Charleston, lambada and more new dances invade the 'Dancing' ballroom

Flappers ruled the night on “Dancing with the Stars” as Kelly Osbourne, Melissa Joan Hart and Donny Osmond paid homage to the frolicky and fun dance from those roarin’ 20s. Osbourne’s was by far the best, as she as partner Louis Van Amstel did their utmost in tribute to the musicals “Chicago” and “Cabaret” and the legendary Emcee himself, Joel Grey. Hart actually went out there and for the first time really cut loose, once she realized her, uhm, acting skills would definitely carry her through one of the most “performance”-driven dances. Osmond gave it his best shot, but it wasn’t as crisp and “silly” as the Charleston of the two ladies who danced ahead of him. But at least he too, like Melissa, finally cut loose and just had some fun.

When it came to the lambada, nobody was going to hold a candle to Joanna Krupa, who was positively smokin’ on the dance floor with partner Derek Hough. It wasn’t the best lambada in the world, but it was pretty steamy at every turn.

Poor Michael Irvin. He did his best to inject some sexiness into the bolero, but then again, he’s saddled with the horrible choreography of Anna Demidova, who “won” the right last year to be this year’s new pro. She may be a good dancer, but she hasn’t a clue how to choreograph, and more importantly, how to choreograph a dance that on some layer gives Irvin a fighting chance. Seems Anna is spending a lot of time in New York concentrating on some sort of modeling career. Nothing like a wee bit of exposure on a hit ABC show to get the modeling agents calling, hey Anna?

And then there was this year’s ballroom darling, the impish snowboarder Louis Vito, who, along with pro partner Chelsea Hightower, proved that there’s more to dancing the “country” 2-step than walking around the dancefloor while your pretty girl of a partner is trying her best to camouflage the fact that you’re walking around the dance floor … and walking…. and walking…. Hey Louis, the show is not called “Walking with the Stars.” He still managed a 16 for a pretty pathetic routine, despite even the judges’ less-than-flattering comments.

And Mya, who’s tan glow was oilier than Michael Flatley’s in his “Lord of the Dance” heydey, could do no wrong with her lambada… except for judge Len Goodman who just didn’t think she danced up to her potential. She had to settle for a 28 on this night.