Dancing with the Stars recap: week seven

This is such a shame because she was an obvious contender to win Dancing with the Stars and I adore Tony, so I'd hate to see him leave the competition. To work this out, the judges and the viewers at home, had to score based on a rehearsal and that's never good. With all of the scores so close last night, it's possible they could be eliminated and maybe it's just as well, since certainly, her health is more important than the show.

Gilles' loves Lindy

Gilles was also battling through the pain this week as he practiced for his Lindy Hop. He went to the doctor to get a cortisone shot so he could get through the dance but it's not the Gilles we saw in the earlier part of the competition. I'm afraid this boy may have peaked too early. Still, his dance with Cheryl was fun and full of tricks and they managed three 9's from the judges. At this stage 9's look a bad score. These guys need 10's.We've reached the portion of my recap where I must apologize to Chuck Wicks. Last week, I said I thought he had reached his potential, I was wrong. Chuck really turned on the charm this week with a sassy Cha Cha Cha that was spot on. It's like his body finally got the message or maybe, after tying with Gilles last week, he realized he could actually win. Still hate the costumes, but the dance I'm lovin'.Shawn and Mark split the judges with their Samba. Len gave them an 8, Bruno a 9 and Carrie Ann a 10! What's up with that? At this stage of the game, there's a huge difference between an 8 performance and a 10, so I don't think they were judging on skill alone. Personally, I'm not a fan of Shawn's dancing. I simply don't see what everyone else sees. I think she often looks awkward and heavy on the floor. She doesn't have the effortless quality that I see in others. I think I'm alone in that so I expect her to stay on until the end.The Dancing with the Stars judges were also split on Ty and Chelsie giving them a 7, 8 and 9. How crazy is that? I thought their salsa was excellent -- for Ty. He really stepped up his game and went at it full bore. No, he's not as good as the other guys, but I'm so impressed with the fact that he keeps improving and this from a guy who obviously thinks dancing is for sissies!To fill time now that there are only six couples left, everyone must dance in a team competition. Shawn, Mark, Chuck, Julianne, Tony and Melissa are put on Team Mambo. They have to dance together in synchronization at the start and finish and in between each pair performs a solo. The judges vote on the team as a whole and that score is added to their individual scores from earlier in the night. Complicated, I know. I just watch for the dancing and forget the scoring.

Kim does Doble

Lil' Kim and Derek squeezed one 10 out of the judges for their intense Paso Doble. Kim may be Lil' but she's a powerhouse on the dance floor. She had on her game face and the whole dance was sharp and stylish. Bruno declared, the bitch is back and on a Disney-owned network, too!Because of Melissa's injury, Lacey takes her place and the judges are told to ignore their portion of the dance when scoring. (Pretend that part didn't happen - yeah right.) The dance is exciting and fun to watch but I felt like it went on too long. The song they were dancing too was very repetitious and that didn't help matters. At the end, in a parody of Gilles' shirtless dancing, the girls ripped off their skirts and the guys ripped off their suits revealing a silly black leotard with white tights. It was funny, but also kind of embarrassing, since they did it standing on top of the judges' podium. The score? A 25 out of 30.Team Tango took the floor with Lil' Kim, Derek, Ty, Chelsie, Gilles and Cheryl. Obviously, Ty is the weakest link here but he did his darnedest to keep up with the other men. I do like that the opening featured the three celebs, two without shirts (that would be the men) but the guys covered up for their solo dances. Fabulous unison at the end and a really strong dance, even though Len complained about Gilles' footwork -- they still won the match with a 28 out of 30.

Could those extra three points be enough to keep Ty in the competition and send Melissa or Chuck packing? After last night, this is anybody's game. More than any other week, I think this elimination is going to be a big surprise.

Best dress: Lil' Kim's amazing Paso dress, it moved incredibly and that shaft of blue underneath was the perfect finish.Worst dress: Nothing awful tonight but I'm still not fond of whoever is dressing Chuck and Julianne.Tune in tonight to see who goes home but first there will be plenty of music and dance! It's Dancing with the Stars tonight at 9:00 on ABC.

Photos: ABC/Kelsey McNeal

Read on for more Dancing with the Stars

Dancing with the Stars recap: week seven
Dancing with the Stars recap: week six
Dancing with the Stars recap: week five
Interview with two-time DWTS champ Cheryl Burke