By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Dalton native and former Donald Trump wife Marla Maples was the third celebrity cut from season 22 of "Dancing With the Stars" on Disney night. (ABC synergy!)
But Kim Fields of Marietta is on the rise. Her energetic "Jungle Book" themed quickstep earned her season high 8s from the four judges. She was safe.
Maples was actually a decent dancer but suffered from a lack of an obvious fan base besides maybe some Trump supporters. Plus, eight of her remaining competitors have been receiving higher average judges' scores than her.
The only dancer with a lower average judge score still in the competition is NFL legend Doug Flutie. His departure is just a matter of time.
Maples' waltz with Tony Dovolani received 7s across the board, coming in eighth.
Maples' lovely "Little Mermaid" routine received plaudits from the judges with some minor quibbles.
Zendaya, guest judge, thought "it was fluid, it was soft, it was sweet." But she did imply she was overthinking things and not letting go.
Bruno Toniolo: "There was nothing fishy about that... You are very elegant."
Carrie Ann Inaba: "You have the most natural elegance and grace... There were two things. Be careful of your hands. Once you came into hold, you looked a little scared. Don't not enjoy the moments."
Len Berman: "It had charm, it had elegance, it had romance. Another solid performance. Well done."
Fields, in jungle gear, had a fun time with her quick step. The choreography was pedestrian but she pulled it off solidly.
Len: "Plenty of zip in the performance A bit of doo dah in the footwork. Your best so far."
Zendaya: "It was a joy watching you. The steps looked clean to me."
Bruno: "The fastest girl in the jungle! It was slash and burn... Seriously, we've been telling you for weeks about your shoulder. Tonight, you had them under control." (She was so excited, she hugged him!)
Carrie Ann: "You bring magic to every dance you do because your chemistry is outstanding."
Fields tied for fifth out of 10 dancers.
Next week: the switch up.
Fields has a lot of competition on the road to the finals. Two celebrities received 9s from every judge: Ginger Zee and Paige VanZant (36 out of 40) followed closely by Wanya Morris and Antonio Brown (35 out of 40).
ON TV
"Dancing With the Stars," 8 p.m. Mondays, ABC
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