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Recap

We were treated to two rounds on week seven of Dancing with the Stars: ballroom and Latin. Let's review them both right now...

Ballroom Round
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani (Tango) - Len was initially worried that Marissa would plateau after improving over the last few weeks. Three words summed up his opinion: your best dance. Bruno loved the drama, passion, and hint of disdain in Marissa' performance. It was like a scene from a Garcia Lorca play. Carrie Ann told Marissa that she pushes her boundaries, which is what the competition is all about. She showed a completely new side of herself. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)

Cristián de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke (Viennese Waltz)
-  Bruno called Cristián South America's Clark Gable, and complimented his twinkling eyes, the couple's interplay, and their use of the floor. Carrie Ann appreciated the fluidity of movement, but thought the routine needed more energy and flare. Len enjoyed the romantic tone of the routine. There wasn't enough traditional waltz content, though. Score: 25 (8, 8, 9)

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas (Viennese Waltz) - Carrie Ann believed that risk of using props paid off. She felt the emotion of the dance, but thought her turns were a bit off. Len commended Kristi for attempting a fleckle. On the down side, the start was too long and he didn't enjoy the "mincing around" with the umbrella. Bruno thought the dance worked. He was glad that Kristi acted the part. The turns were off, but he acknowledged the level of difficulty. Score: 26 (9, 8, 9)

Mario and Karina Smirnoff (Foxtrot) - Len didn't think Mario brought all of the necessary elegance to the foxtrot. On the plus side, he liked the feather step at the beginning, and said Mario danced with a maturity beyond his years. Bruno told Mario that he brings a youthful vitality to everything he does, and was a pleasure to watch. He needed to watch his control in the future, though. Carrie Ann gave the couple credit for doing ambitious and difficult routines each week. Her only criticism was that Mario was a bit loose in the joints. Score: 24 (8, 8, 8)

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough (Tango) - Bruno thought Shannon looked like a silent movie vamp. He couldn't help but point out a tiny mistake at the end. Carrie Ann called the tango Shannon's best dance so far. She had great lines and clearly worked hard. Len admired the couple's aggression and passion, but noticed some odd moments. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9).

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska (Quickstep)
- Carrie Ann complimented Jason's energy, frame, kicks, and form. The entire performance was fantastic. Len said that performances like that would take Jason to the Finals. Bruno believed the couple's quickstep was the performance of the night; very athletic. Score: 29 (10, 9, 10)

Latin Round

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani (Rumba) - Bruno told Marissa she looked like a woman in full bloom. The routine was romantic, warm and sweet. He instructed her to push the sexiness more if she drew the dance again. Carrie Ann had goosebumps. Marissa exuded confidence, had fluid arm movements, and sustained the emotion throughout the routine. Len wanted to see more "welly" and hip action. All in all, he thought she acted the part well. Score: 25 (9, 8, 8)

Cristián de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke (Samba)
- Carrie Ann appreciated that Cristián toughed it out and made it to the end of the routine. She made it clear that they will judge the performance up to the point of the injury. Len called Cristián brave for carrying on despite a muscle cramp. Bruno liked what he saw before the injury, and acknowledged that Cristián did his best. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7)

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas (Cha Cha Cha) - Len strongly disliked the hip hop moves and the back-and-forth choreography; he called it time wasted. Bruno thought the contemporary choreography was fantastic and inventive. Carrie Ann gave the couple snaps for doing hip hop moves well. Score: 28 (10, 8, 10)

Mario and Karina Smirnoff (Mambo) - Bruno thought the devil was in Mario's hips. He's always great with Latin dances, and the mambo was slick and fast. Carrie Ann called the mambo Mario's dance, and told him he set the place on fire. She only noticed one part where the couple was out of sync. Len used three words again: wild, wacky, and wonderful. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough (Mambo) - Carrie Ann was speechless for a moment. She praised Shannon's attack, but had a lot of criticisms. The lines were awkward, and Shannon suffered the down side of having long limbs. Len said that Shannon had a "bionic bum," but also thought she looked gawky at times. Her hips had improved since last week, though. Bruno instructed Shannon to control her gangly movements and focus on developing clean, precise lines. Score: 24 (8, 8, 8)

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska (Paso Doble)
- Len complimented Jason's attack as well as the music. He didn't care for all of the poses. Bruno said that a man with Jason's presence can pose as much as he wants. Carrie Ann loved the shapes, attack, and presence in the routine. She caught Edyta's foot leaving the ground, though. Score: 26 (9, 8, 9)

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