Disney/Eric McCandless
It’s music video night in the ballroom, so it was everyone’s job to take inspiration from specific pop culture hits to make guest judge Paula Adbul smile. Turns out it wasn’t that hard; Abdul handed out lots of 9s and 10s!
Reality TV star Harry Jowsey (Too Hot to Handle) with partner Rylee Arnold. You know when someone on TV does something so embarrassing that you want to curl up in a fetal position and pray for it to stop? This happened when Jowsey tried to channel a young Justin Timberlake (curly wig included) while dancing “Jazz” to N’Sync’s “It’s Gonna Be Me.” “This synchronization was not always active,” admitted judge Bruno Tonioli. “I just love watching you, sweetheart.” Score: 24 out of 40
Actor Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) with partner Peta Murgatroyd. Williams is thrilled to have made it this far (as am I). Tonight his job was to perform the quickstep to the appropriate song “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John. Williams was slow and tentative in his steps and didn’t seem nearly as confident as he had in the past. “Not only are you still standing, you are still smiling, and you make us all smile,” said Judge Carrie Ann Inaba. “It’s smooth, it’s classy.” score: 28 out of 40
Actress Alyson Hannigan (American Pie) with partner Sasha Farber. The exuberant Hannigan danced the quickstep to it Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman” and almost everyone declared it was her best dance of the season. “I love the opening hints of the music video,” added judge Derek Hough. “You stood your ground.” score: 33 out of 40
Charity Lawson (The Bachelorette) with partner Artem Chigvintsev. Lawson began her jazz number to Janet Jackson’s “All For You” by kicking ass with three other female pros. Did we really need Artem to join in on the fun? He finally succeeded by throwing his partner, who was wearing denim shorts, into a lift so that she landed crotch-first in his face. Oh my. However, the judges weren’t as generous toward Lawson as usual. “It’s tough going against Janet Jackson, but I have to say you should be proud,” said Tonioli, who then gave her an 8. Score: 32 out of 40
Social media star and Latin music artist Lele Pons with his partner Brandon Armstrong. It was more than obvious that the social media star relished the opportunity to open the show with a very sexy (and delightfully hippie) salsa to Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever.” “Your hips didn’t lie, my love. Great isolation,” Hough said. “Done!” score: 33 out of 40
Actress Xochitl Gomez (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with partner Val Chmerkovskiy. The lucky girl got to dance jazz to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” which is sure to have people wondering: Who danced that better? I have to choose Gomez here, not Gwen. “You are the most provocative and surprising partnerships in this ballroom,” Abdul said. “You are so wonderful and radiate so much joy.” Score: 34 out of 40
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz with partner Daniella Karagach. The professional had a foot injury and brought in a troupe member to help Mraz prepare his jazz dance to 1985’s “Take On Me.” Against a cheesy backdrop of Mraz/Karagach sketches that mirrored the original music video, Mraz bounced and twirled through his best number to date, so it was particularly unsettling when Carrie Ann Inaba immediately destroyed her. “What was amazing was that was a jazz routine and that could have been the jazziest jazz,” she said. “It’s a watered down version of jazz. I was a little disappointed with the performance.” Score: 35 out of 40
Ariana Madix (Vanderpump Rules) with partner Pasha Pashkov. It was Madix’s goal in life to be Britney Spears’ best friend, so of course she was ready to cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha- Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha- Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha- Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-purpose- And what an achievement it was; Madix is really into performing live on stage. Why did she even waste her time on Bravo? “Tonight you were a daring mix of finesse and fury,” Abdul said. “You channeled Britney perfectly.” Score: 37 out of 40
Disney/Eric McCandless
Team dance round!
Madix and Pashkov earned immunity on Tuesday because they were at the top of the rankings not I have to compete in the Dance Off next week.
The “Young and Style” team consisting of Jowsey, Pons, Gomez and Lawson danced the quickstep to Gangnam Style. Jowsey, donning the Timberlake wig again (oy), was the weakest link, but everyone joined in on the signature moves from Psy’s ubiquitous video. I mean, who wouldn’t do that? The song is so insanely addictive that you can’t help but recreate the moves from the 2012 video. Hough was so impressed that he jumped over the desk and hugged Jowsey. “You’re not a soloist,” he told him. “You’re a team player.” Score: A perfect 40
Team 4 Everybody (huh?) of Hannigan, Mraz, Madix and Williams performed the tango to the Backstreet Boys, which was highlighted with a great lift-cum-twirl from Madix and Pashkov. However, you could tell the judges weren’t nearly as impressed with this one as they were with the Gangnam Stylers. “That was another great number,” Tonioli said simply. score: 37 out of 50
The final three (although host Alfonso Ribeiro said they were “not necessarily” the final three) were Williams, Pons and Lawson.
Pons is out. Williams will live to see another day!