Dancing With The Stars - Cha-Cha Challenge!

Natasha Oreshkina, co-owner of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Syracuse, New York, is now providing commentary on and a preview of each Dancing With The Stars show.

I was impressed by Monday night's performances. Everyone did a great job compared to last week. I saw a big improvement in all couples.

Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood
This couple was eliminated this week. They danced the slow waltz. Their dance was graceful and flowing. I really saw the elegant, romantic character of the dance. Pamela's footwork improved but her upper body position needed to be stronger. Score: 24.

Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel
Their Quickstep was great. This dance is usually hard to perform because of its high speed. Niecy's Quickstep was light and she had good rhythm throughout the dance. However, they lost contact during the chasse. Score: 25

Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke
His posture was much improved this week. He looked stronger and taller (maybe because Tony Dovolani worked with him!) He had good arms during his Viennese Waltz and his lines were extended. During the turns, however, he collapsed his spine so that was why his hips looked as if they'd dropped down too much. Score: 25

Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Erin's Quickstep was very interesting and dynamic. She had good rhythm throughout however there was some problem with syncopation during the chasse where her position collapsed and her upper body moved too much. Score: 27

Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough
Nicole gave a great performance! Her slow waltz was elegant and smooth. I saw swing action, rise and fall, and flowing movement. I would've liked to see more connection between the partners, especially during the rotations. Score: 27

Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya
Evan's Argentine Tango was dynamic, aggressive, and sexy. He had great footwork and sharp action. Score: 30

Cha-Cha Challenge!
The Cha-Cha challenge was a great idea. It was new for the couples to work together as a team.

Lady GaGa Team: They were nice and strong. They changed the picture during the dance by traveling around the floor. It was interesting and dynamic to watch. They had a good speed and the couples had a great connection with each other.

Madonna Team: This team wasn't as good as the Lady GaGa team. I didn't feel they were as dynamic. They seemed heavier and didn't move around the floor as much. Also, their technique was not as good as the other team.

Next week: All couples will be dancing 2 dances. One of those dances will be from a specific decade. Maks & Erin will be dancing the Swing from the '80s.