This week’s "Dancing With The Stars" (DWTS) was filled was amazing, iconic dances, all with an added twist. Some of the pros had to add a more modern take to the dances, while others were constrained by the complicated moves. Each star/pro pair worked endlessly to keep the core moves embedded into their choreography.
I have been an avid viewer of DWTS for the past few years, and the dances get better year after year. Here is a short recap of each dance, along with their composite scores given by the judges and a video clip of the incredible routines.
1. First up, "Grease"
I can only imagine how scared Hayes Grier was to do this dance. Before the show, Hayes had not seen "Grease" (he is only 15, but still, what is his mom keeping from him?!). Not only did he have a small knowledge of the legendary dance scene at the end of the 1978 hit, but he was also being judged by guest judge Olivia Newton John. Hayes did a very good job considering his young age, and the only mistake I could see was in the fun house. Watch below, and see what you think. Overall, the judges gave Hayes and Emma a 32 out of 40.
2. My personal favoriteAndy and Allison beautifully recreated the famous scene from "Singing in the Rain," and boy, was I in awe! I have always loved the movie, and this dance brought back the feeling I had when I first watched the musical masterpiece. The duo also had an opportunity to meet Gene Kelly’s widow, and I’m sure this was a treasured moment for both of them. The dance received a perfect score of 40 out of 40, and definitely showed America what a true contender Andy is in the competition.
3. Next up, Alexa and Mark
Alexa was faced with recreating Britney Spears’ iconic dance performed at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. This included using a live snake as a prop. I have to say I agreed with the judges on this dance; Alexa did not perform as big or as passionate as she probably could have. But when she grabbed that snake, she owned it! I loved the dance overall. The judges gave Alexa and Mark a 30 out of 40, with Julianne Hough and Olivia Newton John both giving the two lower scores.
4. Nobody puts Bindi in a corner
Bindi and Derek were given the famous final dance in "Dirty Dancing" and were visited by Jennifer Grey (Baby). This was the perfect dance for Bindi, as she is young and innocent like the character in the movie. The couple was nervous about the well-known lift towards the end of the dance, but of course they pulled through and recreated it perfectly. Bindi and Derek were given a well deserved 40 out of 40.
5. Let your body move to the musicMadonna is a timeless music icon, and for some reason DWTS thought it would be a good idea to give one of her dances to Paula Dean. I have not been impressed with Paula Dean this season, with the exception of switch up week, and this week’s dance was once again lackluster. Okay, I will admit I agree with Julianne about the men dancers being an added bonus. Technically, the moves were in time and she did have a great time performing the iconic dance to "Vogue" from the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. All in all, it was not impressive enough for high scores, and Paula was sent home at the end of the night. Paula and Louis received the lowest score of the night with 24 out of 40.
6. PonyCarlos and Whitney were given the dance from "Magic Mike," where Channing Tatum’s character performs a solo to "Pony." Carlos was very nervous to do this dance, as he had recently talked about his life changing moment of becoming a Christian. Whitney did a great job choreographing the dance in a very tasteful way (or as tasteful as this dance could be), and the couple truly wowed the audience and judges. Carrie Ann was in awe of the performance, and the duo happily received a 38 out of 40.
7. Travolta claims the floor once againComing off an awesome Paso Doble last week, Nick Carter was faced with the tough task of mirroring John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" --not the easiest thing in the world, that’s for sure. All of the judges were thoroughly impressed, with the exception of Carrie Ann who seemed to be missing something. Nick and Sharna were elated to get a 39/40. See their dance below.
8. Dancing to the Jail House RockFirst, I have to point out that I was obsessed with Alek and Emma’s performance last week for the switch up. They had an incredible energy, and I know we are all waiting for them to become a couple now. This week, Alek was back with Lindsay, and the two tackled one of the hardest characters of the night, Elvis Presley. The dance was decent, in my opinion, and could have been better. Alek will definitely have to step up his game next week if he wants to stay in the competition. Overall Alek and Lindsay received a 30/40 for their jive performance.
9. We are a part of a Rhythm NationTamar and Val Jazz to Janet Jackson’s "Rhythm Nation." This was perfection. I am an '80s girl at heart and Tamar slayed this dance. Carrie Ann pointed out that this one was the hardest to do perfectly, but the duo nailed it. It was 10s across the board for a 40 out of 40, tying the couple with Andy & Allison and Bindi & Derek. In my opinion, Tamar is a serious contender, and I won’t be shocked if she goes home with the mirror ball trophy this season.
We are halfway through the competition, and the dances are getting longer and better as the weeks go by. Next week we will see the team dances as well as a festive Halloween themed episode. Tune in Monday night at 8/7 central on ABC to see who stays and which couple will go home next week!