Dancing with the Stars Week 7 -- Irvin and DaCascos eliminated

November 3, 10:25 PMDancing with the Stars ExaminerEvelyn McCormack

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Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova
ABC

The seventh week of Dancing with the Stars ended with a double elimination of dancing celebrities Michael Irvin and Mark DaCascos, whittling the number of dancing couples down to a final five.

NFL legend Irvin, who was eliminated after receiving a combination of the lowest judges’ scores and viewer votes, was gracious in defeat and received a standing ovation from the studio audience. Referring to the fact that he received his highest score of the season from the judges Monday night, Irvin said, “Last night was a great night. And to see the audience standing up tonight means a great deal to me.”

His partner, Anna Demidova, thanked Irvin “for being such a great partner.” Season 9 was Demidova’s first season with DWTS after winning a viewer contest in Season 8 to choose a new pro to replace Julianne Hough.

The Results Show marked the second week in a row that featured a dance-off between the second and third lowest scoring couples, in this case Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff against DaCascos and partner Lacey Schwimmer.

In the dance-off, DaCascos and Schwimmer performed a fast-moving and athletic cha cha that featured a number of flips by DaCascos, who is also a martial artist. The judges liked it. “It was clean, it was sharp, a top notch performance,” said head judge Len Goodman. “You can turn more tricks than Heidi Fleiss,” said Bruno Tonioli. “I’m so glad,” said Carrie Ann Inaba. “Tonight, you are back in top form.”

Not to be outdone, Carter and Smirnoff danced their hearts out with a fast-moving, fun jive. Referring to the fact that Carter received Monday’s highest score for another jive, Inaba said, “I thought this was better. The jive is so suited for you.” “Aaron, you’re the comeback kid,” said Len. “Again, right on the money.”

Ultimately, the judges had a tough job deciding who would be eliminated based on the highly competitive dance-off. But they ultimately gave Carter and Smirnoff the safety paddles, declaring them safe.

DaCascos, who found himself with Monday’s lowest judges’ scores, was at a disadvantage this week when Schwimmer came down with the flu. He lost valuable rehearsal time as a result, until Schwimmer was replaced by pro Anna Trebunskaya on Saturday. That gave the couple only two days of rehearsals.

Nevertheless, the “Iron Chef” star called his stint on DWTS “one of the greatest experiences of my life. The bond that you create with the pro dancers, the other celebs, is really special.”

In addition to Carter and Smirnoff, declared safe to dance next week were Kelly Osbourne and Louis Van Amstel, Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson, Mya and Dmitry Chaplin, and Derek Hough and Joanna Krupa.

Also in the Results Show, pop singer Colbie Caillat performed “Fallin’ for You,” with Alec Mazo and Edyta Sliwinska dancing to the tune.

The Ballas Hough Band also performed their new single, “Move,” surrounded by dancing women. The number, which was released Tuesday night on iTunes, was a surprising departure for Derek and Mark, who can actually play instruments with their bona fide band. Instead, the boys performed with smoke, strobe lights and while dancing.

Grammy winning singer Rod Stewart proved that he can still quiet an audience, with his performance of the Motown hit, “The Same Old Song,” craggy voice, face and all.

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