'Dancing With the Stars' 2011 Week 5: Hines Ward Rumbas to the Top, Three Fall Short

"Dancing with the Stars" 2011 continued Monday evening with the hit reality show's first-ever American Week. The eight remaining Mirrorball hopefuls, including week 4 leaderboard topper Chelsea Kane and "Cheers" star Kirstie Alley, took to the ballroom floor to shake their thangs while paying tribute to the U S of A. Here's a complete recap.

The show kicked off with all eyes on the celebs and their pro partners as they descended into the "Dancing with the Stars" ballroom. It was certainly something of a patriotic spectacle, with nearly everyone decked out in red, white or blue. (Or in Kendra Wilkinson and Kane's cases, all three. Holy overload, Batman!)

Up first to cut a rug were actor Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff, who were assigned a Samba to the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama". Talk about a cultural smorgasboard! As Ralph quipped, the routine involved a Russian gal, a guy from New York, a Brazilian party dance and some music from the deep South. Should be interesting.

Cowboy Ralph looked way uncomfortable in his jeans, besparkled black shirt and hat. It was cute and had some good country flavor, but I'm not sure how Samba-y it really was. He reminded me a little of a marionette dancing around on strings. Head judge Len Goodman said it wasn't "terrible", but worried that he was "not consistent". He criticized him for lacking in rhythm and told Ralph that he was better with ballroom styles. Bruno Tonioli appreciated the line dance and two stepping, but nailed him for lacking "fire down below". He ended his critique with a pointed "Give me sex, man!" Carrie Ann differed from the guys, calling it "a great entertaining performance" and enjoyed the "vivacious" quality about it. Ralph told Brooke Burke that it had been "a challenge" to fuse southern rock with the party dance, but that they'd done their best. Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 results: 8, 7, 7 = 22.

"Dancing with the Stars" 2011 resumed with the Viennese Waltz stylings of WWE star Chris Jericho and partner Cheryl Burke. During rehearsals, Chris aimed to earn a score higher than a 7 from Lenny. Chris likened the Viennese Waltz to be "being in a gravity chamber at the fair".

The pair's "America the Beautiful" dance began with military Chris greeting Cheryl, wearing one of the most hideous get-ups I've ever seen her wear (seriously, it looks like someone took a firecracker and blew out the central portion of the dress), mid-ballroom. He had a lovely smile through parts of the routine, but at times looked a bit serious, as if he were trying to remember the right moves. All in all, a good offering. Bruno called it "big yet graceful, strong yet delicate of touch, elegant with a sweeping sense of romance. It was absolutely wonderful". Carrie Ann said that in "some weird way, I feel like we've underestimated you" and called him "a real contender". Len said it was nice to see Cheryl "showing off the rocky mountains" for American week. He went on to say that Chris will get an 8 when he deserves one, adding that he needs to work on his footwork. During his post-dance Q&A with Brooke, he said that he couldn't believe they'd reached the halfway point in the season, and looked back on his first meeting with Cheryl --during which he likened himself to a "13 year old kid at a Justin Bieber concert"-- as having been very recent. Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke's "Dancing with the Stars" week 5 results: 9, 8, 9 = 26.

"Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 continued with Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova and partner Dmitry Chaplin. The duo was assigned a Quickstep set to the tune of Elvis' iconic "Viva Las Vegas". The ever sweet Petra said she wanted to use her dance to say thank you to America for all of the opportunity she's enjoyed.

Petra is just about the most charming "DWTS" contestant I've ever seen, and I've been watching since season 2. There was something extraordinarily pleasing about their Quickstep. It was an absolute theatrical delight, and she looked so sweet in her golden gown. Carrie Ann praised her for her increasing "confidence", but noted "a few stumbles". Len praised her for coping well with the speed of the music. He called her neck "lovely" but said her head sometimes "gets a bit cranky", a comment which led to an odd side comment by Tom Bergeron. Bruno called her "the golden goddess of speed" and said "you have lines that could rival Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini put together" but did note that sometimes the "handling" is a bit off. Petra repeated her thanks to America for helping with her Happy Hearts Foundation, and then it was score-time. Petra Nemcova and Dmitry Chaplin's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 results: 7, 7, 8 = 22.

Rapper Romeo and partner Chelsie Hightower kept thigs going with their Foxtrot. Romeo planned to encorporate a bit of his famed swagger into their "New York, New York" routine. He worked hard all week on his posture and said he wanted to show the judges that "I deserve to be on the top".

I love, love, loved his light-footed start and his dapper tuxedo. It was as if rapper Romeo transformed into Broadway Romeo at times. I would've been better had I not been able to see him counting and if he'd been able to maintain a smile, but hey, really fun stuff and much better than I'd expected. Len praised the "control" and "flair" of the routine and said he thought he was "on the right road", even though it wasn't perfect. Bruno said he'd never seen "a Foxtrot so cheeky" and well-done. Carrie Ann called it "so cool and so sophistocated" and appreciated his "unique style". Romeo said he liked that the judges pushed him to go harder and harder, and went on to dedicate his performance to his friend's mom, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Romeo and Chelsie Hightower's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 results: 9, 8, 9 = 26.

Up next, NFL star Hines Ward and partner Kym Johnson performed a Rumba to the tune of "Proud to be an American". Instead of making the dance "raunchy", Kym opted to go for "romance" in honor of American Week.

Dressed all in white, the military man and his lady took to the "DWTS" ballroom with the fastest Rumba I've ever seen. It was like the band was singing in superspeed, shazaam! It was fine, but wow, I wish it'd been a leetle bit slower. Bruno liked the "ease of move, musicality and just the right amount of sensuality to make the ladies swoon". Carrie Ann praised him for "making it look so easy" and appreciated his "hip action". Len liked the "naturalness about it" and called it his best dance so far. Wow! Hines Ward and Kym Johnson's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 results: 9, 9, 9 = 27.

Accident-plagued couple Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were up next with their Foxtrot, set to the tune of "American Woman". During rehearsals, 'dance doctor' John Travolta came by for a visit and to offer up some advice. Maks looked like he wanted to bust a gut laughing, but stuck with it.

Holy cannoli, from the American flag painted on Maks' shirtless side to Kirstie's little cage dance at the beginning to the pleather pants to some serious gyration, that was the most oddly steamy Foxtrot I've ever seen. It was awesome in its own way, but dude, methinks Lenny may not dig it. Carrie Ann called it "bold" and "borderline crazy" but said it was "magical" and her "best dance ever". Len liked the "attitude" and the "basic steps" but said it wasn't his "cup of tea". Bruno called it "the American woman and the Russian gigolo" and noted that "the cold was is definitely over". Kirstie justified Maks' outfit (or lack thereof) by noting that none of the guys in the 70s wore shirts. Meh heh heh. Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 results: 8, 7, 8 = 23.

Last week's leaderboard bottomfeeder Kendra Wilkinson and partner Louis van Amstel were up next with their Foxtrot. The Playboy Playmate vowed to use the "Yankee Doodle" dance as a fresh start, and thanked America for keeping her around.

When the two took to the Ballroom, confetti fell and Tom revealed that Kendra and Louis had the distinction of performing the "Dancing with the Stars" 1000th competitive dance. Woo! Make it a good one, guys. To her credit, Kendra did indeed look more comfortable as she strutted around the ballroom, and her smile seemed genuine. It was truly a cute number. Len called it "much better than last week" and praised her for enjoying herself. Bruno called it "cute, sweet as apple pie" but cautioned her against "thinking" too much. Carrie Ann called it "the most confident I've ever seen you" and said "you're a fighter" as she called it "the most patriotic dance of the night". Kendra told Brooke that she'd taken Carrie Ann's comments last week badly because it'd been "the wrong time of the month". Whoa there. Kendra Wilkinson and Louis van Amstel's "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 results: 8, 7, 7 = 22.

Finishing up American Week action on "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 were week 4 leaderboard toppers Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas. The duo were charged with performing a Samba to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA". Mark, worried over the tightness of the competition, opted to closely adhere to the rules to help keep her on top.

The dance was cute and fun and theatrical. Bruno praised her performance as "so clean" and said it had "the euphoric, positive energy of America and the sizzle of excitement of Brazil". Carrie Ann called it "fantasic". Len said "yum yum what a bum" and called it "real good fun" but called her out for messing up a running promenade near the end. Chelsea called "everyone in this room a threat at this point" when asked by Brooke to choose her biggest competition. Well duh! Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas' "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5 results: 9, 8, 9 = 26.

So that's it for "Dancing with the Stars" 2011 week 5. I'm of two minds when it comes to tomorrow night's results show. I think Kendra should get booted, but don't think she will. I'm more inclined to see Romeo getting the axe, despite his great performance tonight. No matter who goes, the loss will be a difficult one. Tune in at 9 p.m. to see who is eliminated. Or you can just check in with me. You know I'll be watching.