Here are my rankings for the best and worst dances from the sixth week of Dancing with the Stars season 21, Famous Dances Night. Also, check out my recap of this episode.
#18 Paula Deen and Louis van Amstel
Dance: Jazz
Song: “Vogue” by Madonna
Judges’ Scores: 6+6+6+6=24
#17 Paula and Louis’ Performance
A costumed mess, Paula’s last dance was more of the same, with the chef not doing much of anything.
#16 Hayes Grier and Emma Slater
Dance: Jazz
Song: “You’re the One That I Want” from Grease
Judges’ Scores: 8+8+8+8=32
#15 Hayes and Emma’s Performance
There’s a reason TV shows and movies don’t hire actual 15-year-olds to play high school students. Hayes lacked the bad boy charisma of John Travolta’s Danny Zuko and the design of the routine seemed to race from point to point without much finesse.
#14 Alexa PenaVega and Mark Ballas
Dance: Cha-Cha-Cha
Song: “I’m a Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears
Judges’ Scores: 8+7+7+8=30
#13 Alexa and Mark’s Performance
When playing Britney Spears in her prime, you need a sultry sexiness that Alexa just didn’t seem that comfortable with. The actual Cha-Cha-Cha portions were fine, but the rest was tentative and awkward.
#12 Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold
Dance: Jive
Song: “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley
Judges’ Scores: 8+8+7+7=30
#11 Alek and Lindsay’s Performance
Alek has the moves but he doesn’t quite have the swagger or attitude. On this show, that plays a big role in moving from mediocre to great, a transition he has yet to make. This Jive needed a little more shake and rattle.
#10 Tamar Braxton and Val Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Jazz
Song: “Rhythm Nation” by Janet Jackson
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
#9 Tamar and Val’s Performance
She may have successfully recreated a music video, but the result was rather dull and nowhere near as precise or hard-hitting as Miss Jackson. How it got a perfect score is a mystery to me.
#8 Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough
Dance: Rumba
Song: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
#7 Bindi and Derek’s Performance
Ignoring the fact that it wasn’t a Rumba, Bindi did a good job with the movements and Derek has tons of Swayze swag. Ironically, the big lift was probably the weakest part of the routine as you could see the apprehension.
#6 Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess
Dance: Samba
Song: “You Should Be Dancing” from Saturday Night Fever
Judges’ Scores: 9+10+10+10=39
#5 Nick and Sharna’s Performance
Disco Fever struck again with Nick’s killer moves and Sharna’s ability to actually add some Samba (which the other couples revealed was harder than you might think).
#4 Carlos PenaVega and Witney Carson
Dance: Rumba
Song: “Pony” from Magic Mike
Judges’ Scores: 10+9+9+10=38
#3 Carlos and Witney’s Performance
When recreating Magic Mike, only one question matters: Was it sexy? Despite Carlos’ concerns and a shirt that didn’t rip properly, it was most definitely hot and Carlos had smooth moves that were so great it makes me wish he was as comfortable doing it as we were watching it.
#2 Andy Grammer and Allison Holker
Dance: Jazz
Song: “Good Morning” from Singin’ in the Rain
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
#1 Andy and Allison’s Performance
There’s a good reason Singin’ in the Rain is regarded as the best movie musical of all-time, especially by choreographers. Andy and Allison captured the magic with a constant barrage of moves and set pieces that were charming, nostalgic and fun to watch.
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John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
