Dancing With the Stars: Lauren Alaina Earns Her Highest Score With Contemporary Dance Dedicated to Late Stepfather
This was just stunning...
We’ve already reached the halfway point to season 28 of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.
Ally Brooke and Sasha Farber
Quickstep – “Take On Me” by A-ha
Len Goodman: “First out, first class. Nice mix of steps, your frame was good. I liked your left hand, it wasn’t clinging onto Sasha, just gently on there. One of the things I love about this season: the dances are longer. This gives you a real opportunity to do a full return. Here and there, just little foot faults going on, but overall full of energy and I thought it was terrific.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 25
Kate Flannery and Pasha Pashkov
Viennese waltz – “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston
Bruno Tonioli: “I love what you did with that. Because what it was, it was assertive, romantic, it could have been aggressive, but always in the best possible taste. You really gave your own interpretation to a Viennese waltz and it worked wonders. Really good, madam.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 27
Kel Mitchell and Witney Carson
Quickstep – “Part-Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder
Carrie Ann Inaba: “Teamwork makes the dream work. You guys are so in sync when you dance. The matching of the steps, the body contact, the hold, you have such an ease to you, but you have this flair. That Charleston section was uh-huh-huh! You had one tiny little mess up with your feet, I’m not sure. It was just a little one, but my gosh, that was amazing.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 26
Karamo Brown and Jenna Johnson
Contemporary – “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi
Len Goodman: “If I was to sum that dance up in one word, I’d say it was ‘fluid.’ It had a lovely flow to it throughout. The lifts were great and what I liked was sometimes contemporary can be one thing or another. This one had lovely light and shade. It was fast, it was slow, it was hard, it was soft. I thought it was a really, really well-constructed dance.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 25
Hannah Brown and Alan Bersten
Samba – “Southbound” by Carrie Underwood
Bruno Tonioli: “Hannah brings Brazil to Nashville and what a party. It’s very, very hard to do because it’s very difficult to combine that country flavor with the correct samba motion. And you actually did it. At times, though, it’s something you always do, you’re always so high in yourself that you lose the natural bounce. So, it looks a little bit off, you’re not quite on the rhythm because you dance too high. Being a lyrical dancer, as that happens, soften your leg and ease into the rhythm, don’t chase it.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 24
Sailor Brinkley-Cook and Val Chmerkovskiy
Jive – “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!
Carrie Ann Inaba: “That was amazing. I think we’ve definitely found your groove. To be animated is your thing. You’re so animated everything was so much bigger, everything was so much fun. I had a blast watching you do the jive.”
JUDGE’S TOTAL: 27
Sean Spicer and Lindsay Arnold
Viennese waltz – “Somebody to Love” by Queen
Len Goodman: “I admire your tenacity and your hard work. Dancing doesn’t come easy to you, but you come out every week and give it your all and for that, I respect you.”
JUDGE’s TOTAL: 21
James Van Der Beek and Emma Slater
Samba – “Light It Up” by Major Lazer and Diplo
Bruno Tonioli: “It was like close encounters of the hips kind. I’m telling you, Emma’s contraction caused a hip chain reaction, from the legs, through the body, in every direction, loose, flexible and very rhythmical. I think I liked it.”
JUDGE’S SCORE: 27
Lauren Alaina and Gleb Savchenko
Contemporary – “The Other Side” by Lauren Alaina
(Lauren dedicated her dance to her stepfather on the one-year anniversary of his passing)
Carrie Ann Inaba: “You’re a brave woman. Dancing tonight to that song with all that emotion that you have on the anniversary of his passing, I’m sure was probably the most difficult thing you’ve ever done. But I want to thank you because you touched all of our hearts tonight by dancing. Gleb, the choreography was incredible. What you did tonight, it was like angels all over you dancing. It was so beautiful. Hold your head high. You should be proud of what you’ve done tonight. You have blessed us all with a beautiful dance of love and passion and raw emotion. Well done.”
JUDGE’S SCORE: 26
Last week, the dancers avoided the dreaded eliminations, however, this week the field was narrowed by one couple. After the audience scores were combined with the judge’s scores, the bottom two coupes were Sailor and Val, and Ally and Sasha.
And the couple to go home, in one of the most tearful eliminations in the history of the show, was Sailor and Val.
Next week brings all of the dancers together for team dances along with a bit of spooky stepping for Halloween.
