Dancing with the Stars Week 6: Krupa finds redemption and gets her partner back

October 26, 10:29 PMDancing with the Stars ExaminerEvelyn McCormack

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Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough
ABC

Model Joanna Krupa sought and found redemption Monday night, walking away from Dancing with the Stars’ performance show with the top score and the happiness of being reunited with her partner, Derek Hough.
Hough, who was sidelined by the flu last week and replaced by pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, returned with his good looks, good luck and super choreography Monday. And Krupa, who stumbled while dancing with Maks last week, responded. The couple earned a 26 for their waltz, tying for the top spot with Mark DaCascos and Lacey Schwimmer, but then mambo-ed their way to first place during a mambo marathon competition against all nine remaining couples.
The first dancers of the night were Mya and Dmitry Chaplin, dancing the jitterbug. “Nothing compares to the toll this is taking on my body,” said Mya in the taped introduction.
Watching the jitterbug immediately made me think that the couples performing the waltz might have a tough time competing with such a lively dance. But the judges had mixed reviews of the performance. Referring to a lengthy opening during which time Mya simply stood at the judges’ desk, pretending to dust it, judge Len Goodman said, “The last refuge of the untalented is gimmicks and props. It’s not necessary for you to wait 24 bars polishing my desk.” Judge Bruno Tonioli was more positive: “Don’t worry – cleanliness is next to godliness.” Judge Carrie Ann Inaba agreed with Len, however. “I felt it was slightly under what I’d expect from you,” she said.
Next up were Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas, who had to follow Mya with the more subdued waltz. Hart looked a bit uncomfortable, and two of the judges agreed. “That wasn’t good, for week 6,” said Bruno. “It felt a little sticky, like the floor was sticky,” said Carrie Ann. But usually grouchy Len said he thought Melissa “looked elegant throughout the dance. I think their critiques were a little bit harsh.”
Dancing the jitterbug, Mark DaCascos and Lacey Schwimmer looked like they were doing a ton of calesthenics, with a sprinkling of dance thrown in. Carrie Ann did her whooping call at the end of this performance. “I loved it,” she said. “That’s the jitterbug; that’s the energy I was looking for.” “Sometimes less is more,” said Len. “But not in the jitterbug – more is more.” Only Bruno was a bit negative. “You did lose the timing just at the end,” he said.
Next up were Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff, who have been in the lowest two couples for the past several weeks. Dancing the waltz, Carter and Smirnoff looked in sync, controlled and romantic. Len said, “You danced with maturity, you had lovely posture, your frame was good. That’s your best dance and I’m proud of you.” Even Bruno, who pointed out a small mistake in the dance, said, “The boy has become a gentleman.” And Carrie Ann said, “It was beautiful. I was falling in love with the lyricism.” Maybe Carter will find himself spared from the elimination round this week.
Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova danced a waltz that looked romantic and convincing. But the judges were mixed in their reaction. “This was a waltz, but it was not a premiere league waltz,” said Bruno. “Your posture wasn’t really good enough.” Carrie Ann noted what she thought was an illegal lift during the dance, but called the couple’s waltz “so charming.” Len, who suddenly sounded downright cuddly Monday, said, “It’s amazing. Three people can watch a dance and two of them get it totally wrong. You had the best footwork of any waltz we’ve seen tonight. It was really, really good.” Go figure, Len.
Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel were up next, with the jitterbug and more tape background about her lack of self-esteem. The dance was cute, but lacked some of the big moves we saw in other renditions of the same dance. “You engage with the audience,” said Carrie Ann. But noting Osbourne’s tendency to question herself, the judge urged her to “stay in the happy place.” “I know you’ve had a bad ankle,” said Len. “But it was a little bit flat-footed.” “It was cute, it was nice,” said Bruno. “But you really have to ignite the performance. Throw away any fear and allow yourself to perform.”
Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower, who have also found themselves among the lowest couples for the past two weeks, danced an incredibly athletic jitterbug that included lots of throws and flips. Bruno and Len liked the dance, but noted that it got out of control. “You lose the precision,” said Bruno, “and then the timing goes all off. You have to work on being precise and clean.” Although Carrie Ann said she loved the dance, she also noted that Vito dropped his Hightower twice in the dance.
With little more than 30 minutes left in the two-hour show, Krupa and Hough took to the dance floor with their waltz, which looked graceful and beautiful from my vantage point. “It was like watching a butterfly gently gliding over an alpine meadow,” said Bruno. But Carrie Ann noted that Krupa seemed hesitant. “I felt like you were doubting yourself.” Len liked it. “Unfortunately, your footwork wasn’t too brilliant. But you went straight into the dance, you had good hold, good posture, lovely movement. It was the best waltz we’ve seen tonight.”
Last up were Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson, who walked away with the top scores last week. Dancing the jitterbug, Osmond and Johnson got another standing ovation from the studio audience. “You guys certainly know how to work a room,” said Carrie Ann. “But you had a small stumble at the beginning.” “Whatever dance is thrown at you, you come out and perform it full on,” said Len. Noting the contrast between Osmond and his younger partner, Bruno said, “It was a little bit like looking like a steam engine trying to keep up with a bullet train.”
In the four-minute Mambo marathon competition, something new for the show, the couples simultaneously danced the Mambo for up to four minutes, hoping not to be eliminated by the judges. Beginning with Irvin and Demidova, who were eliminated first, and ending with Krupa and Hough, who were eliminated last, the couples received corresponding scores from 1 through 10, which were added to their jitterbug and waltz scores. Krupa and Hough earned a total score for the night of 36, followed by Mya and Chaplin and Carter and Smirnoff, who were tied for second place with a score of 33 each.

Here is a recap of the dances and scores for Monday night’s show:

Mya and Dmitry Chaplin
Dance 1: Jitterbug
Scores: 8, 7, and 9, for a total of 24.
Mambo score: 9, for a total of 33.
Phone number: 1-800-868-3411

Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Ballas
Dance 1: Waltz
Scores: 7, 7, and 6, for a total of 20.
Mambo Score: 4, for a total of 24.
1-800-868-3410

Mark DaCascos and Lacey Schwimmer
Dance 1: Jitterbug
Scores: 9, 9, and 8: fr a total of 26.
Mambo Score: 6, for a total of 32.
Phone number: 1-800-868-3403

Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff
Dance 1: Waltz
Scores: 8, 9, and 8, for a total of 25.
Mambo score: 8, for a total of 33.
1-800-868-3401

Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova
Dance 1: Waltz
Scores: 6, 8, and 6, for a total of 20.
Mambo Score: 2, for a total 22.
Phone number: 1-800-868-3407

Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel
Dance 1: Jitterbug
Scores: 7, 6, and 7, for a total of 20.
Mambo score: 5, for a total of 25.
Phone number: 1-800-868-3416

Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower
Dance 1: Jitterbug
Scores: 7, 7, and 7, for a total of 21.
Mambo score: 3, for total of 24.
Phone number: 1-800-868-3406

Joanna Krupa and Derek Hough:
Dance 1: Waltz
Scores: 8, 9, and 9, for a total of 26.
Mambo score: 10, for a total of 36
Phone number: 1-800-868-3415

Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson
Dance 1: Jitterbug
Scores: 8, 8, and 8, for a total of 24.
Mambo score: 7, for a total of 31.
Phone number: 1-800-868-3405

Tuesday’s Results Show will include the elimination of two couples, along with a dance-off between the second lowest and third lowest scoring couples. The evening will also feature a performance by country music recording star and Kanye West fan Taylor Swift.