Dancing with the Stars Week 5: Coughlin Goes for a Dive; MJ Tribute Brings Down the House

October 20, 10:29 PMDancing with the Stars ExaminerEvelyn McCormack

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Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo
ABC

Dancing with the Stars finished up its fifth week with the surprising elimination of Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin. On the bright side, the Week 5 Results Show also featured a show-stopping tribute to Michael Jackson.

“I loved this so much, I guess I didn’t show how much I loved it,” said Coughlin, who with partner Alec Mazo was eliminated from DWTS. “I don’t know – I’m sorry.”

Although Coughlin received the second lowest score from the show’s judges on Monday, she has consistently scored in the middle of the pack throughout the season. On the other hand, the dancer with the lowest scores week after week – NFL legend Michael Irvin – is apparently getting enough viewer votes to save him. The elimination set the DWTS message boards on fire, with a number of posters simply shocked that Coughlin was eliminated before Irvin, Aaron Carter and Louie Vito.

Coughlin’s elimination also breaks the show’s streak of success by Olympians. Gymnast Shawn Johnson, speed skater Apollo Anton Ohno and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi have all taken home the DWTS Mirror Ball Trophy.

But in an otherwise routine Results Show, one performance stood out: the Macy’s Stars of Dance tribute to Michael Jackson, performed by all 16 of the DWTS professional dancers. Choreographed by the pros, the performance paid tribute with dancing to a medley of three of Jackson’s hit songs -- "Thriller", "Man in the Mirror", and the classic "I Want You Back".

LaToya Jackson, who introduced the segment, said: “As a fan of all types of dancing, he (Jackson) would be most proud that these talented performers share his enthusiasm for the dance.” In addition to LaToya, Jermaine and Katherine Jackson were in the studio audience for Tuesday’s show.

A highlight was the recreated performance of the infamous “Thriller” dance, by all of the pros, which brought down the house. The male dancers were all wearing the classic black shoes and white socks, and all the performers wore one white glove.

In Tuesday’s first DWTS elimination, the top three scorers were lined up on the stage. But as expected, Mark DaCascos and Lacey Schwimmer, Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson, and Mya and Dmitry Chaplin were quickly declared safe.

Up next were the three couples who were tied at 24 points Monday, and two of the couples were declared “in jeopardy”: Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough, and Carter and Karina Smirnoff. The poor showing for Krupa was likely due to the fact that mid-way through the week, Hough came down with the flu and had to be replaced by Maksim Chmerkovskiy. In addition, Krupa had a visible stumble during Monday’s dance. The good news? Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel were safe in this round.

The third group up included Monday’s lowest male and female celebs -- Irvin and partner Anna Demidova, and Coughlin and Mazo. While Irvin was declared safe, Coughlin was in jeopardy.
Finally, the two remaining couples – Vito and Chelsie Hightower and Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas – were under the red spotlight. Vito and Hightower were declared safe, while Hart and Ballas were in jeopardy, another surprise.

The final four couples in jeopardy – Krupa and Hough, Carter and Smirnoff, Coughlin and Mazo and Hart and Ballas – were returned to the spotlight for the final elimination. Carter and Smirnoff and Coughlin and Mazo were left in the lowest two, and Coughlin and Mazo were eliminated. This in spite of the fact that it was Carter’s third time in the lowest two couples this season.

Grammy winner Norah Jones, who has a new album due out in November, also performed on Tuesday’s show.

Don’t forget to check back here for all my DWTS news, show recaps, and polls. And follow me on Twitter for updates.