"Dancing" Star Yamaguchi Back On Top
Kristi Yamaguchi's precise tango and energetic jive put her back in first place on ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" Monday.
The Olympic gold medal skater had been on top all season until football star Jason Taylor tackled first place two weeks ago. Actor Cristian de la Fuente kept her there last week.
Yamaguchi scored perfect tens from judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli for her tango. Judge Len Goodman thought the choreography was "a little bit hectic" and gave her a nine.
Next up was the jive, a dance that earned her a perfect 30 last week. Yamaguchi wasn't able to repeat the score Monday, but the 28 she earned was enough to put her in first place with 57 points.
The stars were assigned their dances this week by picking them at random out of a disco ball. Cristian de la Fuente, who injured his arm dancing the samba two weeks ago, wasn't happy when he selected the same dance, along with the Viennese waltz.
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After earning a 27 for his Viennese waltz, de la Fuente conquered his fears and performed a sexy samba that the judges loved. He got tens from Inaba and Tonioli, and a nine from Goodman, which put him in second place with a total score of 56.
Photos: "Dancing With The Stars"
Taylor selected the foxtrot and the paso doble for his dances. Despite his size, the Miami Dolphins defensive end was light on his feet in the elegant foxtrot.
"Like a dolphin glides through the sea, that's how you glide around the ballroom in this fox trot," said Goodman.
Goodman gave Taylor a ten, with Inaba and Tonioli handing out nines.
Taylor's imposing physique gives him an advantage in the macho paso doble, a Spanish dance where the man portrays a bullfighter and the woman represents his cape.
"You had the strength and momentum of Iron Man and looked like a true matador," said Tonioli.
Taylor finished in third place with a combined score of 55.
Tony-winner Marissa Jaret Winokur had the lowest score of the night for the second week in a row. She earned a 26 for her quickstep, which Inaba pointed out is the most difficult of the ballroom dances.
The judges got into an argument over her rumba, with Inaba giving it an eight because she thought it was too boring for the semi-finals. She gave it an eight, but the other judges disagreed and each gave her a nine. She finished the night with a total of 52 points.
Now it's up to the audience to add their votes to the judges scores. The star with the lowest combination of votes and scores will leave the show Tuesday, and the three remaining couples will compete in next week's finals.
R&B singer Omarion will perform a tribute to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" on Tuesday's show. The evening will also include the final round of the kids' dance competition.
Host Tom Bergeron also announced that Usher will perform on next week's finals. All of the season's contestants will appear on the show to perform their favorite dances.
By Judy Rosen