RECAP: DANCING's Spotlight on Inspiring Dancers

Another week, another elimination. And with only three weeks to go until the final showdown, tonight's result show was totally disappointing in the Drama Department. Where have our weary heroes gone? Where have the sweeping montages gone? Yes, they were a little bit over the top, but they were good for a laugh and at least they gave the show some semblance of tension.

Although, it wasn't so much an issue of lacking melodramatic entertainment value as it was an issue of not giving screen time to the actual competitors. Really, they spared the stars so little attention this time around that it started to feel less like an elimination and more like a dance recital for the DWTS dance troupe, who they marched out every five minutes or so. I mean, hey, I enjoy watching legitimately talented people dance, but if I was looking for that sort of programming I sure as hell wouldn't be watching DANCING WITH THE STARS.

The night's real triumph, once again, was it's touching features of dancers battling adversity to take the floor and pursue their passion. AT&T's Spotlight on the Camden Sophisticated Sisters was both inspiring and fun. Boston bombing Survivor Adrianne Haset's story told of hard-earned hope in a time of tragedy, leaving off the promise of her appearance on the show once she has undergone rehab and learned how to dance with a prosthetic in place of the leg she lost.

You have to hand it to ABC; if you're going to stretch a results show that should take all of five minutes to fill an hour, it's a respectable and classy thing to bring something to the show that really matters. They may not hesitate to indulge in some sensational packaging, but they definitely keep things in perspective.

Kind of hard to be too upset that Andy Dick got the boot when you think of the daily struggle Adrianne Haset is facing, no matter how hard you were rooting for him.

As we enter the final stretch of the competition, it is down to the wire. No more passes for charismatic stars who put in mediocre performances. It's all about who has the right moves and can move the audience now.

For highlights from this week's elimination, check out the breakdown below:

The Encore

Aly Raisman and her partner Mark Ballas scored another Encore this week, and their salsa was just as sweet the second time. Major points to Mark for still being able to shake it despite what looked like some pretty serious back pain.

The Performances

Somehow, Michael Buble manages to give the appearance of putting on the exact same performance regardless of what song he's singing. Tonight the bubbly number was "Come Dance With Me," but even with the help of the dance troupe it was yawnsville.

Internet violinist Lindsey Stirling, who is known for her unconventional dubstep covers and nerdy medleys and who previously appeared on AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, set the stage on fire (literally) with a killer performance. Unfortunately, the camera spent far less time following her than it did watching the Macy's Stars of Dance twirl around. Not that they weren't great, but how can you possibly ignore the girl swirling across the stage, rocking it out with violin in hand?

The wow performance of the night was easily this week's AT&T Spotlight performers. The Sophisticated Sisters, a group from Camden, NJ led by Tawanda Jones, took the ballroom but storm with their fierce drill routine. The group provides a safe place for girls in one of the most dangerous cities in the world and inspires them to chase down their dreams. And boy, can they dance. At the end of the performance, Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet announced that DWTS would be installing mirrors in the windowless water tower where they rehearse. Once again, classy move, ABC.

The Chopping Block

You have to give Tom Bergeron credit for trying to create suspense when Jacoby and Karina wound up in the bottom three. "Jacoby and Karina are in jeopardy, what kind of night are we in for?" he asked. How Sean and Peta beat them out and managed to stay off the chopping block is beyond me, but I think we all knew how this was going to end. No amount of viewer votes was going to bring Andy back from a score of 17, especially not after the dance-off bonus points were tallied up. Ingo joined his fellow men in the bottom, but expectedly escaped elimination. Andy's sweet can-do attitude will certainly be missed, but he Made it about as far as he ever could have hoped for.

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