We have learned a lot from the celebrities with the several themed dance nights on Dancing With the Stars. Icons Night was yet another theme to showcase the celebrities' lives and inspirations. Despite the repetitive theme, I did like to see some the dances that showcased very emotional stories. Oddly enough, for probably the first time ever, I agreed the most with Carrie Ann's comments and scores. As for the Dance-Offs, they were very confusing at first, but I ended up liking them. Here were my thoughts on the jam-packed night:
Icons Dances
Salsa- Valió la Pena by Marc Anthony
Score: 9, 9, 9 (27/30) (Final Score: 29/33)
Carlos's Icon: Marc Anthony
I feel like this season has been lacking in Latin heat, so it was very refreshing to watch Carlos's Salsa. It was very traditional, with some complicated steps. Of course, the lift one lift towards the end was messed up a bit (although I felt like that happened a lot on Monday night). Carlos looked relaxed during this routine, but at certain parts, he looked so relaxed that the Salsa was not executed with enough force. I give Carlos and Witney's Salsa a 9. At just a few points, I felt as though Carlos's feet were beneath him, so if he just picked up his feet a tiny bit more, it would be perfect. Although, that is such a small detail in a routine like this.
Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold (#TeamTakedown)
Contemporary- Holding Out for a Hero by Ella Mae Bowen
Score: 9, 8, 8 (25/30) (Final Score: 25/33)
Alek's Icon: Chris Kyle ("The American Sniper")
Alek has shown that he executes lifts really well, but it seems as though he and Lindsay depend too much on them. Just like his Jazz routine in week two, this Contemporary piece was very consumed with lifts. One lift, just like Carlos's in his Salsa, had a mishap, but it wasn't his or Allison's fault. I like the lifts, but I would also like to see a variety with side-by-side lines and small "moments" to make a big emotional effect. Alek does have the strength and stability to nail a routine like this, but some of the key factors to this dance needed some polishing to it. I give Alek and Lindsay's Contemporary a 9. This dance was very beautiful. Alek did a superb job of showcasing Lindsay, and Lindsay did a great job of showcasing Alek as well.
Andy Grammer and Allison Holker (#TeamAndison) Eliminated- 7th Place
Viennese Waltz- Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
Score: 8, 7, 7 (22/30) (Final Score: 24/33) Bottom of the Leaderboard
Andy's Icon: Stevie Wonder
As I said from Most Memorable Year Night, Andy has such a good outlook on life. That optimism was portrayed beautifully in this Viennese Waltz, despite there being some awkward moments while in hold. His posture continued to be problem, which causes his whole frame to look sloppy. His lines were also just thrown around a bit, but with the fast choreography that Allison gave him, that makes it extremely difficult to do so. Of course, Andy's high spirits will be missed in the ballroom, so I hope that he took something great from his journey on the show, because he did really show the world what an amazing personality he has. I give Andy and Allison's Viennese Waltz a 7. I loved this dance, especially because of the story that Andy told behind it. As Carrie Ann said herself, this performance was uplifting in a special way.
Alexa PenaVega and Mark Ballas (#TeamBAEga)
Argentine Tango- Viva la Vida by Coldplay
Score: 9. 8. 8 (25/30) (Final Score: 27/33)
Alexa's Icon: David from "Daivid and Goliath"
In all honesty, I was not sure how I felt about Alexa in the beginning of the competition. However, as time went by, she has went from one of the people that I didn't care for very much to one of my favorite celebrities on the show this season! I love her heart, and her new-found fearlessness in her performances. I liked the elements of International Ballroom Tango in this Argentine Tango, and the way it eased its way into the choreography. Since almost everyone was messing up last night, I do have to say that her missteps were, in fact, very noticeable. That didn;'t, however, take away from the cinematic value and intense passion. I give Alexa and Mark's Argentine Tango a 9. The intensity might be very prevalent in Alexa's face, but she also needed to add some of that strong character into her legs for fiercer flicks.
Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess (#TeamSharNick)
Contemporary- Can't Help Falling in Love by Haley Reinhart
Score: 10, 10, 10 (30/30) (Final Score: 33/33) Top of the Leaderboard (Immunity)
Nick's Icon: His wife Lauren Kitt Carter
Nick has clearly had a tough time in past year, so I am extremely glad that he and wife are going to have a baby "backstreet" boy! Everything about this Contemporary number gave me chills. From sad to happy, and low to high, the roller coaster of emotions in this performance set such a unique atmosphere that was like no other, just like his Viennese Waltz in week three. I give Nick and Sharna's Contemporary a 10. Nick had such finesse to tell a wonderful story that captivated me into another world through his and Sharna's atmospheric magic.
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough (#TeamCrikey)
Foxtrot- Grace Kelly by MIKA
Score: 10, 9, 9 (28/30) (Final Score: 28/33)
Bindi's Icon: Grace Kelly
A lot of times when an untrained dancer performs the Foxtrot, it could turn out rather boring due to the limitations that many of the celebrities have. But as we all know, Bindi can do anything that Derek throws at her! I couldn't stop smiling from start to finish as Bindi glided her way around the dance floor with her Jazz flair! I know that she messed up in the star formation on the floor, but to me, that did not take away from the Foxtrot at all! Julianne said that Bindi's shoulder was up, but that was such a minor thing that it was insignificant in my eyes! I give Bindi and Derek's Foxtrot a 10. Bindi is definitely a competitor to beat because she is on fire, and she never gets phased by any challenges that far her way!
Tamar Braxton and Valentin Chmerkovskiy (#TeamValenTay)
Paso Doble- Born This Way by Lady Gaga
Score: 9, 9, 10 (28/30) (Final Score: 28/33)
Tamar's Icon: Her sister Toni Braxton
Tamar puts such incredible effort in her routines, but sometimes that effort does not always show itself in her live performances.Don't get me wrong, Tamar has some of the best Latin lines out of the female celebrities left on the show. As Julianne said, Tamar seems to have two sets of arms. She would execute one line perfectly, but the next would be a tad off. Besides that, Tamar match Val in all types of technique. I give Tamar and Val's Paso Doble a 9. There were only little things that kept this Paso Doble from being perfect, so I would suggest to Tamar to just be more aware of her arms at all times when doing Latin dances.
Dance-Offs
For the Dance-Off challenge, the couples that did not receive the highest score of the night had to compete in the head-to-head competition. Nick and Sharna had the highest score of the night, so they did not have to compete. In addition to that, they won Immunity from elimination, and have gained an additional three points to their final score of the night. If there had been more then one couple to have had the highest score of the night, then the couple with the highest cumulative score of the season would be the pair to win the immunity. The winning couples that compete in the Dance-Off challenge received two additional points for their final overall scores.
In the order of the leaderboard (highest to lowest), the couples chose the couples they would face against, and the couples that were chosen had to pick a dance style out of the remaining options to dance to. This was the decision-making process:
- Bindi and Derek chose to dance against Carlos and Witney.
- Carlos and Wintney chose to dance a Jive against Bindi and Derek.
- Tamar and Val chose to dance against Alexa and Mark.
- Alexa and Mark chose to dance a Cha-Cha-Cha against Tamar and Val.
- Alek and Lindsay chose to dance against Andy and Allison.
- Andy and Allison chose to dance a Samba against Alek and Lindsay.
The dance floor was split in half for the couples to dance side-by-side. The judges, as well as the viewers at home, got to decide on who should win the two additional points in each round of the challenge. In the event of a tie, the public was the tiebreaker vote. Whatever the majority of the public's vote was, that was the determined vote for America's overall vote with the judges.
*Note: The public's vote percentage is after Bruno's vote.
Immunity: Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess (+3 Points)
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough versus Carlos PenaVega and Witney Carson
Jive- Travelin' Band by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Votes: Carlos, Carlos, Carlos, Carlos (64%)
Winner: Carlos and Witney (+2 Points)
This dance-off was very close in terms of both performance and technique.While Bindi did do more basic Jive content than Carlos, Carlos picked his knees up higher, and applied more force to his kicks and flicks. In my opinion, either team deserved the points, which shows how close the competition really is this season. I think that Carlos and Witney should have won the dance-off.
Tamar Braxton and Valentin Chmerkovskiy versus Alexa PenaVega and Mark Ballas
Cha-Cha-Cha- Fun by Pit Bull featuring Chris Brown
Votes: Alexa, Tamar, Tamar, Alexa (76%)
Winner: Alexa and Mark (+2 Points)
Both couples nailed the sexiness factor that is needed for a Cha-Cha-Cha to a song like Fun! Alexa had so much more content than Tamar, but at the same time, Tamar really focused on the little details of the dance while focusing on extending her lines from the core. Once again, I think that both couples deserved to have won the extra points, but I feel like Alexa's effort of the Cha-Cha-Cha really payed off for her this time around. I think that Alexa and Mark should have won the dance off.
Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold versus Andy Grammer and Allison Holker
Samba- Lean On by Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MØ
Votes: Andy, Andy, Andy, Andy (54%)
Winner: Andy and Allison (+2 Points)
The two lowest scorers of the night had to compete to a very difficult dance style that neither of them have done on the show before. Before even watching, I knew that the performances would be a bit less technical than the dance-offs before them. Despite the many mistakes both Alek and Andy had, I do have to say that this competition was very entertaining to watch. Andy had some really fun tricks infused into the Samba. On the other hand, Alek and Lindsay did a whole lot more Samba steps than Andy and Allison. Neither couple completely nailed the dance, but I feel as though Alek had more flair and technicality in his performance. I think that Alek and Lindsay should have won the dance-off.
So what did you think of Icons Night of Dancing With the Stars? What is your opinion on the Dance-Offs? What are your thoughts on Andy and Allison's elimination? What was your favorite dance of the night? Next week will be Duet Dances in which two couples pair together to create a performance of a lifetime!
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