Three couples. Two dances each. One champion crowned tomorrow night.

Round 1 is a dance chosen by the judges. Round 2 is the Freestyle.

Judges’ Choice

Laila and Maks
Paso Doble

They are very…red. And shiny. And red. A lot more intensity than I remember in their first Paso. And yay! Good Paso music for a change. Very passionate. Very fiery. Good stuff!

Judges scores: 10 + 9 + 10 = 29

My score: 10

Apolo and Julianne
Rumba

Some very pretty poses in this dance. I don’t know if it was the music, but it seemed to be lacking a little passion to me. I think the tempo of the music was too fast for a rumba. But it was danced beautifully.

Judges scores: 9 + 9 + 10 = 28

My score: 9

Joey and Kym
Cha-cha

Well, there were a lot of tricks in this one and it was fun to watch, but for me, there wasn’t really enough cha-cha-cha.

Judges scores: 9 + 8 + 9 = 26

My score: 9

Freestyle

Laila and Maks
Shake Your Body Down to the Ground

Laila is a not a petite girl, so that precluded a lot of lifts. They did do one however, and they obviously had a lot of fun and brought in Laila’s hip-hop as well. And it didn’t hurt to end with Maks losing his shirt. ahem. ;)

Judges scores: 9 + 8 + 9 = 26

My score: 9

Apolo and Julianne
Bust a Move

Apolo can breakdance! Who knew? Some fun tricks. A very different dance from them that really showed off their youthfulness. What can I say? It was awesome!

Judges scores: 10 + 10 + 10 = 30

My score: 10

Joey and Kym
Last Dance

Joey is the strongest guy so it was a no brainer that their lifts would be the most spectacular. It was a great routine to be sure, but I actually preferred Apolo and Julianne’s.

Judges scores: 10 + 10 + 10 = 30

My score: 10

Judges ranking
1. Apolo and Julianne (58)
2. Joey and Kym (56)
3. Laila and Maks (55)

My ranking
1. Apolo and Julianne (19)
2. Joey and Kym (19)
3. Laila and Maks (19)

I love Laila, but…I don’t think her routine was flashy enough to beat out the wonder kids and the disco babes. Maks’s bare chest will throw her a few votes, though, I’m sure! I think it’s going to come down to Joey and Apolo. I really like all three of them, but if I have to pick a favorite, I’m going with Apolo and Julianne for all their fresh young energy.