissa is a good dancer, but she has some very tough competition this season. Will she be able to take the heat?


Gladys Knight

Motown legend Gladys Knight turned in a sizzling cha-cha during the premiere, but had some trouble with the quickstep. She's got no shortage of stage presence and is elegant and fleet of foot, so she should be safe for the time being.


Jaleel White

"Family Matters" star Jaleel's debut foxtrot got the crowd on its feet and earned him the highest score in premiere history. (Tied with Katherine.) Unfortunately, his second-round jive was a bit lackluster. Jaleel's stage presence is amazing and he and Kym have great chemistry, so expect him to land back on top next week.


William Levy

Soap star William's quickstep cha-cha was absolutely smoldering – so much so that Bruno wasted no time in proclaiming William "the hottest package of the season." William's quickstep was excellent in terms of timing, hold and footwork, though he did lose the thread of the routine at one point. Since he's a good dancer and his smile alone seems to get the crowd on its feet, I'd say the sky is the limit for William.


Katherine Jenkins

Welsh opera star Katherine's endlessly elegant debut foxtrot earned her the highest score in premiere history. (Tied with Jaleel.) Her splashy, sexy jive worked just as well: she kicked her legs up like a pro and stayed on rhythm without any seeming effort. The judges have nothing but love for Katherine so far, and the crowd was right there with them. I can't wait to see what she does next week.


Sherri Shepherd

"The View" co-host Sherri's debut foxtrot was lively and elegant. She has a natural talent for dance and her passion out on the floor is almost contagious. Her round-two jive was energetic and Sherri's legwork was nothing short of gorgeous, though she did lose the thread of the routine at one point. Don't even think about counting her out – Sherri could very well be this season's Cinderella.


Maria Menounos

"Extra" host Maria's debut cha-cha was good, but not good enough to make her stand out. Luckily, her round-two, high-energy quickstep got everyone's attention! Maria's energy didn't quit, her timing was excellent, her feet were fast, and, most importantly, she kept up with Derek. Maria is a real contender.


Donald Driver

NFL legend Donald Driver's frenetic cha-cha was a bit too much for the judges in round one, but the longtime "DWTS" fan toned it down in round two when he danced the quickstep. His footwork was phenomenal, his timing was great and his energy and enthusiasm were through the roof. Donald is a great dancer, and with his background knowledge of the competition – and the styles of dance – it should give him a huge leg up moving forward.


Jack Wagner

Soap star Jack's opening foxtrot was absolutely dripping with elegance. In the first round his timing was impeccable and his frame looked great. Jack had a bit more trouble with his second-round jive, which lacked precision and control. In fact, Carrie Ann told Jack he outright "over danced" the number. Let's hope he can rein it in – just a bit – next week.


Roshon Fegan

Disney star Roshon started off the season with a hip-hoppy cha-cha that featured the best spins Carrie Ann has seen in fourteen seasons. In the second round he turned in a fresh, energetic quickstep that got the crowd on its feet and the judges in his corner. Roshon's one to watch!


Gavin DeGraw

Singer-songwriter Gavin's lackluster debut foxtrot was the biggest bump in a nearly flawless premiere and his round-two jive was not much better. Bruno complained about a lack of precision to his "kicks and flicks," and Carrie Ann criticized his posture but praised his bravery. If Gavin wants to stick around, he's going to have to get serious in rehearsals.


Who won the week: Katherine, William and Roshon

Who needs to step it up: Gavin and Melissa

"Dancing With the Stars" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

11Comments
Mar 28, 2012 1:14PM
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They never said Roshon was in the bottom 3.  They DID say it was the bottom 2.  They just did that for the "effect."  some weeks they say "this isn't necessarily the bottom 2."  They do it to keep you there till the end of the show.

 

Mar 28, 2012 8:23AM
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The comment from Carrie Ann about Roshon's cha cha wasn't that those were the best spins.  She said that was the "best spin on a cha cha" she'd ever seen.  As in take, or interpretation.  She loved how they interpreted the dance.

Good post, and right on about Martina.  Saw someone ask earlier about Hope Solo - she was never fun to watch - always sort of creepily masculine in her attempts at "sexy". Martina's smile was lovely and she was surprisingly graceful.  I blame her early dismissal on that horrible, horrible outfit, though. She might have lasted another week if the costume department didn't clearly hate her.

Mar 28, 2012 7:01AM
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Martina, I think, was the worst dancer I've seen in the last couple of years outside of "Chaz". They both looked so wooden, more like they were having a colonoscopy than dancing.
Mar 28, 2012 6:34AM
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 It probably makes the other two feel better when they put a higher scorer with them.

This has been done many times before.

Martina k new she blew it and was going home.

Gavin told her, he was honored to be on the same program with her. That was a great tribute to her.

Katherine, Roshon and Jaleel should go all the way. They are a pleasure to watch. 

Mar 28, 2012 6:30AM
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I am giving Donald Driver the edge on the competition. He has the most powerful backing of the Stars since he is a Packer. Packer fans have beat the other football team fans with the Chuncky soup competiton for serveral years. Campbell's soup even tried to change it to see if the Packer fans could be beat. They ended the game after 5 or 6 years. Donald Driver was losing a internet poll of the greatest 7th round pick in the NFL draft and was losing by 1000 votes when he asked packer fans for help. In no time he was over 3000 votes ahead of Shanen Sharp. Since the voting of the Judges really don't matter. He doesn't have to really worry about them. Go Donald!

Mar 28, 2012 5:57AM
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I cannot believe it! The voter's absolutely got it right! @prokids post is right on target! I really liked Martina, but she and Gavin were the weakest dancers. I think Roshon is in jeopardy because he is coming off a little too cocky and silly. He's young and I understand that, but he needs to reign that in a tad! I am enjoying this season and looking forward to seeing what all of them can do!
Mar 28, 2012 5:54AM
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Nice comments on Martina. Especially about the athlete transforming over to dance. I don't recall Hope Solo getting those same accolades. Tony is a great dancer and a gentleman. He, like the others do the best they can. However, does any star think before accepting and invitation to DWTS?

Let's compare dancers. Here we go again. Sherri or Katherine, Gladys or Maria. The winner of these...or Melissa. How are you going to vote. Will it be the personality thing? Likeable? Maybe this year it will finally be improvement on the dance floor?

Sherri was funny running around waving her arms. Do people vote for he because of that? Funny? Always commenting? Funny conversations? or, Somebody who has improved and can dance. However, I will say this, she has zero dancing experience which she should get credit for always improving. That's why I wouldn't vote for the kid. He has dance experience. Not fair to others. Just my 2 cents. Who goes home next week. Interesting.

Mar 28, 2012 5:32AM
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I "totally" agree with the judges and viewers that called and voted.  I hate to see anyone leave so soon but I thought that it should be Martina to leave.  She is a beautiful woman and seems to be a very nice woman but that isn't what she was there for.  I was very surprised that Roshon was in the bottom three and Sherri Shepard made me laugh so hard my ribs are sore.
Mar 28, 2012 4:51AM
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I agree with prokids.  Kudos to Martina.  What a lovely woman she is and certainly tries to compete and dance. Perhaps Tony can push Martina a little harder on the dance steps, but Tony is just the one with soft spots and all hearts.  It would be great to see Tony last longer next year.

Mar 28, 2012 4:06AM
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I greatly admire Martina's willingness to transorm and "play the game" on DWTS.  She was willing to wear make up, new hairstyles, and glittery outfits.  Like a true athlete, she tried her best to compete.  Even though she was stilted and awkward with her dance moves, I blame her loss on Tony Dovolani's choreography and those in charge of wardrobe.  Hugging/kissing the judges before and after the routine was creepy, as was her ridiculous outfit on week two.  What 55 year old woman would look good in a bathing suit top (with her stomach showing), froo-froo pants, and a netted overpiece to "hide" it all -- especially when the dancer doesn't have a waist?  It was not age-appropriate.  I wouldn't want to see Melissa Gilbert (7 years younger) or Gladys Knight in this ridiulous costume either!!!!  Revealing legs on an older dancer is one thing -- a bare stomach is another. I feel like the viewers have the utmost respect for Martina, but the producers wrongfully left all of us with an unsettling image of this universal icon. 
Mar 28, 2012 3:10AM
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No surprise here. Poor Tony. Is ever going to get close. Why do you think Roshon was in Jeopardy? One of the lowest scores. Because of Dance experience? Kids everywhere dance like his style? Interesting. Maybe voters are looking for the inexperienced, soft but likeable personalities? We will see.
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