Las Vegas Weekly

March 31, 2010 · 10:56 AM

DWTS photos: It’s so long for Shannen Doherty, injured Mark Ballas

By Don Chareunsy

Dancing With the Stars Season 10 competitors Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas.

Photo: Craig Sjodin/ABC TV

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

Last night was an evening of emotion and surprises on Season 10’s first elimination episode of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars that included actress Pamela Anderson and partner Damian Whitewood in the bottom two, the (unexpected) departure of actress Shannen Doherty and her partner, an injured Mark Ballas, and a tear-inducing dance tribute to the people of Haiti.

The night started with astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa declared safe, even though they were far at the bottom of the leader board. Aldrin received a kiss from Pussycat Dolls singer (and trained dancer) Nicole Scherzinger and Costa. Lucky guy! After the announcement, Anderson asked Whitewood, clearly surprised: “We’re in the bottom two? Oh my goodness!” Expect more lashings for Aldrin from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli next week.

There’s a video by head curmudgeon Goodman, who critiques this week’s dances, which he said were “overall fantastic.” He said All My Children heartthrob Aiden Turner, with Edyta Sliwinska, improved; The Bachelor stud Jake Pavelka, with Las Vegas’ Chelsie Hightower, is “one to watch”; Doherty was strong; actress and comedienne Niecy Nash, with Louis Van Amstel, was fantastic; Cincinnati Bengals star Chad Ochocino, with Cheryl Burke, “really disappointed”; Gosselin let her nerves rule; Anderson was classy and elegant and “gets right into character”; Aldrin, well, how can you criticize an 80-year-old man (Goodman still did!); ESPN host Erin Andrews, with Le Reve choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy, exhibited fluidity; the jive by Olympic figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek, with Anna Trebunskaya, “was absolutely great”; and Scherzinger “is an absolutely fantastic dancer” (shocking!).

Goodman requests that Scherzinger and Hough reprise their dance, which received perfect 10s from Inaba and Tonioli on Monday. The pros perform a sexy and fantastic fusion routine created by Michael Jackson choreographers Travis Payne and Stacy Walker to “Evacuate the Dance Floor.” There also is a funny critique from comedian and former contestant Adam Carolla.

Turner and Sliwinska are declared safe, followed by Nash and Van Amstel. The Beach Boys, featuring actor and musician John Stamos, perform “California Girls,” Kokomo” and “Fun, Fun, Fun” and receive a standing ovation. After a video of The Len Commandments, Lysacek and Trebunskaya are safe, followed by Pavelka and Hightower and Scherzinger and Hough.

In the most emotional moment of the night, dancers from Haiti perform a tribute to their earthquake-ravaged people -- the young son of one of the dancers, the world mambo champion, died in the earthquake. Andrews and Chmerkovskiy are safe, followed by Ochocino and Burke and finally Gosselin and Dovolani.

Doherty and Ballas are sent home, and there is no last dance because Ballas injured his knee in rehearsal -- he was helped down the stairs to hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke by Whitewood and Dovolani -- and will be out for six weeks. Doherty, who said dancing is not her thing, called the injury fate because “I woudn’t have wanted to go on without Mark.”

DWTS has been full of drama and emotion so far this season, and it’s only Week 2. Let’s hope the celebrity contestants stop being crybabies and start listening to their professional partners next week!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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