Tuesday night saw the second-half of the Dancing with the Stars: Season 6 debut.

Yesterday, the men got us warmed up with their interpretations of the cha-cha-cha and the foxtrot.  Scores ranged from the low of 15 (Adam Carolla) to the high of 24 (Mario).

Were the women intimidated by Monday’s performances…or did they bring the competition to a whole new level?  Read on!

Shannon Elizabeth (partner Derek Hough)

(Dance: Cha-cha-cha/ Song: ‘Shut Up and Drive’)
The first two things that come to mind with regard to Shannon is that she is so tall…and very skinny.  Almost too skinny for my taste.  It doesn’t help that she’s a bit stiff and mechanical as well.  She’s getting all the moves in, but the musicality seems to be lacking.  And what a short outfit!  If she manages to stick around a few more weeks, her gowns will soon rival Edyta’s.

Len thought the high-energy performance was a great way to start the season.  He simply advised her to work on her legs—especially if she plans to keep showing them off.  After calling her a sexy minx, Bruno also suggested that Shannon work on her lower limbs.  She already has such great natural extension.  Carrie Ann complimented her confidence and energy.  She then noted her lack of flexibility.  Score: 7/7/7 (21)

(Dance: Foxtrot/ Song: ‘Bubbly’)
I feel kinda bad for Monica.  She wanted to get away from her tomboy image, yet they threw her in an ugly pink dress.  As for the dance?  Well - when the professional has someone seated for like the first 30 seconds, you know it’s because the amateur can’t dance.  She made Shannon look like a seasoned dancer.  Strangely enough, the athlete didn’t know quite what to do with her body.  When she had to put her arms up, it looked as if Jonathan was throwing a board around.

Although he thought she set off a nice romantic tone, Bruno said Monica quickly went from “Grace Kelly to Grace Adler.”  He suggested that she work on the center of her body; that area will help her feel light and lifted.  Len said the dance had a lovely romance about it but agreed with Tonioli about the core criticism.  Carrie Ann liked that Monica got out there and went for it.  She thought the tennis player had a beautiful delicateness about her.  Score: 5/5/5 (15)

(Dance: Cha-cha-cha/ Song: ‘Low’)
Sadly, the first thing that drew my eyes in was Tony’s outfit.  I’m not sure if it was sequins or simply latex, but those were the shiniest pair of pants I’ve seen in a long time.  (And don’t let me get started on the International Male-esque shirt.)  Fortunately for Marissa, her smile was equally as dazzling.  Unfortunately once you got past her exuberance, you realized that she really didn’t do much dancing at all.  And it wasn’t like she was uncoordinated or anything—it just felt like the performance was showcasing Tony.  He was like the picture to her frame.

Carrie Ann loved her style and sass—she just didn’t like the lack of content.  Bruno said that she had pep, personality and the potential to do a lot more.  Len said that he was “bewitched, bothered and bewildered.”  He thought that there was far too much hip hop and not enough for the Broadway star to do.  Score: 6/6/6 (18)

(Dance: Foxtrot/ Song: ‘Feeling Good’)
At 62-years-old, Priscilla is the “most mature” woman to enter the competition to date—but you wouldn’t have known that by her performance.  First off, she looked absolutely stunning in her green gown.  Very age appropriate.  Her moves looked great as well.  Although she seemed a bit nervous at times, you could tell that she had a good feel for the music.  And she’s definitely willing to get in there and try new things….Louis already had her doing a death spiral!  I think she could easily be this year’s Jane Seymour, if not better.

Len was pleased by the fluid performance.  It was a “proper foxtrot” that did not have any gimmicks or props.  Bruno said it was uncompromising, smoky and hot.  He added that it was the first time he had seen some star quality.  He just advised her to work on her shoulders and relax a bit.  Carrie Ann loved the dynamics and called Priscilla the “queen” of that dance.  Score:  8/8/8 (24)

(Dance: Foxtrot/ Song: ‘The More I See You’)
In her beautiful gown, she already looked like a gold medal winner.  (It really wasn’t that different than what you would see her wear on the ice.)  Kristi was doing impressive spins from the very beginning of the dance, making Monica’s time on the steps look even more pathetic in contrast.  The figure skater quickly made it known that she was the frontrunner for both sexes.  She had great lines, spins, musicality, graceful arms—she was simply the whole package.  I dare say she and Mark make a better looking pair than Sabrina and Mark did.

Bruno thought it was absolutely “wicked”.  He said it was one of the best First Round performances on the show ever.  Carrie Ann said that it looked like she had been dancing her whole life.  Her performance was effortless.  Len said the talented “ice maiden” melted his heart.  Score: 9/9/9 (27)

(Dance: Cha-cha-cha/ Song: ‘Get On Your Feet’)
It simply can’t be said enough—for someone who is “profoundly deaf”, she is simply amazing.  She looks 10x more natural than those who can hear.  She displayed great rhythm, hip action and nice spins.  She was also quite a number in her hot red gown.  She really knew how to work her seductive side.

Carrie Ann thought it was unbelievable and inspiring.  She said Marlee was fluid and moved with ease.  Len said that it was an amazing performance filled with great choreography.  He only critiqued Matlin for sometimes flinging her arms.  Bruno called the dance “life-affirming.”  He said Marlee had music running through her blood and hardly missed a beat.  Score: 7/7/8 (22)

You can watch a clip of tonight’s highest-rated performance (Kristi’s) below:

(You can find all the Dancing with the Stars: Season 6 posts here.)