On this week’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, the viewers - and competitors - saw a list of firsts.

• For tonight’s battle, the Top 7 competitors each had to perform a dance they had not yet attempted.
• The couples all had to tackle hip hop for the group dance number.
• Len Goodman - who had an unexplained absence this Monday - was replaced by Michael Flatley (a.k.a. the “Lord of the Dance”).
• One professional announced that they would be temporarily leaving for a non-dance related medical procedure. (Julianne Hough is having her appendix removed this week.)

In the end, who proved they could master two dances…and who showed us they couldn’t even handle one? Read on!

Maurice Greene (partner Cheryl Burke)

(Dance: Viennese Waltz/ Song: ‘Gravity’)
Tonight, a shaven Maurice reminded me of Yul Brynner in The King and I. Unfortunately, his performance wasn’t as memorable as anything Brynner did with Deborah Kerr. This style clearly pointed out Maurice’s weaknesses. The athlete struggles with dances (a.k.a. ballroom numbers) that don’t allow him to get funky. This waltz had him looking quite stiff and uncomfortable.

Michael said it was nice seeing the fastest man on the earth doing something very slow and graceful. Although he felt the sweep was a little too premeditated, he thought Greene did a good job overall. Carrie Ann thought the dance - while sweet - lacked any real chemistry. Bruno thought Maurice looked like a surfer on dry land. Tonioli said while the moves where there, they simply lacked fluidity. He advised the sprinter to work on the “raggedy” connections.  Score: 7/7/7 (21)

(Dance: Jive/ Song: ‘Tutti Frutti’)
Lance and Lacey could not have been assigned a more age-appropriate dance. This style really highlighted Bass’ capabilities. At times, his showmanship and energy reminded me of Joey Fatone. Thankfully, Schwimmer’s choreography made Lance look more like an equal partner than he did last week.

Bruno said Lance was back on target. He thought it was nice to see Bass finally flaunt his skills. Michael welcomed the competitor back into the fight. He said Lance came out “smoking.” Carrie Ann said Len would be proud of the performance.  Score: 9/9/9 (27)

(Dance: Mambo/ Song: ‘Si Senor!’)
It was so nice to see Erica Kane in Lucci’s eyes from the get-go. Tonight, the soap opera diva (literally) got down and dirty. Susan kicked off the performance with some nice spins, threw in some fast footwork and eventually wound up on the floor lashing out like a tiger. Although I thought she looked a little uncertain at times, I thought Lucci did a nice job at letting go.

Carrie Ann said Susan did a good job getting out of the “box” she had been in. Although he liked seeing Susan’s devilish side, Bruno noticed that her timing was a bit off in places. Michael said Lucci was the epitome of elegance, grace and beauty. He also thought her intoxicating performance overshadowed any timing issues.  Score: 8/8/7 (23)

(Dance: Rumba/ Song: ‘No Air’)
Although she was suffering from a tendon strain, I thought this was the perfect style for Brooke’s talents. As always, Burke was sexy, sultry and extremely fluid. I have yet to see a competitor who can match her technique or wonderful extensions.

Michael said Brooke took his breath away with her “Dance of Love.” He also complimented her for never taking her eyes off of the ball…or off her partner. Carrie Ann thought Burke’s injuries might have held her back this time around. Inaba said it was obvious the performer was uncomfortable on her feet. As a result, her lines looked a bit awkward tonight. Bruno agreed with Carrie Anne. He said Brooke’s execution and precision was a bit under par this week.  Score: 8/10/8 (26)

(Dance: Cha Cha Cha/ Song: ‘Come See About Me’)
The only thing that looked good tonight was Cloris’ multi-colored fringe number…and even that wasn’t terrific. Ironically, Corky choreographed the dance to make it look like he was teaching her along the way. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the way it appeared—as if Leachman was seeing it for the very first time. I’m not entirely sure what was more embarrassing: her rendition of the cha cha cha, her near fall or the scary lift.

Bruno said Cloris is the only person in the world who can make people buy her nonsense. Michael chose to call Leachman a legend and an inspiration. Carrie Ann said it was really sad that a good performer like Toni Braxton was eliminated for performances like this one.  Score: 5/5/5 (15)

(Dance: Samba/ Song: ‘Whine Up’)
I thought Cody’s performance started off incredibly fierce. Unfortunately, it appeared as if he was trying too hard at times. On the plus side - Linley looked quite sexy with his nice posture. On the minus side - his timing was a bit off. And what was up with the awkward face at the end?

Carrie Ann said that was the most intense samba she has ever seen. She thought Cody hit each move with such intensity. She liked that he really went for it. Bruno disagreed with Inaba. He said the performance was truly lacking bounce and fun. He thought Linley’s delivery was quite wooden. Although he thought it was a good performance, Flatley didn’t think this was a great one. Michael did say, though, that Cody has everything it takes to be a good dancer.  Score: 8/8/7 (23)

(Dance: Rumba/ Song: ‘Irreplaceable’)
Okay - let me first say that I really hated Kym Johnson’s Christina Aguilera wig. Thankfully, it didn’t distract me too much from Sapp’s performance. Despite his size, I actually thought Warren looked quite sexy tonight. He has a nice way of committing to his part; he can be quite strong yet sensitive at the same time. He’s also quite talented at moving across the floor.

Michael said it was great to see a big, powerful man be so sensitive. He liked that Sapp brought more than just footwork; he brought soul and passion as well. Carrie Ann said Warren has a nice way of bringing an emotional quality to his dances. Unfortunately, he also does a nice job of letting everyone know when he’s made a mistake. Bruno complimented the athlete for getting into the character of his dances. Unfortunately, Tonioli thought his footwork was not as sharp as usual.  Score: 8/9/8 (25)

(Dance: Hip Hop/ Song: Medley)
You can see the result of that performance below:

(You can find all the Dancing with the Stars: Season 7 posts here.)