Category Archives: Hope Solo

DWTS 13, Week 9 results: So long Solo

As expected the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Goalkeeper, Hope Solo was the person who left the ballroom. Solo had the lowest score Monday night and also had a sour grape comment.

In reality, Hope Solo had never realized a good dance frame and never seemed comfortable in heels. Her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy had a verbal altercation with judge Len Goodman earlier in the season as well. Solo and Chmerkovskiy had 49 points for their three dances on Monday night, compared to Ricki Lake and Derek Hough’s 67.

Solo and Chmerkovskiy were the best score (with David Arquette and Kym Johnson) for the cha cha cha with 24. The same score tied them with Nancy Grace and Tristan MacManus, Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke and Ricki Lake and Derek Hough for the low score in the foxtrot. Solo and Chmerkovskiy were also the low score for the paso doble, tied with Chaz Bono and Lacey Schwimmer and Nancy Grace and Tristan MacManus with 21. Solo and Chmerkovskiy were the low score for the Argentine tango (24) and for the cha cha cha relay (4).

That means the three couples in the finals are:

  • Ricki Lake & Derek Hough: 67
  • J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff: 56
  • Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke: 65
Week 1: Viennese waltz
21 (7,7,7)
Week 2: Jive
19 (6,7,6)
Week 3: Cha cha cha
24 (8,8,8)
Week 4: Foxtrot
24 (8,8,8)
Week 5: Tango
24 (8,8,8)
Week 6: Rumba
20 (7,6,7)
Week 7: Samba
24 (8,8,8)
Week 8: Quickstep
27 (9,9,9)
Week 8: Instant Jive
25 (8,9,8)
Week 9: Paso doble
21 (7,7,7)
Week 9: Argentine tango
24 (8,8,8)
Week 9: cha cha cha relay
Score: 4

DWTS 13, Week 9 (semifinals): So long to Hope Solo?

Last night on “Dancing with the Stars,” there were some surprises and some heroics. At the end of the evening, Ricki Lake and Derek Hough were the top scoring team after three dances with 67 points. In second was Robert Kardashian and Cheryl Burke with 65 points.

With the final four, we only two locals: Los Angeles-born reality TV personality Rob Kardashian who attended USC and current Los Angeles resident Ricki Lake.

Lake was born in Hastings-on-Hudson in New York, but after her divorce, she had moved to Los Angeles. In September of 2010, her rented Malibu home burned down although she escaped without injury. In a way, Lake is exactly like the character who made her famous, Tracy Turnblad, a heavyset girl who could dance. She’s about 30 pounds lighter now and can she dance!

Lake and Hough scored a perfect 30 for their saucy samba. Kardashian and Burke got a 10 from judge Carrie Ann Inaba who must have been impressed by the butt shaking. Their samba performance tied them with J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff who also scored a 28.

This week in the Argentine tango, they tied for second with J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff. However, Kardashian’s routine had more actual dance content. Also DWTS allows lifts in the Argentine tango, at the local Emerald Ball competition, no lifts are allowed in that dance.

Martinez and Smirnoff had little footwork and it was mostly stunts (lifts, dips and other tricks). The judges noted that for a non-dancer to perform such lifts was a real accomplishment, but that isn’t really what Argentine tango is about.

Los Angeles professional Argentine tango dancers Sandor and Parissa performed (along with DWTS pros Tony Dovolani, Kym Johnson, Kiki Nyemcheck, Sasha Faber, Oksana Dmytrenko, Anna Trebunskaya), but it was essentially stunt after stunt and didn’t give the audience any idea of the more nuanced aspects of the dance. Kardashian’s routine had more actual dance content than Martinez’s.

Hope Solo might have had difficulty with the higher Latin heel if she was using them, but her Argentine tango routine was also a series of tricks and without smooth transitions. Yet doing lifts and tricks with shoulder pain isn’t easy.

Kardashian and Burke were the top team in the cha cha cha relay and were also the last couple to perform.

Hope Solo and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were the lowest scoring team of the night. Solo’s frame isn’t good–her shoulders are always forward and she still seems uncomfortable in heels. Both J.R. Martinez and Solo have problems with flexed feet but Solo’s is one that is more obvious.

Yet one must give credit to both Solo and Martinez. Martinez twisted his ankle badly on Saturday and yet soldiered through three routines without whining. Imagine Chaz Bono doing that. Solo has an old shoulder injury which she feels every time she’s holding a dance frame and had to take some pain management shots.

  • Ricki Lake & Derek Hough : 30+29+8=67
  • Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke : 28+27=10=65
  • J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff : 23+27+6=56
  • Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy : 21+24+4=49
Hope Solo should go tonight. We love her energy, her determination and her smile, but she’s had problems dancing in heels and keeping a dance frame.
We hope J.R. Martinez will be able to continue and that his ankle will improve. If he won, it would be a DWTS Cinderfella story.  Yet ankle injuries to soft tissue heal slowly and while, unlike the women, he doesn’t have to wear heels, he does have to be stable enough to do lifts, pivot and lead. He seemed to be compensating by losing his frame and sticking his bum out. JR Martinez will be the Grand Marshall for the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena for 2012.

Ricki Lake as a winner would also be a triumph for a woman of a certain age and a heavier frame. And we love that fellow USC graduate Kardashian is showing how much confidence dancing can bring.

We hope the two locals, Lake and Kardashian, make it to the finals along with J.R. Martinez.

DWTS 13: Compare Argentine tango

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough – Argentine Tango

  • Song: ?
  • Score: 29 (9,10,10)

J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff – Argentine Tango (Week 9 )

  • Song: “Bust Your Windows” by Jazmine Sullivan
  • Score: 27
Mostly dips and lifts.
Rob Kardashian & Cheryl Burke – Argentine Tango

  • Song: “Libertango” by Bond
  • Score: 27

Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Argentine Tango

  • Song: “Whatever Lola Wants” by Sarah Vaughan
  • Score: 24

DWTS pros and Sandor and Parissa:

DWTS 13: Compare Instant Jive

J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff – Instant Jive (Week 8)

  • Song: “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard
  • Score: 30

Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Instant Jive (Week 8)

  • Song: “The Best Damn Thing” by Avril Lavigne
  • Score: 25 (8,9,8)

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough – Instant Jive (Week 8)

  • Song: “Land Of A Thousand Dances” by Wilson Pickett
  • Score: 24

Rob Kardashian & Cheryl Burke – Instant Jive (Week 8)

  • Song: “Maneater” by Hall & Oates
  • Score: 24

Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus – Instant Jive (Week 8)

  • Song: “Upside Down” by Paloma Faith
  • Score: 20 (7,6,7)

DWTS 13, Week 8: JR is a perfect 60

BURBANK, Los Angeles County, CA–Last night, was perfect for J.R. Martinez as he topped the leader board with perfect 30s for both his dances. That means, Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff had the first and second perfect scores of DWTS season 13.

The big breakthrough last night was Hope Solo. She finally was able to dance with heels and she received three nines for her quickstep. Solo, more than Lake, has the stamina. Solo and her professional dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy ended the night tied for second with Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough.

Solo and Chmerkovskiy scored one point better on their instant dance.

The instant dance favors the female celebrities. If they’ve finally learned how to follow, then their professional partner will lead. All the professional dancers have experience with instant dances because most competitions require heats where the music played isn’t chosen beforehand.

For that reason, Smirnoff’s strategy and Martinez’s accomplishment (receiving a perfect score) are particularly noteworthy. Yet we also want to give Robert Kardashian credit for his efforts to lead. It’s not an easy experience for a total novice dancer like Kardashian and Burke has did a good job preparing him for it.

Nancy Grace seems a bit lost. Sure she’s older than the other competitors, but she doesn’t take the stage or emote. There’s a lot of stiffness between moves and she doesn’t take advantage of the still moments. We think it’s time for Grace to go although we do love her partner Tristan MacManus and we’ve finally managed to get used to his lovely accent.

Vote online
Online voting will remain open until 11AM (Eastern Time)/ 8AM (Pacific Time) the following today, Tuesday, 8 November 2011. .
Leader Board
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff : 30+30=60
Ricki Lake & Derek Hough : 28+24=52
Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy : 27+25=52
Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke : 27+24=51
Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus :  24+20=44


J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff
  • Waltz
  • “What the World Needs Now” by Burt Bacharach
  • Score: 30 (10, 10, 10)
Carrie Ann Inaba said that it went beyond his natural grace; Martinez and Smirnoff created "magic."

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough
  • Waltz
  • “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin
  • Score: 28 (9,9,10)

Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
  • Quickstep
  • Score: 27 (9,9,9)
  • “Valerie” by Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse

Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke
  • Quickstep
  • Score: 27 (9,9,9)
  • “Take On Me” by A-ha

Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus
  • Tango
  • Score: 24 (8,8,8)
  • “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane” by The Ames Brothers
The Instant Dance
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff
  • Jive
  • Score: 30
  • “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard

Tonioli said Martinez's timing was impeccable and Inaba said no one was close to them.
Goodman said he had the X-factor AND the feel-good factor.
Ricki Lake & Derek Hough
  • Jive
  • Score: 24 (8,8,8)
  • “Land of a Thousand Dances” by Wilson Pickett
Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
  • Jive
  • Score: 25 (8,9,8)
  • “The Best Damn Thing” by Avril Lavigne
Solo has a killer smile! She finally seems to have the hang of walking and dancing in heels.
Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke
  • Jive
  • Score: 24 (8,8,8)
  • “Maneater” by Hall & Oates
Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus :
  • Jive
  • Score: 20 (7,6,7)
  • “Upside Down” by Paloma Faith
What is it with cartwheels this season? If you’re going to do a cartwheel, do it well.
Inaba felt Grace got lost in the dance.
Online voting will remain open until 11AM (Eastern Time)/ 8AM (Pacific Time) the following today, Tuesday, 8 November 2011.

DWTS 13: Compare samba

SAMBA
Ricki Lake and Derek Hough
  • “Jump in the Line” – Harry Belafonte
  • 30 (10,10,10)
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff 
  • Score: 28 (9,9,10)
  •  “Conga” by Gloria Estefan
Robert Kardashian & Karina Smirnoff
  • “I Go to Rio” – Pablo Cruise
  • Score: 28 (10,9,9)
Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy :
  • Score: 24
  • “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon
Kristin Cavallari & Mark Ballas
  • Score: 24 (8,8,8)
  • “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce ft. Jay-Z
Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer
  • 21 (7,7,7)
  •  “Get Down on It” by Kool & the Gang

DWTS 13, Week 7 Results: David Arquette quits the dance floor

David Arquette & Kym Johnson are gone. Arquette and Johnson are tied for the best cha cha cha of the season with 24 points. However, they are also the worst score for the jive with 18 points; Ricki Lake and Derek Hough are the highest scoring team with 23.

By average, Arquette and Johnson have a 22.3 average which is is above Nancy Grace and Tristan MacManus with 21.1.  Grace and MacManus were actually the lowest scoring team of the week with 44. Arquette and Johnson had 47 points.

Week 1: Viennese waltz

  • Score: 18 (6, 6, 6)
  • “Somebody to Love” by Queen
Week 2: Jive
  • Score: 18 (6, 6, 6)
  • “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars
Week 3: Rumba (Memorable Year Week)
  • Score: 24 (8,8,8)
  • “O-o-h Child” by Five Stairsteps
Week 4:  Paso doble (Movie Week)
  • Score: 23 (8,7,8)
  • “The Raiders March” from “Raiders of the Lost Ark”
Week 5: Tango
  • Score: 25 (8,9,8)
  • “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
Week 6: Quickstep (Broadway week)
  • Score: 23 (8,7,8)
  • “We Go Together” by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John from “Grease”
Week 7: Cha cha cha (Halloween Week)
  • Score: 24 (8,8,8)
  • “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band

DWTS 13: Compare Paso Doble

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough
  • Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)
  • “Sweet Dreams” by Beyoncé
Rob Kardashian & Cheryl Burke
  • Score: 24
  • Theme from: “Superman”
David Arquette & Kym Johnson
  • Score: 23 (8,7,8)
  • “The Raiders March” from “Raiders of the Lost Ark”
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff – Paso Doble (Week 9)

  • Song: Theme Song to “The Legend of Zorro” by James Horner
  • Score: 23 (8,7,8)
Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus
  • Score: 21 (7,7,7) Week 4 (Movie Week)
  • “Flash’s Theme” from “Flash Gordon”
Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer
  • Score: 21
  • “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky
Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Paso Doble ( Week 9 )

  • Song: “Can’t Be Tamed” by Miley Cyrus
  • Score: 21

DWTS 13: Compare Tango

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough

  • Score: 29 (10,9,10) Week 4
  • Theme from: “Psycho”
Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke
  • Score: 25 (9, 8, 8)
  • The Addams Family Theme”—from The Addams Family
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff
  • Score: 25 (9,8,8)
  • “Ghostbusters Theme” by Ray Parker Jr.
Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
  • Score: 24 (8, 8, 8) Week 5
  • “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi
David Arquette & Kym Johnson
  • Score: 25 (8,9,8) Week 5
  • “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus – Tango (Week 8)

  • Song: “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane” by The Ames Brothers
  • Score: 24

Carson Kressley & Anna Trebunskaya

  • Score: 23 (8,7,8) Week 3
  • “It’s My Life” by No Doubt
Chynna Phillips & Tony Dovolani
  • Score: 21 (7,7,7) Week 4
  • Theme from: Mission: Impossible
Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer
  • Score: 19 (7,6,6)
  • “The Phantom of the Opera” from “The Phantom of the Opera”
Team tango: David Arquette & Kym Johnson, Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus,
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff
  • Score: 23 (8,7,8)
  • “Disturbia” by Rihanna

DWTS 13, Week 6: JR and Ricki on top; Chaz at bottom

Tonight on “Dancing with the Stars,” it was Broadway week and Carson Kressley was sorely missed. We’re glad they brought Kressley back as a “creative director.”

Vote online

Again, J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff were on top, but they were joined by Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough.

Both teams performed the quickstep and received two tens–both from Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Head judge Len Goodman didn’t think these teams were perfection.

The real surprise of the night was who finished in third place: Nancy Grace and her partner Tristan MacManus. Nancy received her first nine. Not bad for the oldest competitor this season.

Chaz Bono and his partner Lacey Schwimmer returned to the bottom with a 19 for their tango performed to “The Phantom of the Opera.” Still, it is likely that Bono will survive tomorrow night’s elimination.

Probably the couple really in danger is soccer player Hope Solo and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy who were just one point ahead of Bono and Schwimmer with a 20 for their rumba to “Season of Love” from the musical “Rent.”

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  • J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff : 29
  • Ricki Lake & Derek Hough : 29
  • Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus : 24
  • David Arquette & Kym Johnson : 23
  • Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke : 22
  • Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy : 20
  • Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer : 19
CHA CHA CHA
Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke : 22 (8, 7, 7) to “Walk Like a Man” from “Jersey Boys”
Kardashian and Burke would at this point be the second best team in the cha cha cha.
Here’s the scene from the musical:
FOXTROT
Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus : 24 to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from “Monty Python’s Spamalot”
QUICKSTEP
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff : 29 (10,9,10) to “Hot Honey Rag” from “Chicago”
Ricki Lake & Derek Hough : 29 (10,9,10) to “Luck Be a Lady” from “Guys and Dolls.”
David Arquette & Kym Johnson : 23 to “We Go Together” from “Grease”
All of these teams scored better than the teams who had performed the quickstep during previous weeks.
RUMBA
Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 20 (7, 6, 7) to “Seasons of Love” from “Rent.”
TANGO
Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer : 19 (7, 6, 6) to “The Phantom of the Opera” from “The Phantom of the Opera.”
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE COUPLE
J.R. Martinez & Karina Smirnoff : 29
  • 1-800-868-3410
  • TEXT: 3410

Ricki Lake & Derek Hough : 29

  • 1-800-868-3411
  • TEXT: 3411
Nancy Grace & Tristan MacManus : 24
  • 1-800-868-3405
  • TEXT: 3405
David Arquette & Kym Johnson : 23
  • 1-800-868-3406
  • TEXT: 3406

Robert Kardashian & Cheryl Burke : 22

  • 1-800-868-3402
  • TEXT: 3402
Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovskiy : 20
  • 1-800-868-3408
  • TEXT: 3408

Chaz Bono & Lacey Schwimmer : 19

  • 1-800-868-3412
  • TEXT: 3412
Of course, I have to leave you with clips from the movies “Sweet Charity” and Cabaret.” Tomorrow I’ll add the celebrity performances to this article.