Dancing with the Stars Show Review: March 16, 2009

Dancing With The Stars had its second episode of the 2009 season on Monday, March 16, 2009. There were several great performances as each of the couples prepared for the first elimination, set for tomorrow night.

Here are a few of the performances that caught my attention this week.

Holly and Dmitry: The couple danced the quick step tonight, as Holly was looking for "Most Improved" from last week. Holly was one of the last minute replacements to the show, so she had a whole week to prepare the dance. She did a much better job than last week. Her posture was a little shaky, and both of the male judges told her that she had work to do on her frame.

The couple ended with a score of 18-not a terrible score, but not as much of an improvement as Holly probably hoped for. All in all, the couple should be safe for another week, but Holly needs to get much more comfortable with her dancing if she wants to stick around for future weeks.

Denise and Max: Denise had an absolutely horrible performance last week, but after her stunning dance this week, the judges were extremely complimentary of her improvement and her potential for future weeks.

I felt that Denise looked much more comfortable on the dance floor, but it is too early to declare her first week completely forgettable. Denise and Max both received a high score, and coupled with America's votes, should see the dance floor for another week. If Denise is able to deliver a top-notch performance next week, this couple could move firmly into the darkhorse position to win the competition.

Ty and Chelsie: This was an absolutely stellar performance-one of the absolute best of the night. Last week, I had a real issue with Ty being way too serious about the competition, but he looked like he had an absolute great time (and looked genuinely happy at the end of his performance, to boot). Chelsie is a great mentor for his, and this couple looks like they could really have a successful Dancing With The Stars run.

Ty and Chelsie ended up with a solid 20-a big improvement over last week's score of 14. It looks like the quick step is Ty's kind of dance, so hopefully we can see more of that in future weeks.

Shawn and Mark: This duo had a great follow-up performance tonight, and they solidified themselves among the top three to five couples. Shawn has a great stage presence, and though she was a bit hesitant to dance the salsa, she did a great job. She looks like she is getting more comfortable within the realms of the competition, so they should be an exciting duo to watch in the future.

Gilles and Cheryl: The star couple ended up with a stellar 27 to cap off a great night of performances. They have a 51/60 after the first two weeks and are the best couple on the floor. Gilles, who some have compared to Clark Kent from Superman, is an extremely fluid dance who looks very comfortable on the floor. This duo is the top in the competition thus far, and are easily one of the favorites to win the whole competition, even after two weeks!

Get your votes in tonight, as the results will be shared on Tuesday with the whole nation! There will be a dance off between the two lowest scorers, and one couple will be eliminated at the end of the night.

Source: http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/index?pn=index