"Dancing With the Stars": Maria Menounos Gets First Perfect Score of Season 14 - East Idaho News
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“Dancing With the Stars”: Maria Menounos Gets First Perfect Score of Season 14

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ABC dwts maria menounos jp 120430 wblog?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1335861364302Adam Taylor/ABC News(LOS ANGELES) — Maria Menounos was the star of Dancing with the Stars‘ classical night on Monday night. She earned the first perfect score of the season with a vampire-inspired paso doble.

Melissa Gilbert found herself at the bottom of the leader board, thanks to an Argentine tango that received a lukewarm response from the judges.

After performing a dance with their respective partners, the seven remaining celebrities were divided into two groups for a team dance that was also scored.

Team Tango consisted of Katherine Jenkins, Jaleel White, Roshon Fegan and Menounos. While Bruno Tonioli praised their choreography, Len Goodman didn’t think the performance was technically sound. The team received a total score of 27 out of a possible 30, which was added to each celebrity’s individual score.

Team Paso Doble featured William Levy, Donald Driver and Gilbert. Tonioli applauded the men for their effort, but the group earned a lower total score than Team Tango: 26/30.

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

— Katherine Jenkins, wearing an outfit straight out of ancient Greece, and a shirtless Mark Ballas danced the rumba to “Pachelbel’s Canon.”

Goodman said Jenkins’ elegance was in keeping with the night’s theme. Tonioli likened her to a powerful and beautiful woman who toys with her subjects. Carrie Ann Inaba argued that Jenkins didn’t show enough passion, but Goodman didn’t see it that way. Total score: 27 out of a possible 30. Overall score (including team dance): 54/60.

— Melissa Gilbert and Maksim Chmerkovskiy delivered a wedding-themed Argentine tango set to Mozart’s “Overture to Marriage of Figaro.”

All three judges were unimpressed by what they saw. Inaba summed up the panel’s opinion by saying the performance resembled a Cirque du Soleil act gone wrong. Total score: 21/30. Overall score (including team dance): 47/60.

— William Levy, looking dapper in a suit, and Cheryl Burke tackled the Viennese waltz, as 12-year-old former America’s Got Talent contestant Jackie Evancho sang “Ave Maria.”

Inaba said the pair brought romance to life with their movements. Tonioli chimed in that Levy showed vulnerability and “felt” the dance. Total score: 27/30. Overall score (including team dance): 53/60.

— Roshon Fegan injected some pop music into the night’s proceedings by dancing the Argentine tango with Chelsie Hightower to a classical rendition of the Lady Gaga hit “Bad Romance.”

Both Goodman and Tonioli called on Fegan to display more strength in his legs. Inaba, the judge usually most apt to nitpick the technical aspects of a dance, actually disagreed with her colleagues. Total score: 25/30. Overall score (including team dance): 52/60.

— Dressed regally in red and gold outfits, Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd did the Viennese waltz to “Funiculi, Funicula.”

Tonioli, noting that the song was written and composed by fellow Italians, said Driver brought sweeping passion to the dance floor. Goodman added that Driver’s footwork was “spot-on.”  Total score: 27/30. Overall score (including team dance): 53/60.

— Maria Menounos pretended to be a killer vampire for her paso doble with Derek Hough, who played dead at the end of their routine.

Inaba declared, “That didn’t suck. You were so on fire!” Tonioli loved Menounos’ performance so much that he implored her to bite him in the neck. Total score: 30/30, the first perfect score of the season. Overall score (including team dance): 57/60.

— Jaleel White, passing himself off as a soldier, and Kym Johnson danced the Viennese waltz.

Goodman thought it lacked solid footwork and was too “floaty.” Tonioli said the content was there, but it wasn’t executed properly. Total score: 24/30. Overall score (including team dance): Overall score (including team dance): 51/60.

Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time on ABC, Dancing with the Stars will hold its final dance duel of the season, with the loser going home. In addition, recently-eliminated contestant Gavin DeGraw will perform.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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