Kellie Pickler on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 16: Week 8 Recap
Kellie Pickler took to the dance floor for the eighth week of competition for ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” This week, the stars had to take on two full routines in the ballroom. As one of the highest scoring couples of the season, Pickler and her professional dancer partner, Derek Hough, were ready to hit the floor.
For her first dance, Pickler took on the Viennese Waltz. Last week, Judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Pickler that the reason she didn’t get a perfect score in the last two weeks was because she didn’t feel the connection to the dance. Pickler wanted to change that and posted on Facebook early Monday to tell everyone what had inspired her dance this week.
Today is the day!!! Derek and I are as ready as we’ll ever be. We are dancing 2 dances tonight, the Viennese Waltz first and then the Paso Doble. Even though Len and Bruno gave us 10s for our dance, Carrie Ann wasn’t necessarily feeling the emotion in my dance. I highly respect all 3 of the judges and value their opinions, so I really want/need to step it up.
Derek asked me in rehearsals the other day “If you could dance one last dance with anyone, who would it be?” I replied, “This might sound weird, but my grandmother Faye.” My grandmother Faye was the woman who raised me, she was the woman I called mom. When I was 15, she was diagnosed with cancer and then died the very next morning. Derek told me to think of her while I dance our Viennese Waltz…so that’s what I’m gonna do. Lord knows, I’ll probably fall to pieces out there on the dance floor. But whatever happens, happens…and what will be, will be. And I know that one sweet day I’ll get to dance with my Grandma in heaven…
The judges praised Pickler’s dance. Judge Bruno Tonioli said “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the prettiest of them all? It is you princess Kellie. Actually, you were a queen tonight!” He then added that her dance “was a thing of beauty.”
For their first dance, Kellie and Derek took home a score of 28 out of 30.
In the second round of dances, the stars were given another tough challenge, but one similar to one they have already faced. Each couple had to dance with an extra professional dance partner. Along with Pickler and Hough, pro Tristan MacManus took on the Paso Doble. While in rehearsal, the two professionals had to pull out her dark side, which Pickler called her “inner demon.”
While Pickler and Hough’s main goal was to be dramatic, nothing was quite as dramatic as the judge’s table after her dance. Tonioli again praised her dance, calling it “masterpiece theater” with “high art and high drama.” He also said that it was so engrossing, that he “wanted to be part of it.” Inaba agreed, saying “it was incredible” and that Pickler “took her breath away.” Head judge Len Goodman, however, did not agree. The judges score for the Paso Doble was a 27 out of 30.
Pickler’s grand total of the night was 55 out of 60.
Tune in at 8/7c to ABC tonight to see if Kellie will be staying in the competition.
Check out Kellie’s dances below:
Kellie Pickler dances the Viennese Waltz
Kellie Pickler dances the Paso Doble
