"Dancing with the Stars" Recap: Opera Singer Katherine Jenkins Tops Leader Board Again - East Idaho News
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“Dancing with the Stars” Recap: Opera Singer Katherine Jenkins Tops Leader Board Again

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GETTY E 032612 MarkBallasKathJenkins?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1332817569083Niki Nikolova/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins again struck a chord with the Dancing with the Stars judges on Monday night. For the second consecutive week, she earned a share of the lead. Jenkins has the highest combined score from the first two performance shows of the season.

At the other end of the spectrum, tennis great Martina Navratilova’s days on the competition may be numbered after accumulating the lowest combined score.

Here’s the rundown of the individual performances, in chronological order:

— Disney actor Roshon Fegan and his partner, Chelsie Hightower, played the roles of two celebrities walking the red carpet. The tuxedo-clad Fegan and the equally-spiffy Hightower danced the quickstep to the Good Charlotte song “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”

Len Goodman called the performance “young” and “fresh,” and Bruno Tonioli said Fegan has “more sparks than a bolt of lightning.” Total score: 26 out of a possible 30. Combined score (including last week’s performance): 49 out of a possible 60.

The View co-host Sherri Shepherd had all sorts of fun during her jive with Val Chmerkovskiy. Despite a small misstep by Shepherd during the routine, she had a huge smile on her face as she shimmied to “Proud Mary.” She jokingly collapsed at the end of her performance.

Tonioli stood up and exclaimed that Tina — as in Tina Turner, who scored a hit with “Proud Mary” — would be proud. Carrie Ann Inaba praised Shepherd for exuding confidence on the dance floor. Total score: 23/30. Combined score: 46/60.

— Former Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert teamed with Maksim Chmerkovskiy on a quickstep set to “Dancing with Myself.” Goodman said she showed good movement but lost her energy as the routine progressed. Tonioli advised her to relax more on the dance floor. Total score: 20/30. Combined score: 40/60.

— Jack Wagner was slightly out of control, according to Goodman and Tonioli, when he and Anna Trebunskaya danced a fast-paced jive to “Gimme Some Lovin’.” Inaba agreed, saying he “overdanced it,” though she added that he’s fun to watch. Total score: 21/30. Combined score: 44/60.

— Gladys Knight slowed things down with a quickstep that made use of “Sir Duke” by fellow Motown legend Stevie Wonder. Tonioli and Inaba both said they saw a connection between Knight and her partner, Tristan MacManus. Goodman admitted he didn’t have an appreciation for the dance. Total score: 19/30. Combined score: 42/60.

— Katherine Jenkins, who tied atop the leader board with Jaleel White last week, put in just as good an effort Monday night with her gambling-themed jive with Mark Ballas. The dance was set to “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That” by Robert Randolph & the Family Band.

Inaba complimented Jenkins on her beautiful hyperextension of her legs, and Tonioli said he enjoyed her “flicks.” Ever the party pooper, Goodman said he didn’t particularly care for the middle section of the routine. Total score: 26/30, matching her score from last week. Combined score: 52/60.

— Jaleel White and Kym Johnson, wearing 1950s outfits in a diner-style setting, did the jive to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You.” Inaba and Goodman both felt it was a step down from his foxtrot last week. Tonioli was kinder in his critique, saying he enjoyed it. Total score: 22/30. Combined score: 48/60.

— Maria Menounos, who battled an injured rib during rehearsals, joined Derek Hough for a quickstep to the Brian Setzer Orchestra song “Sexy, Sexy.” They both pretended to be robbers, and wore Lone Ranger-style masks for the occasion.

Inaba warned Menounos that she was out of sync with Hough during the middle of their routine. Amazingly, Goodman came to her defense, saying she demonstrated proper speed and control. Total score: 25/30. Combined score: 46/60.

— Martina Navratilova was also not at 100 percent, having hurt her toe during rehearsals. She and Tony Dovolani attempted the jive to Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It.” Goodman said it was “too neat” and “too precise.” Toniolo noted that she couldn’t keep up with the dance. Total score: 17/30. Combined score 37/60.

— Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver went the romantic route with his quickstep, giving his partner Peta Murgatroyd a flower to kick off their dance. Their song choice was James Blunt’s “Stay the Night.”

Goodman not only said it was one of the best performances of the night, he also apologized to Driver from not giving him a higher score last week. Inaba commented that Driver watching the previous seasons of the show appeared to pay off. Total score: 24/30. Combined score: 45/60.

— Pop musician Gavin DeGraw took a walk on the wild side, sporting a leather outfit for a jive with Karina Smirnoff. Fittingly, the band played “Wild One,” a song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, among others.

Inaba applauded DeGraw for stepping out of his comfort zone, and Goodman said it was an improvement from last week. Total score: 21/30. Combined score: 41/60.

— Resident heartthrob William Levy and partner Cheryl Burke, perhaps inspired by the Oscar-winning film The Artist, harkened back to early-to-mid-20th-century Hollywood. Their quickstep began with a graphic that featured their faces and touted their black-and-white “movie” “Nice Work If You Can Get It.” They used the George Gershwin song of the same name as they danced — in color.

Inaba declared Levy to be the “Harry Connick Jr. of the ballroom.” Tonioli added that Levy has the ability to dazzle. Total score: 25/30. Combined score: 49/60.

One celebrity will be eliminated Tuesday night on the first results show of the season. Matt Nathanson and Sugarland are the musical guests. The results show begins at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time on ABC.

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