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(S06E09) For Latin night, things were pretty tame this evening on Dancing With The Stars. Adam Carolla took a lot of the show's spontaneity and humor with him when he left. This week, the contestants tackled either the rumba or the samba. With a few exceptions, most of the stars gave safe, middling performances. I expected more at the show's halfway point.

Gallery: Dancing With The Stars: Season 6, Week 5

Mario and Karina Smirnoff (Samba) - Mario was suffering from a deflated ego after the judges criticized his paso doble. He wanted to bring something special to his routine, and visited Stevie Wonder for inspiration. Stevie told Mario to let his spirit and soul dance. Karina was less optimistic in the rehearsal footage. She said that they started off wanting to win, but were taking things week by week now. I thought Karina and Mario gave one of their better performances this time around. Dancing to "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," the couple gave the audience a samba with all the right elements. Mario had smooth, flowing movements as well as excellent hip action. Overall, the routine was fun, flirtatious, and light.

Len believed that the samba suited Mario, praised the star's hip action, and advised him to pay more attention to his footwork. Bruno called the routine a beautifully-danced classic. Carrie Ann was pleased that Mario didn't distract the audience with his persona and appeal. The dance was clean, classic, and to the point. Backstage, Mario thanked Stevie Wonder for telling him to dance like he's singing. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)

Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel (Rumba) - Priscilla was terrified after her rule-breaking moves landed her in the bottom two. She was determined not to slack off, since the competition was getting tougher. The rumba's slow, sensual walk was her biggest challenge. Louis was being tough on her during rehearsal, but she trusted him. Above all, she wanted to prove that she belongs with the front runners. For the first few moments of the routine I was distracted by the enormous bracelets that Priscilla was wearing. Luckily, she did the splits early on and got me to focus on the routine again ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"). In terms of character, Priscilla gave another convincing, dramatic performance. The routine included some technically difficult moves, but didn't flow as well as her earlier dances.

Bruno praised Priscilla's ability to be sensual, but not trashy. Unfortunately, the slower pace of the dance revealed her faults, which included missed turns, shaky movements, and poor walks. Carrie Ann agreed, adding that the couple focused too much on technique and were overthinking. Len was disappointed with the heel leads and the careful nature of the routine. Bruno and Carrie Ann defended Priscilla up to a point, and the judges argued about Len's harsh remarks. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7). I was surprised by how low these scores were. Priscilla was a darling of the judges for the first few weeks, and now she could be on her way out.

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani (Samba) - Marissa was thrilled with last week's improved scores, and was eager to get 8's again. She was worried about the booty-shaking and hip-swiveling necessary for a good samba. Tony advised her to bring a little bit of the Brazilian spirit home with her to get in the mood. With the help of a Carnival headdress, Marissa got into character for her performance. I loved that Marissa was able to be high energy without overdoing it ("Tambourine," by Eve). She had no problems with portraying the attitude of the samba, and genuinely looked like she was enjoying herself. The routine included plenty of hip-shaking, chest-pumping action.

Carrie Ann said the couple's samba was their best routine by far. Apart from some musicality issues in the beginning, the dance was fantastic. Len thought the performance had more bounce for the ounce, and appreciated the mix of basic steps and clever choreography. He wanted to see more hip movement than shoulder movement, though. Bruno told Marissa that she had more shakes than a cocktail bar. Score: 24 (8, 8, 8). I think Marissa and Tony are safe for at least one more week, if not more.

Cristián de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke (Rumba) - Cristián was relieved that his Latin blood was finally dancing through his veins. Cheryl worried that her partner looked too feminine in rehearsals. The rumba requires the man to be soft, yet manly. Their other obstacle was the dance's romantic element. They feel like brother and sister (at least one couple says that every season), and tried a little acting to get the right tone. Cristián "daydreamed" that he and Cheryl were in a steamy telenovela scene. Dancing to Daniel Bedingfield's "If You're Not the One," the couple did a respectable job. This routine just wasn't up to their usual standard. The chemistry certainly wasn't an issue, but the routine itself lacked the emotion and vitality of last week's performance. I think they had the same problem that Priscilla did with her rumba; the slow pace exposed their weak points.

Len called the performance competent, but not fantastic. He acknowledged that Cristián overcame the issue of being either too stiff or too soft, though. Bruno praised the couple's chemistry and thought they gave a good performance. He noticed that the walks betrayed some of their technical shortcomings; they should have caressed the floor. Carrie Ann disagreed with Bruno's remarks about the couple's chemistry. She thought Cheryl and Cristián looked out of sync and expected the routine to be more erotic. She advised them to work on sustaining their movements. Score: 23 (7, 8, 8)

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez (Samba) - This week, Marlee's focus was on inspiring deaf children. She and Fabian took a short trip to Mexico to watch children be fitted for their hearing aids. Fabian was moved, and called it a magical day. Their rehearsals for the samba were less than magical. The couple had some communication issues, and both Marlee and Fabian looked frustrated with one another. Fabian worried that Marlee wouldn't be able to stick to the samba beat. Sadly, rhythm was a problem with their routine. There were a few moments when I noticed that Marlee was off the beat; she might have done better with the slower, flowing rumba. As always, her attitude and showmanship were right on, and she did an impressive flip over her partner's shoulder.

Bruno told Marlee that she inspired him, but pointed out several places where she lost her timing. Carrie Ann agreed that Marlee's lack of rhythm was a major issue. She commended the actress for her being a fighter in spite of her mistakes. Len loved Marlee's confidence, and didn't bother repeating Bruno and Carrie Ann's criticisms. Score: 22 (7, 7, 8) I feel like the judges give Marlee the same types of remarks every week--"inspiring, but..."

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas (Rumba) - Kristi was concerned about being sexy enough for the rumba, which Mark called a vertical expression of horizontal desire. I wasn't falling for it this time. When she nervously called Mark a "hot young thing" I couldn't help but laugh. Kristi decided that they needed sexy alter egos so she wouldn't have to feel like "Kristi Yamaguchi, wholesome Olympic gold medalist" was doing the moves. Her husband and adorable children crashed the rehearsal, but Kristi kept her cool. Their costumes were absolutely gorgeous, and Kristi and Mark got into character with no trouble ("Say," John Mayer). Technique and performance came together perfectly to make the best rumba of the night.

Carrie Ann was proud of Kristi's willingness to take risks each week. The couple traded some of their technical skill for emotion, but it was a wise trade-off. Len praised Kristi for casting off her inhibitions, and called her routine "fabulous." Bruno thought Kristi was "yummylicious," and loved the couple's chemistry and artistry. Score: 29 (9, 10, 10)

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough (Samba) - Derek's been having bad luck this season. He had to deal with a neck injury a couple of weeks ago, and had to be hospitalized for food poisoning this week. Once again, Shannon came close to dancing with Jonathan at the last minute. Shannon felt pressured to maintain high scores after getting a ten from Len. The samba requires a lot of hip action, and she didn't feel equal to the task. Moves that looked good on Derek felt awkward for her. Luckily, her partner was able to perform after all. Last week's routine was a tough act to follow, and Derek and Shannon fell a bit short (Rihanna, "Pon De Replay"). Shannon didn't look very sure of herself, and some of her movements were awkward. Her costume looked beautiful, though, and she continued to have wonderful chemistry with Derek.

Len didn't think Shannon's samba was good enough for this stage in the competition. The routine lacked hip action, plain and simple. Bruno thought she lacked bounce, and pointed out some timing issues. Carrie Ann seconded Bruno's remarks, but loved Shannon's ambition and fiery personality. Score: 23 (8, 8, 7). I actually expected worse scores based on the judges' comments.

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska (Rumba) - Jason wanted to follow up last week's 29 with a perfect 30. Edyta worried that he was out of his comfort zone with the dance's soft hip movements. Jason admitted that the rumba's moves are the opposite of what he does in football. After watching in awe as Edyta did one of her trademark extensions, Jason tried to imitate his partner--with less success. The couple's rumba ("You're All I Need To Get By") was a close second to Kristi and Mark's. I kept going back and forth on which one I liked more. Jason's movements were smooth and graceful, and his arms looked beautiful. This rumba was romantic, light, and lovely.

Bruno thought Jason looked like a love god, and complimented the athlete on his lines and hip action. Carrie Ann said that Edyta and Jason's chemistry was insane. She told him to pay attention to his arms when they are down at his sides. Len told Jason that he looked natural, like a bloke having a dance. He didn't love the poses that he did with Edyta, however, and wanted to see Jason do more on his own. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)

Best performance of the night: Kristi Yamaguchi
Most likely to go home: Priscilla Presley

Tuesday night--James Blunt performs, and another couple goes home. Until then, check out AOL's extensive Dancing With The Stars coverage, which includes photo galleries, polls, and a live chat.