Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Laila Ali Score Pair of Perfect Scores: Dancing with the Stars, Week 9

As TVSquad.com helped us report below, it was a good week for a pair of pairs on Dancing with the Stars last night. Let's get right to the recap...

Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough (Quickstep) - This week the contestants got to pick their favorite Ballroom and Latin dance styles. For the Ballroom round, Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough chose the Quickstep.

The couple did an impeccable Quickstep that included smooth movements, quick footwork, and several crowd-pleasing moments. We couldn't find anything to criticize in their performance, and neither could the judges. Len called Apolo's speedy footwork "fantastic," and Carrie Ann thanked the couple for setting a high standard. Score: 30 (10, 10, 10)

Ian Ziering and Cheryl Burke (Tango) - Ian Ziering was bummed about being so far behind in last week's scoring, and resolved to bring out the "real Ian" this week. He has a lot of catching up to do since the other couples came into their own a few weeks back.

In a shout-out to last week's musical guest, Ian and Cheryl performed to Nelly Furtado's "Maneater." The couple was, as always, technically good and very intense. Their second dance showed more of that quality than their Tango did. Bruno loved the performance, but criticized Ian's foot placement, Carrie Ann felt that they fell just short of a 10, and Len thought it was Ian's best dance ever. Carrie Ann also mentioned Ian's "potential," but it seems a little late in the game for Ian not to have realized that potential. Score: 28 (9, 10, 9)

Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Quickstep) - This week, Maksim Chmerkovskiy brought extra drama to rehearsal, and seriously tested Laila's patience. Maksim strikes us as a bit of a diva, and his later behavior definitely reinforced that. He's still hot, though, and it was nice of him to bring Laila flowers the next day.

The couple danced the Quickstep to "Walk Like An Egyptian." Carrie Ann praised Laila for bringing a "unique vibe" to the dance floor, and Len thought the dance was light, but more "basic" than Apolo's. Maksim unwisely talked back to Len, which was a bit ungrateful when you consider their scores. Score: 30 (10, 10, 10)

To continue reading this Dancing with the Stars recap, follow our link...