"Dancing With the Stars" Changes Leaders Once Again

"Dancing with the Stars" continued its roller coaster ride of twists and turns this week. With no definitive leader taking control, the audience was eager to see who would come out on top this time around. Would Chelsea and Mark hold on to their tentative lead or would another celebrity topple them and take control?

The idea of American Week might have sounded good on paper. However, dancing Latin songs to American music turned out to be a bit difficult to watch. The stars had a hard time reconciling the two together to deliver a perfectly seamless performance.

I've come to the conclusion that dancing first on the show is a sure-fire ticket to the bottom of the heap. Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff drew the unlucky straw this week. They danced a samba to Sweet Home Alabama.

Although I liked the performance and found it entertaining, some of the judges begged to differ. Len said it wasn't terrible but that Ralph was inconsistent and didn't have enough hip action. Bruno said he played a character well, but had no fire down below. Carrie Ann; however, disagreed. She reminded her cohorts that it was American Week and that the task was to Americanize a Latin dance. She said Ralph nailed it and that it was an entertaining samba.

Saddly, the couple's scores were mediocre. They received two 7's and one 8 for a total score of 22. That would prove insufficient to keep them away from the bottom of the leader board.

Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke hoped to fare better with their Viennese waltz to America the Beautiful. Although I hated the rendition they used, I thought the dance itself was beautiful. The judges agreed. Bruno told Chris he was graceful and elegant. Carrie Ann said she thought the judges had underestimated the wrestler. She had it was technically proficient and had great lines. Len said some of it was a bit flat-footed but good.

Nines reigned with two received from Bruno and Carrie Ann. Len finally broke his streak of sevens to give Chris the 8 he so desperately wanted. That gave the couple of score of 26, which would tie them for second place for the night.

Petra Nemcova and Dmitry Chaplin chose to perform a quick step to Viva Las Vegas. It was fun and a bit quirky.

Carrie Ann said she loved to watch Petra dance but that model had a few stumbles this time around because she got ahead of herself. Len said the dance was very fast and the steps very difficult. Still, he thought Petra coped well. Bruno called her the golden goddess and said the quality of movement was there.

Taking a step backward, this week the duo received two 7's and an 8. That gave them a score of 22, which would tie them for last place.

Romeo and Chelsie Hightower went for elegance in their fox trot to New York New York. It was okay in my book but not the dance of the night. The judges, on the other hand, loved it.

Len said Romeo had controlled holds and had flare when he was apart from Chelsie. He called the dance charming. Bruno said it had swagger and that is was cheeky. Carrie Ann said it was cool and sophisticated.

The couple finished with two 9's and one 8 for a total score of 26. That put them in a tie for second place.

Hines Ward and Kym Johnson went fora romantic rumba to Proud to be an American. Since it was one of my favorite songs, I watched with a critical eye. I need not have. The dance was sheer perfection.

Bruno said it had ease of movement and musicality. Carrie Ann said Hines made it look easy. She added that he had the best hip action in town. Len said the dance looked natural and elegant. He said it was Hines's best dance to date.

All that added up to a triple threat of 9's. That gave Hines and Kym a score of 27 and put them at the top of the leader board.

Kirstie Alley and Maxim Chmerkovskiy pulled in the big guns this week, calling for a session with the dance doctor, John Travolta during rehearsal. They did a fox trot to American Woman.

The song was an odd choice for the ballroom dance but it was still good. Carrie Ann said it suited Kirstie and that it was ambitious. Len said it had attitude and basic steps but it wasn't his cut of tea. Bruno called the couple the American Woman and Russian Gigolo and called the cold war over.

Kirstie and Max received two 8's and one 7. That gave them a total of 23, which secured them a spot in the middle of the leader board.

Drama queen Kendra Wilkinson and Louie van Amstel did a fox trot to Yankee Doodle Dandy. It was good but I couldn't get over Kendra's temper tantrum to enjoy the dance.

Len said it was better than last week and called the dance fun and entertaining. Bruno said it was sweet and more in character than Kendra's former dance. Carrie Ann said it was the most confidant she'd seen Kendra and called her a fighter. She also reminded her that when the judges critique it is meant to help her; not to trash her as Kendra took it.

The couple received a score of 22. That came from two 7's and an 8.

Up last were Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas. They performed a samba to a Miley Cyrus song entitled Party in the USA.

Bruno said the dance had energy, sizzle and excitement. He also said it was absolutely clean technically. Carrie Ann told the couple they danced well together, easily matching steps as a duo. Len called the performance a party with good fun.

Their hard work was rewarded with two 9's and one 8. That gave them a score of 26 and put them in a three-way tie for second place.

Here is the leader board as it currently stands:

First Place

Hines and Kym - 27. This is the couple's second time on top of the leader board.

Second Place (a three-way tie)

Chris and Cheryl - 26. The couple hasn't been able to crack that first position.
Romeo and Chelsie - 26. This is another duo who have never been on top.
Chelsea and Mark - 26. They slipped from first place to second place this week.

Third Place

Kirstie and Maxsim - 23. The couple is battling back from a string of mishaps. But are they on the right track?

Fourth Place (another three-way tie)

Ralph and Karina - 22. It appears the judges are not a fan of this couple.
Petra and Dmitry - 22. They tumbled from the top to the bottom in one week, which shows how important it is to get the steps right.
Kendra and Louie - 22. Kendra should have gone home last week because of her poor attitude.

It's very difficult to predict who might go home tonight. If it is Ralph, I'll be protesting. I suspect; however, that it will be Petra and Dmitry. Models have less of a fan base than other celebrities; making it hard for them to stay in the game as the season progresses.

If I had my way; however, it would be Kendra going home. I've had enough of all the drama. It is always someone else's fault and never her own. That doesn't fly with me.