Oct 27 2008
Cloris May Have Busted Her Last Move
Corky Ballas attempts to teach an “old dog” like Cloris Leachman some new tricks for a dance routine on ABC’S Dancing With the Stars. The pair’s footwork on the show may be done following Monday’s performance. (picture courtesy of ABC-TV)
After a whirlwind and prosperous reign as the class clown of season seven’s Dancing With the Stars, Crazy Cloris finally may be turning in her comedy club card.
Leachman and partner Corky Ballas had a semi-streak going there, scoring two consecutive 20-plus scores over the last couple of weeks on ABC’s popular dancing series. However, it was back to the basement for the twosome, as all they could muster from the judges this evening was a miserable 15. Weeks of colorful pro-Cloris-the-entertainer commentary came to a halt, as Carrie Ann Inaba (while still stressing that she loved Leachman) pointed out that a talented dancer like Toni Braxton was sent home, while we were subjected to more of Leachman’s via her Cha-Cha-Cha routine.
Bruno Tonioli kept it slighty more positive, adding that Leachman’s the only person in the world who successfully could sell such nonsense to the public. Leachman’s reversal of fortune wasn’t the only one of the evening, however. For the first time, perennial favorites Brooke Burke and Derek Hough didnt net the night’s highest score- that honor went to Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer, whose invigorating Jive smoked last week’s lackluser West Coast Swing routine.
Some other couples dropped back to so-so levels after scoring season-high bests last week. Cody Linley and Julianne Hough wowed judges and viewers with their prior Jitterbug dance, but were less effective with this week’s Samba. In addition, Maurice Greene and Cheryl Burke followed up their Salsa with the Viennese Waltz, but in the process tied Leachman for the week’s biggest drop (six points).
All My Children’s Susan Lucci found herself spared at the expense of Braxton last week, and could find herself in the bottom two yet again. Even though she and partner Tony Dovolani’s Mambo earned them a one-point gain in score, Lucci looks timid, uncomfortable and on occasion, off in her dance floor steps. It’s fortunate for her that judges didn’t score this week’s group hip-hop number- let’s just say that she would have been better served hiding out in the back with Leachman (and Crazy Cloris has 20 years on Ms. Kane).
So, tomorrow night’s results show may see the competition’s elder stateswomen battling for the privilege to dance another week. Can Erica Kane’s fanbase keep her in contention, or viewers decide they want more wackiness from Hip-Hop Granny Cloris? Betting pools probably would favor the former, but we should know by now never to count out America’s favorite non-talent dancer.
