SAN DIEGO, April 1, 2012 – The first theme dances for the 11 remaining competitors on “Dancing With The Stars” Season 14 appear this week. The stars will depict “The Most Memorable Year of My Life” and can perform any ballroom style dance of their choice to express a meaningful time whether happy or heartbreaking.
Four of the couples will perform the rumba: Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd; Maria Menounos and Derek Hough; Sherri Shepherd and Val Chmerkovskiy; and Gavin DeGraw and Karina Smirnoff.
Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower and Jack Wagner and Anna Trebunskaya have opted for the samba. Matching Wagner against Fegan may not end up being the best tactical move for Wagner.
Dancer Karina Smirnoff brings the Starbucks to fuel another Dancing With The Stars rehearsal with partner Gavin DeGraw. Photo: Splash.
The same is true with Jaleel White and Kym Johnson, and Melissa Gilbert and Maks Chmerkovskiy who will both attack the jive. Gilbert is bound to suffer by comparison to White. On Twitter, Johnson promises she and White “have some tricks up our sleeve.”
Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas will dance the slow waltz; Gladys Knight and Tristan McManus will take on the foxtrot; and in the smartest move of the week, William Levy and Cheryl Burke will dance the salsa in a routine that will bring the house down. I bet you a dollar this is the final dance of the evening.
Sherri Shepherd better hope partner Val Chmerkovskiy gets up off the floor to help her dance a smooth silky rumba this week. Photo: ABC/Adam Taylor.
While some of the celebrities may think the rumba gives them a break because it is a slower tempo, it’s a difficult dance to perform well. This Cuban dance has a relaxed frame and should be continuously flowing with a side motion, never sharp.
Katherine Jenkins was smart to pick a waltz to emphasize her graceful lines, but she posted comments on Twitter after a long day of rehearsals Saturday: “End of another gruelling day… And I thought I had an easier week in store after the jive! Not a chance!” followed by “What have I learned from this week? Don’t be deceived by the waltz - its so much harder than it looks!”
Katherine Jenkins arrives for rehearsal this weekend. She will perform the waltz Monday night. Photo: Splash.
The samba seems a great fit for Roshon Fegan. He said his dance will be about a happy memory, and the samba is a bright, cheerful dance. If we see great samba rolls, the fans will love it. This is exactly how Hines Ward broke out of the pack during a theme week in Season 12. While all the other couples performed serious emotional dances, he paid tribute to his mother with a bright performance to Earth, Wind and Fire. Smart.
Prediction on scores: No one made a better choice than William Levy and Cheryl Burke with the salsa. If the judges are influenced by an enthusiastic studio audience, this could grab the first “10” of the season. Jenkins is also likely to get another high score if she performs up to her ability.
Unless Gavin DeGraw displays some sensuality we haven’t seen so far, and Melissa Gilbert finds some new source of energy, these two are likely to be at the bottom of the leaderboard by the end of Monday night.
“Dancing With the Stars” returns for its third week on Monday night, April 2, 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time, on the ABC Television Network.
Read more on Dancing With The Stars:
Jenkins, Levy rule emotional Dancing With The Stars 2012
Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, is President/Owner of the Falcon Valley Group in San Diego, California. Read more Media Migraine in the Communities at The Washington Times. Follow Gayle on Facebook and on Twitter @PRProSanDiego.
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