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(S09E04) We had three dances on Dancing with the Stars: Jive, Tango, and Quickstep. It's a good change from having two dances back to back to having three different styles. The dancers had about 57 seconds to impress the judges and America. If anyone counted, we had less than 14 minutes of dance for a two hour show (about 80 minutes without commercials).

To soften the harshness of week two, Baz Lurhmann replaced Len Goodman, giving Len time from traveling between this show and British counterpart Strictly Come Dancing. He mostly used the term "Uncle Len" and graded dancers with sevens. Still, he was better than Michael Flatley.

Joanna & Derek - Jive - The jive left Joanna winded in practices, and she didn't seem stable. Derek's arm was the only thing keeping her balanced. I was reminded of Holly Madison for a few seconds when she awkwardly extended her arms.

Carrie Ann thought the energy was high, but the feet were out of control. Bruno liked how she didn't hold back, but her flicks were bad. Baz thought the footwork was bad at parts, but he wants the two to connect. Score: 20 (6,7,7).

Natalie & Alec - Quickstep - Natalie tries to hold her breath when she dances. Alec tries to break her habit, but it won't go away any time soon. I can see Natalie trying her best to breathe which is good, and her legs glided well across the dance floor.

Bruno wants Natalie to relax because her shoulders ride up from a lack of breathing. Baz thought the beginning was nervous, but she lit up the second half. Carrie Ann calls her an early favorite and suggests working with Alec together as an extension. Score: 21 (7,7,7).

Chuck & Anna - Tango - Anna reminds Chuck that the Tango is an intense dance and they should incorporate fighting moves. He attempts to throw her over his shoulder. It was good timing for Chuck to get Tango this early in the competition. His stern face works in the dance. The steps are still easy, but he's coping.

Baz thought that Len would rip him to pieces, but he loved that he could embrace the fear of dancing. Carrie Ann was frightened, but saw the impact of the dance. Bruno thought it was savage, but still a tango. He saw the work in the routine. Score: 19 (6,7,6).

Melissa & Mark - Jive - Although Melissa is enthusiastic about learning jive tricks, she doesn't have coordination. She puts on an excited face from the beginning and keeps the intensity the whole dance. Her feet don't extend as much as they could. I couldn't get past the Minnie Mouse dress and Mark's love of Michael Jackson pants.

Carrie Ann loved the energy of the performance. Bruno thought that her top was good, but her legs need help. Baz thought there was a big improvement from last week, but she needs to sharpen her steps. Score: 19 (7,6,6).

Michael & Anna D. - Quickstep - Michael is upset this week because of last week's disaster. Anna is also upset because of her choreography problems. They begin the dance and glide the floor a lot better than expected. The content still doesn't seem to be there, but the two pulled the dance off.

Bruno liked the content and he knows the quickstep is hard and Michael tackled it well. Baz likes how he confronted the challenge, but his tongue would come out at points. Carrie Ann thinks that this week was better than last and congratulates the two for working together. Score: 20 (7,7,6).

Debi & Maksim - Tango - Debi & Maks' love/hate relationship kicks in during practices. He makes her cry, but apologizes. She smacks him. The two dance to the Moulin Rouge version of "Roxanne." The dance had the right amount of passion. The performance felt too short.

Baz thought the two did well and especially loved the song. Carrie Ann thought her arms did funky moves, until she realized that her arms were quite long. She'll need to work on that (and her injured neck). Bruno thought it could be better if she could stop being shaky. Score: 21 (7,7,7).

Louie & Chelsie - Jive - These two are the youngest couple. They want to use their energy to stand out from the crowd. I think the costumes are enough. Louie starts with a flip, but the actual dancing is very spunky. The times when he was away from Chelsie, he struggled and was stronger in hold.

Carrie Ann loved the joy in his dancing, but he lost touch with the music. Bruno saw the potential but he didn't do enough jive. Baz liked the chemistry between the two, but the jacket didn't help. Score: 19 (6,7,6).

Aaron & Karina - Quickstep - Aaron is feeling the pressure of dance and Karina pushes him hard. The performance starts with Animal and ends with Gonzo because the song was the theme to The Muppet Show. That explains the Kermit-green outfit. The song fits quite well and the dance is solid.

Bruno thought it was spectacular because he was in command of the performance. Baz saw the growth of performance and it was a great show. Carrie Ann thought it was a pleasure to watch. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Kelly & Louis - Tango - Louis sees Kelly's growth of confidence, but her insecurities remain. I couldn't help but watch the dress flow as she went in circles. I saw a few stumbles, but if she didn't make faces I wouldn't have noticed it.

Baz loves Kelly's evolution. He saw mistakes, but loved how she fought her way through the dance. Carrie Ann sees how she's building technique, but also sees mistakes. Bruno knows that she made too many mistakes, but was still good. Score: 19 (6,7,6).

Kathy & Tony - Quickstep - Tony wants to show the glamor of the quickstep. She gets caught between Tony's leg during practice. They dance to a song from the King and I; I'm almost shocked production didn't give it to Mark. She looked like she walked into place until the performance sped up.

Carrie Ann thought the presentation was good, but she dances with reserve. The hold need connection. Bruno understands the elegance, but she's not engaging. Baz wanted the quickstep to be more exciting, not just graceful and elegant. Score: 18 (6,6,6).

Mark & Lacey - Quickstep - Mark is overwhelmed during practices, but Lacey pushes him hard to get past third. Their quickstep starts off a little slow, but there was something questionable in the performance. They quickly recover and pick up speed at the end.

Bruno thought the performance was good, but his footwork still needs help. Baz thought it was a good comeback from the slight fall. Carrie Ann likes the cleanliness and the recovery. Score: 21 (7,7,7).

Mya & Dmitry - Jive - Mya is the only star nervous about having Baz as a judge. Dmitry is scared and making sure that choreography is better for Len. They start off with the silly dorky story, but it quickly becomes a great performance from both the storyline and the choreography.

Baz thought that the performance was the real deal. There was accuracy but passion with the storyline. Carrie Ann reminds us that Len would hate the beginning, but he's not here. She loved the chemistry. Bruno likes the originality and bounces around with his love for the two. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Tom & Cheryl - Tango - Tom has trouble with neck flicks, but then his toes kick in: he has a stress fracture. The dance is a basic tango, with a few Cheryl twists in small parts. It ends with a little stumble for Tom as he almost drops Cheryl.

Carrie Ann finds the allure of the two dancing well. The dance was appropriate until he didn't use enough bum to hold Cheryl. Bruno thought he almost got it, but it fell apart. They tried to do a proper tango. Baz liked the holds, dignity, and grace. Score: 18 (6,6,6).

Donny & Kym - Jive - Kym reminds us that Donny is the second oldest contestant and his dancing skews old, even with Kym's youthful choreography. When the two dance it still feels old. He kept up with the choreography, and I understand that he is given the song, so they did well with what they have.

Bruno thinks that the performance was well executed, but the jive was still quality. Baz thought the dance was good and he was youthful dancing it. Carrie Ann thought the performance was great. Carrie Ann takes a second to love Kym's dress. Score: 25 (8,9,8).

Overall Scores

High
Aaron & Karina - 27
Mya & Dmitry - 27
Donny & Kym - 25

Middle
Debi & Maks - 21
Natalie & Alec - 21
Mark & Lacey - 21
Joanna & Derek - 20
Michael & Anna D. - 20

Low
Louie & Chelsie - 19
Kelly & Louis - 19
Melissa & Mark - 19
Chuck & Anna T.- 19
Tom & Cheryl - 18
Kathy & Tony - 18

With the scores in the bottom so tight, the only three contestants that are really safe are Aaron, Mya, and Donny. I'm hoping that Kathy goes home, but I wouldn't mind if everyone forgot who Joanna was since she went first.

Who should go home? Leave comments below and if you missed any performance, catch them on SlashControl.