Dancing with the Stars

DANCING WITH THE STARS: Battleship Geriatrica

Actress Cloris Leachman wasn't the best dancer of the night, but she was the true star of Dancing With Stars as the competition series kicked off its seventh season last night. Swimsuit model Brooke Burke earned the night's best score, followed closely by a couple of pop singers -- Lance Bass and Toni Braxton. The hulking Warren Sapp was the night's big surprise. After the retired N-F-L star's energetic Cha Cha, judge Bruno Tonioli exclaimed, "Big boys can dance!"

The 82-year-old Leachman, who is the oldest person ever to compete on the A-B-C show, garnered a standing ovation after her routine. Bruno lovingly compared her Foxtrot to a battleship, saying, "You were floating around out there with the imposing presence of Battleship Geriatrica, but with a bit of a refit you'll turn into the Enterprise." She pleaded with the judges to go easy on her, even going so far as to sit in judge Carrie Ann Inaba's lap. Leachman, best known for her role in 1974's Young Frankenstein, received the fourth-worst score (16).

The lowest scores belonged to chef Rocco DiSpirito, who was told he "lacked finesse," and potbellied comic Jeffrey Ross, who exhibited bad "form." Tonight one of the 13 contestants will be eliminated based on votes by the viewers. -- James Aquilone

Dancing With the Stars leader board

TEAM
SCORE

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough
23

Lance Bass & Lacey Shwimmer
22

Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo
22

Misty May-Treanor & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
21

Warren Sappe & Kym Johnson
21

Kim Kardashian & Mark Ballas
19

Cody Linley & Julianne Hough
18

Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke
18

Ted McGinley & Inna Brayer
18

Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas
16

Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani
15

Rocco DiSpirito & Karina Smirnoff
14

Jeffrey Ross & Edyta Sliwinska
12