Las Vegas Weekly

May 17, 2010 · 7:15 PM

DWTS semifinals results in high scores; does lineup change?

By Robin Leach

Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke on week eight of ABC's Dancing With the Stars on May 10, 2010.

Photo: Adam Larkey/ABC TV

There were high scores on the semifinals of tonight’s Dancing With the Stars, but was it enough to shake up the leaderboard and change the standings? Eight dances and scores for the four remaining contestants shape the way for next week’s finals after tomorrow’s results.

Just like last night’s 2010 Miss USA Pageant and the judges’ final question, this is do-or-die time. In Round 1, the two frontrunners duked it out, but drama ensued at the bottom with the other two couples.

SPOILER ALERT: Please don’t read any further if you want to watch the West Coast tape-delayed broadcast of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars without anything revealed. Consider this our one and only friendly warning! But come back after the show to see if you agree with our observations.

ESPN host Erin Andrews and our Le Reve choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy shook up the rankings with their best-ever first dance, a Viennese waltz with the judges praising Erin for her incredible improvements.

But it wasn’t enough because Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, with our hometown hero Derek Hough, swept the board and scored 10s from the judges, with Carrie Ann Inaba saying she was brought to tears with their Argentine tango and Bruno Tonioli exclaiming, “You are a divine enchantress!”

Olympic figure skating champion Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya were right on their heels in the neck-and-neck race for the prized mirrored disco ball trophy. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco fought to stay out of the bottom and succeeded in his waltz with Cheryl Burke in tying Erin and Maks with 27 points.

The first-round scores: Nicole and Derek, Argentine tango, 30; Evan and Anna, foxtrot, 29; Chad and Cheryl, waltz, 27; and Erin and Maks, Viennese waltz, 27.

In Round 2 of the 90-minute show, the pairs faced a Latin challenge. Erin and Maks were first and nailed the paso doble with a near-perfect score, again shaking up the leaderboard! The judges raved about their stunning performance.

Nicole and Derek danced their cha cha to Prince’s “Kiss,” and again the judges gave out a near-perfect score, with curmudgeon Len Goodman rapping the viewers to ensure that they make the finals. On their last dance -- a samba -- before possible elimination tomorrow, Chad and Cheryl slipped on the toughest of the Latin dances.

To close out the night, it was Evan and Anna’s turn to shine with their paso doble, and they flipped their second-round scores against Nicole and Derek’s first-round score, so now it’s tied going into the crucial TV viewer voting.

Both are certain to duke it out in the finals, and it looks as if Chad and Cheryl will be sent packing tomorrow and the triumphant three will included two Las Vegas-linked dancers at Season 10’s finale.

The second-round scores and overall totals: Nicole and Derek, cha cha, 29, total of 59; Evan and Anna, paso doble, 30, total of 59; Erin and Maks, paso doble, 29, total of 56; and Chad and Cheryl, samba 25, total of 52.

Now it’s up to the viewers. Check back here tomorrow for photos from tonight’s dances floor action.

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.

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

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