Carrie Ann Inaba gets tearful as she watches Nyle dancing a paso doble without music, while Jodie is eliminated after getting her first perfect score in the competition.
- May 10, 2016
AceShowbiz - "Dancing with the Stars" was back with the remaining six pairs, who would perform twice on Monday night, May 9. Besides the individual routines, this week featured the Judges' Team-Up Challenge where two teams were paired together and coached by one of the judges.
Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd took the stage first in the first round. They danced a paso doble and to show what it's like to dance for Nyle, they cut the music for a portion of the dance. The silent section with four troupe members brought judge Carrie Ann Inaba to tears. She said, "I've seen a lot on this show, 22 seasons and I've never seen anything like that, that touched me so profoundly." Bruno Tonioli was impressed by how they all synced up. "I was like watching five men dancing to the beat of a single heart, connected by the soul," he said. Len Goodman was critical as saying that Nyle lacked control. The deaf model earned 29 out of 30 points.
Antonio Brown and Sharna Burgess danced a Viennese waltz. Sharna knew how to show her partner's strengths with the choreography and the result was an elegant performance. Bruno loved that he paid a lot of attention to the detail. Len added, "You lost your hold and your posture but you never lost your will to win." Antonio earned 27 points.
Jodie Sweetin and Keo Motsepe danced an energetic jive that wowed the judges. "Keo is never holding you back, he is the bomb. That was incredible, your star is shining bright, it is your best dance ever," Carrie Ann gushed. Len said that Jodie had finally overcome her nervousness, while Bruno called it "one of the most euphoric jives." Jodie earned 30 points.
Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas were up next, dancing a Viennese waltz. Mark really poured his creativity into the routine, which included some animation, meaning robotic-like movements. Bruno praised them for pulling a difficult routine and Carrie Ann was amazed with the concept. Len called Paige a "terrific dancer" although he said her head was a little too far to the left. Paige earned 28 points.
Ginger Zee and Valentin Chmerkovskiy danced an Argentine tango. His choreography pushed her to get dramatic and a little dirty which wasn't her strongest suit. The judges loved it, with Carrie Ann calling it "mind blowing." Len added, "I loved the fast, slow, big, small, hard, soft, fire, ice, that was a hell of a dance." Ginger earned 30 points.
Wanya Morris and Lindsay Arnold rounded out the first round with a jive. There were a lot of mistakes with Wanya tripping on Lindsay's bandana towards the end. "There were a few out of steps, you moved so naturally though even with the mistakes," Carrie Ann said, telling him to push himself harder if he's still in the competition next week. Wanya earned 25 points.
Next was the Team-Up Challenge. Nyle & Peta were paired with Jodie & Keo. They danced an Argentine tango with Bruno as their coach. Len and Carrie Ann praised Bruno for taking risk by featuring a girl on girl and guy on guy dancing. The judges scored the dance 29.
Len's team consisted of Wanya & Lindsay as well as Ginger and Val. Len-choreographed samba was set to a Caribbean theme and he joined them at the end of the dance. It was so goofy. The judges noted that Wanya did better in this routine than in his previous performance. Each pair earned additional 29 points.
Antonio & Sharna and Paige & Mark danced a paso doble choreographed by Carrie Ann. The dance was strong and dramatic that showed Antonio and Paige's strength. Bruno said the concept was "fantastic," as he and Len loved the emotion. The dance was scored 29 points.
Jodie & Keo, Antonio & Sharna as well as Wanya & Lindsay were in jeopardy this week. Jodie and Keo were eventually cut.
