DANCING WITH THE STARS Showdown: Week Two!

It's week two on DANCING WITH THE STARS, and that means one less celebrity, but more pressure, tougher choreography, and new dances for the remaining stars! Who rose to the challenge and whose injury prevented them from doing so? Find out now!

Kicking things off - literally - are Hope Solo and Maks, who visit a soccer game during rehearsals. They're taking on the Jive, and while Hope definitely has the athleticism to pull it off, she doesn't bring the fluidity that she had last week and the pair receives two 6s with a 7 from Len for a total of 19 points.

Next up is Kristin Cavallari with Mark, who are looking to add to their performance from last week. Dressed like Marilyn Monroe, Kristin brings the top of her game and the judges are duly impressed. While Len remarks that it was more about flash than content ("It wasn't as good as she looks"), Carrie Ann disagrees: "Stunning, elegant, synchronized," she says. They receive 22 points.

David Arquette - decked out in all gold and white - and Kym are next. They take bring their best energy, but David is once again all over the place with his steps and the judges note as much, awarding him just 18 points with 6s across the board.

On the floor next are Elisabetta Canalis and her partner Val. While the two butt heads in their rehearsal video (and Val starts the dance with a playful jab at their language barrier by pretending to read an Italian dictionary at the start of the number) they work well as a team when it's time for their dance. The judges agree, giving the pair 21 points.

Rob Kardashian, who had a rough week last week, performs the Jive with his partner Cheryl. Their concept is cute - palm trees and Hawaiian print outfits - but Rob's technique is still not the best, and it shows; but the judges seem to want to encourage his improvement over last week's less-than-stellar performance and he receives 21 points.

Carson Kressley and his partner Anna start off with an "I Love Lucy"-esque black and white heart, but it seems that as soon as the cameras switch to color Carson seems to lose his steps. It's clear that he's no dancer, but it's also clear to the judges that he's putting in a lot of effort and that he's entertaining and having fun; he and Anna receive 18 points.

Next up are Ricki Lake and Derek, who show an improvement over their already solid moves from last week. The judges - especially Carrie Ann - are enthusiastic about the performance, which features Ricki in hot pink with a matching feather in her hair, and they're given the top score of the night so far: 22 points.

Chaz Bono and Lacey get off to a rough start in rehearsal: Chaz has been having knee pain, and is worried about dancing this week. Still he makes it to the ballroom floor, and while the judges are sympathetic to his pain, the dance suffers because of it and the pair receives just 17 points.

Chynna Phillips, who was one of the two high scorers last week along with partner Tony, gives a full-out effort for her Jive. They go with a simple dance - no props other than a smoke machine - but in the end it's the simplicity of the steps that causes the judges to worry and they walk away with a solid 21 points for a good effort.

Nancy Grace, paired with Tristan, looks to redeem herself after a lackluster performance last week, and thinks that the Quickstep is the perfect way to bring energy: "You don't have time to be nervous," she says. With a new dance and new extensions in her hair, she certainly improves - though she still looks unsure on the dance floor. An overwhelmed Nancy receives 21 points for her efforts.

J.R. Martinez, the other high scorer from last week, and his partner Karina are seeking to keep their spot at the top of the leaderboard. They come very close to their goal, delivering a clean, strong dance (despite the inclusion of a lift, which Carrie Ann has qualms about this early in the competition) and earning 22 points.

Will your favorites stick around until next week? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday night during and up to 30 minutes after the "Dancing with the Stars" performance shows. Wireless customers with AT&T may also text message their votes by texting the word "VOTE" to the number that corresponds to the team they want to support (message and data rates may apply). Viewers may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast, until 8:00 a.m., PT the following day. Fans may cast the maximum limit of votes for each voting method.

"Dancing with the Stars" is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, "Strictly Come Dancing." This version is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green serves as executive producer and Rob Wade is co-executive producer. Alex Rudzinski directs. "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.