'Dancing with the Stars' Season 11 - Week 9: Semi-Finals Recap with Bristol Palin

Dancing with the Stars Season 11 - Week 9 Performers

The four "Dancing with the Stars" performers remaining for the Season 11 Week 9 semi-finals were as follows:

Singer, actress - Brandy
Actress - Jennifer Grey
Actor - Kyle Massey
Teen activist - Bristol Palin

"Dancing with the Stars" - Bristol Palin's Paso Doble

Bristol Palin's first dance for Week 9 with partner Mark Ballas was a Paso Doble that received high praise from the judges with Carrie Ann Inaba stating "You came out like you were perfectly in control." Bristol received a score of 27 from the three judges for her Paso Doble.

Bristol Palin - Back Story

Between dances "Dancing with the Stars" took a closer look at the back story of each dancer in the semi-finals. Bristol Palin's parents, Sarah and Todd Palin, talked about what a determined little girl and young teen Palin had been, and they talked honestly and openly about her teen pregnancy. "Her little world kind of stopped spinning when Bristol came to us and said, 'I'm pregnant,'" Sarah Palin revealed.

Bristol Palin said the hardest thing had been people jumping to conclusions about her. "They called me a tramp and a sleaze, even though I had been in a serious relationship with only one boy since 2005. It was really hard on me." Palin said she decided to take what she had learned from her own personal experience and use it to help others by talking to teens about abstinence.

Sarah Palin said Bristol Palin knew she would be the target of ridicule and harsh comments by signing up for the dance competition, but the teen told her mother, "Mom, I'm going to be criticized anyway. They may say mean things, they may try to bring me down. but doggone it, you might as well dance!"

"Dancing with the Stars" - Bristol Palin's Waltz

Palin came out for her second dance, a Waltz, dressed in a mysterious full-length gown with sparkles and a hood, that suited the mood of the dance.

Carrie Ann Inaba said she thought the Walts was a little lacking and didn't have the control of the Paso.

Len Goodman said he couldn't agree with Carrie Ann and told Palin, "You have a vulnerability about your dancing" and brought a haunting feel to her dance.

Bruno Tolioni commented, "I quite like the way you approached this differently, as a woman of mystery." Tonioli added, "Of all the contestants this season, you have had a journey and you have worked your way up."

Bristol Palin's Waltz received an 8 from Imaba and a 9 from Goodman and Tonioli. Palin's combined score for week 9 was a 53 out of 60.

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