'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' actor wows the judges with his jive which earns him the highest score on 'Dancing with the Stars' season premiere.
- Sep 16, 2014
AceShowbiz - The competition officially begins on "Dancing with the Stars" as the 19th season kicked off on Monday, September 15. Julianne Hough joined the judges, being seated between Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli. Carrie Ann Inaba was also back in the panel.
For the first performance of the night, Antonio Sabato Jr. and Cheryl Burke danced a cha cha which earned mixed reviews. Len criticized Antonio's footwork, to which Julianne agreed, calling the performance "a little-flat flooted." Bruno, however, liked his hip action and Carrie Ann praised the couple's "hot chemistry." The judges gave the "General Hospital" actor 25 out of a possible 40.
Lea Thompson and Artem Chigvintsev danced next, performing a foxtrot to "Everlasting Love". Julianne said, "It was so beautiful," Bruno called the quality of movement "exquisite," and Carrie Ann dubbed it "one of the best first foxtrots" she's ever seen. The actress earned 32 points.
Janel Parrish and Val Chmerkovskiy delivered a modern jive. "Naughty! Naughty! Naughty!" Bruno gushed, while Carrie Ann said to Janel, "You've got great potential." Julianne said it was "raw, sexy and fierce." The judges gave the "Pretty Little Liars" star 29 points.
Lolo Jones danced a cha cha with a new pro Keo Motsepe. The Olympian, who is waiting until marriage to have sex, was a little concerned about the intimacy of her dance. She lost her timing at the start and struggled to get back on the beat. Carrie Ann commented, "Lolo, truthfully that was more like an 'uh oh.' " Lolo admitted that "it was awful." She earned 22 points.
The next performance by Betsey Johnson and Tony Dovolani was not better. The fashion designer also ran into trouble during the routine when she pulled a feather boa off a rack and it stuck there before it dropped to the ground and she picked it. She ended the dance with her trademark cartwheel/split. Len said, "I was enjoying it so much. It was so entertaining and then the disaster with the boa. I'm so upset." The judges gave her 5 each for a total of 20 points.
Tavis Smiley and Sharna Burgess followed it up with a bouncy foxtrot, which Julianne dubbed "awesome." Carrie Ann said the political commentator "move so well, so natural, so likeable," and Bruno liked "the comedic touches." The talk show host earned 29 points.
Sadie Robertson raised the bar higher when she danced a cha cha with Mark Ballas. Carrie Ann gushed, "You're a star, honey. You don't even know it yet," while Len said, "Quack, quack, you'll be back. I'll see you next week -- there's no way you're going home." The "Duck Dynasty" star earned 34 points.
Michael Waltrip and Emma Slater also danced a cha cha which Carrie Ann dubbed "fun and entertaining," but Len didn't like it. "The engine was running but you never got out of first gear," he said. Bruno agreed with Len, saying that the NASCAR driver "looked like a golf cart trying to keep up with a Ferrari." He earned 25 points.
Jonathan Bennett and Allison Holker danced a high-energy jive. Carrie Ann said she was "blown away," while Len and Julianne said said he had "great potential." The "Mean Girls" actor said, "That was the most fun I've ever had in my whole life." The judges scored his dance 30.
Tommy Chong who is paired with Peta Murgatroyd danced a cha cha and brought his comedy partner Cheech Marin as a cameo. At 76 years old, he's still sharp and funny. Julianne gushed, "You are extremely sexy." Tonioli admitted that he was expecting "bad grandpa," but got "cool grandpa." The judges gave the comedian 27 points.
Randy Couture and Karina Smirnoff earned rave reviews for their smooth foxtrot. Bruno called him "hot Couture," as Carrie Ann revealed that she got "weak in the knees" watching him. The MMA champion earned 31 points.
Bethany Mota and Derek Hough danced an energetic jive to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off". Carrie Ann said the routine was "tight, clean and well-rehearsed," while Julianne advised the YouTube vlogger to keep up the energy. Bruno called it "wonderful." The judges gave her 32 points.
Last but not least, there were Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson who danced a jive. "Beautiful routine. Fantastically danced," Len raved, "That was without question the best dance of the night." Bruno declared the actor the "king of the night" as they gave him 36 points, the highest score of the night.
The results will be announced on Tuesday, September 16 at 8 P.M. ET during which one pair will be eliminated.
In other "DWTS" news, pro dancer Cheryl Burke has said this season would likely be the last for her. "As of now, this is probably going to be my last season," she said on "Good Morning America" on Monday. "I started when I'm 20. I'm 30. I want to try new things and just see what's out there."
