DWTS INTERACT: DWTS Season 25- Week 2, Night 1 (Ballroom Night) Dance Overviews

During the first night of the two-night week 2 event, Ballroom Night was all about traditional class and elegance! Plus, we had our very first elimination of the season!

With comments on each of the dances, here are Julia Delbel, Paul Bentley, and Dwtsdreams!

Ballroom Night Dances

For night one of the two-night week, the thirteen couples performed various ballroom dances. Then, at the end of the night, the first couple of the season was eliminated.

Debbie Gibson and Alan Bersten

Quickstep

This is My Time by Amy Stroup

Dwtsdreams Debbie showed improvement from last week to this week. She seemed stronger and her movements were more powerful. She has such a zest for life, and it really shines through her dancing. Her shoulders were down and I could tell she was working on keeping tight arms, and not floppy ones. This show is about growth, and Debbie was growing, so I was a little annoyed she went home on Tuesday. Debbie had more to give and Alan is an incredible first time pro that could have gone to at least the Quarter-Finals.

Bentley Debbie really held her own on Monday. Alan didn’t go easy on her with the choreography, and Debbie seemed to appreciate the challenge. It was very clear that she put in a ton of effort this week, which made for some exciting, contagious energy and all-around joy. The dance was broken at parts, which might be because of how Debbie was almost chasing the music and she was anticipating what came next. But overall, I thought Debbie’s pep in her Quickstep made it a perfect fit for an opening dance!

Julia This was just so forgettable, and that’s the most dangerous thing to be on DWTS. I remember thinking she did a little better than the first week but not the specifics of that sentiment. I think Alan gave her a good routine, though, and they had nice chemistry together.

Bentley I actually didn’t find Debbie all that forgettable on Monday, but I know that a lot of people agree that she was not very memorable, so that’s a bit disappointing. :/

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 7	Len 6	Bruno 7	Total 20/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 6	Dwtsdreams 6	Julia 6	Total 18/30

#TeamSonBerst 1(800)868-3402

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev

Waltz

Come Away with Me by Norah Jones

Bentley The atmosphere of this dance was really beautiful, especially with the black background and the lights scattered around it. The thing is, though, that the atmosphere didn’t seem to match up with Nikki. She had some delicate lines and nice, flowy turns, but all of that was undermined by her lack of a connection with Artem. I saw hints of this last week, but on Monday night, it seemed like she could have done the same routine with a mannequin. She kind of stares off into space at times, and even though she keeps her head up and to the side, she has to learn how to look away without looking “through” everything else.

Julia I thought Nikki handled the Waltz technique decently well enough for Week 2, but I agree about her lack of connection with Artem. That’s something they’re gonna have to fix soon, because the celeb/pro relationship and dance floor chemistry is one of them main things the audience votes for, and without it they could be in trouble soon.

Dwtsdreams Nikki has such great chemistry with her opponent in the ring and I really hope she can harness that chemistry and translate into her partnership with Artem. I mean that girls knows how to be sexy and her hips can move! I feel as though when she dances with Artem she tenses up and she doesn't dance to her full potential! I love Nikki and she has such a strong yet sweet personality and it makes me sad that the producers don't show it. She plays this character in the ring but outside the ring she is very sweet and loving and I hope the producers were start showing that fun side of her.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 7	Len 7	Bruno 7	Total 21/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 6	Dwtsdreams 6	Julia 7	Total 19/30

#TeamSmackdown 1(800)868-3409

Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas

Quickstep

Swing Set by Jurassic 5

Bentley Alright, this was a pretty cool dance! The theme was so creative and out there, and it was something that I’ve been missing from Mark since last year! And I do have to say that the Monarch Butterfly outfits are were some of the best costumes I have seen for the show! As for the Quickstep, I thought that Lindsey had her head completely in the dance, keeping herself in tune with the music. And while Lindsey was able to keep up with Mark in the fast-paced dance, she was not as refined with him, almost in a clumsy way. But all in all, everything together made for such an original dance that I am sure not to forget it when the season is over!

Dwtsdreams Mark is back. He is such a legend in creating incredible concepts with a meaning behind it. I was touched by listening to Lindsey journey and her heart really showed through this dance.

Julia I thought Lindsey did great with this Quickstep! While I would have liked to see a bit more in-hold content she did so well with what she was given I couldn’t bring myself to take off points for that (LOL). Mark’s over-the-top themes made a comeback with this butterfly number and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of them over the course of the season!

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 7	Len 7	Bruno 7	Total 21/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 7	Dwtsdreams 7	Julia 8	Total 22/30

#TeamSTARK 1(800)868-3407

Barbara Corcoran and Keo Motsepe

Tango

Eliminated- 13th Place

Whatever Lola Wants by Sarah Vaughan

Dwtsdreams I remember sitting on my couch on Monday night, nervously waiting to see who got eliminated. When Keo was announced, I was not surprised, but just sad for him. It seems as though every season Keo is the first one out. If Keo is given that role as a pro to handle that kind of partner, he needs to know how to roll with it. I mean, Tommy and Peta went to the semifinals! I have faith that Keo will figure out how to deal with partners like Barbara. Does he need to just focus on making fun dances and not the content or serious dances with lots of content? Regarding this dance, there was slight improvement. There was more content, but that was about it. It was the right time for her to go home.

Bentley It definitely was Barbara’s time to go, but I’m glad that she ended her time on this season with this dance; it was classy and a good contrast to her last dance, plus it looked like she was having a blast dancing with Keo again! Just like with her Salsa, though, she was not in sync with Keo, and she was a bit all over the place. However, even with her glowing smile, she brought out the intensity of the Tango, and owned everything in the dance, both good and bad.

Julia I also loved that Barbara owned her performance all the way through. I think if she hadn’t been so cougar-like with Keo she may have gotten the votes to stick around for a bit. I really want Keo to have a chance next season and dislike the regulation of only a few pros to more challenging partners. Keo does suit the role better than Artem - the last person who had a streak of them - did, but I don’t think it’s very fair (though I know Barbara requested him). Not much else to say, really.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 6	Len 5	Bruno 6	Total 17/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 5	Dwtsdreams 5	Julia 5	Total 15/30

#TeamSharkeo 1(800)868-3401

Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd

Foxtrot

Mandy by Barry Manilow

Dwtsdreams I just have a feeling in my gut that Nick has more in him than he knows. I know how hard he is working, but he still is so stiff. Although he is stiff and rigid, if you go back, you can see tiny moments in that dance where he is about to let that wall down. I just wasn't a fan of this dance and I really hope that Nick improves or I think he may be going home.

Bentley Yeah, this Foxtrot seemed very ordinary to me. Sure, it was pretty and all, but it didn’t really stick with me after the show went to a commercial break. It’s a shame, really, because Nick has really nice lines with a strong connection to Peta-- it just didn’t really make a mark. As far as technique goes, Nick needs to practice more with knowing how much to move with each move and to what extent, because sometimes he dances smaller than he really is, and other times, he goes too much out of his way to do a simple step. I just hope that Nick can make a bigger impact on me, utilizing his skills in a way that is more interesting to me.

Julia Nick clearly does not care about this show, and I do not care about watching him on it. I don’t remember anything about this other than “meh”. Sorry.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 7	Len 6	Bruno 6	Total 19/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 6	Dwtsdreams 6	Julia 6	Total 18/30

#TeamMomAndPops 1(800)868-3408

Drew Scott and Emma Slater

Quickstep

Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima

Bentley To be blunt, this dance was kind of hard to watch. Once again, Drew’s frame was a mess, and he was not tight enough at all in his entire upper body. Even his legs were wonky, which wasn’t as big of an issue last week. The only thing keeping me from giving him a 5 for my score is the fact that the beginning and ending sections out of hold were absolutely phenomenal-- it was like he was a completely different dancer for those parts with how well he matched the troupe and how he used his height to his advantage to really extend his limbs for the jazzy stuff! Julia said this last week with how bad Drew is out of hold, but how good he is doing side-by-side dancing, but it was even more prevalent on Monday with his Quickstep. It’s all just really bizarre!

Dwtsdreams I have to admit I'm very confused on why Drew looks like a completely different dancer in hold vs doing things by himself in a group. It is true that in hold you need to learn how to transfer your weight, how to lead someone, and had placement/ shoulder is very important. Most of those things beside leading his used in group choreography so I'm not sure what his problem his. He looks really good but as soon as he gets in hold it goes downhill. He is stiff and rigid. Although the technique wasn't the best he does have a very charming personality.

Julia Besides Lindsey and Mark, this was the first dance of the night that fully captured my attention. Emma did a great job making it both exciting to watch and suiting the choreography to Drew’s (kind of limited) abilities. He’s still way better out of hold than in but his footwork was definitely better in this than the Foxtrot. He was also one of the few people to put it all out there with his personality Monday night which I appreciated as a viewer.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 7	Len 6	Bruno 7	Total 20/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 6	Dwtsdreams 6	Julia 6	Total 18/30

#TeamHotProperty 1(800)868-3404

Vanessa Lachey and Maks Chmerkovskiy

Foxtrot

Hit Me with a Hot Note by Tami Tappan Damiano

Bentley It might not have been the most natural Foxtrot ever, but I have to give Vanessa credit for being a superstar on the dance floor. When she dances, she sells everything to the audience-- her face, her expressions, her boy-- all while doing some pretty solid technique! My biggest problem with this dance, though, is that even with all of the choreography out of hold, Vanessa only looked at Maks once. Just like with Nikki, Vanessa has to find a balance between looking in the correct direction while still having strong visual contact with her partner, whether direct or indirect. Vanessa also has to work on rise-and-fall, but besides that, she is on a really good start to her DWTS journey!

Julia I agree with pretty much everything Bentley said about this one. I love Vanessa’s enthusiasm and how it shows in her performances, and her technique is pretty good for Week 2, but she definitely needs to connect with Maks a bit more during their dances to really sell it for me. Also, this routine needed more actual Foxtrot content for being so short.

Dwtsdreams Vanessa is really blossoming into a confident dancer. She has great facial expressions and really owns every style she does!

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 8	Len 8	Bruno 8	Total 24/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 7	Dwtsdreams 7	Julia 7	Total 21/30

#TeamBabiesAndBallroom 1(800)868-3412

Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson

Tango

Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons

Bentley With the chaotic music in the background, I was impressed to see that Frankie really didn’t chase the music that much (he did a little bit, but it didn’t consume his performance). He framed Witney in a way that presented his share of control in the dance, which let off a sense of confidence that Frankie managed to showcase while overcoming his nerves. It looks like, though, that his nerves might have made him tighten up in his shoulders with an awkward neck thing going on. But in the grand scheme of things, that was one hell of a Tango.

Dwtsdreams Frankie is surprising the heck out of me. I thought he could make the Top 8 but I never thought he would be topping the leaderboard. His technique besides his shoulders being up and stiff neck was nearly perfect. He had great body contact, controlled Witney, and had great foot placement. Frankie you are killing the game!! So impressed!

Julia I didn’t like this quite a smuch as his dance from last week but it was still a solid performance. He seemed more noticeably nervous but that didn’t detract from the performance too much. This is another one I don’t have a whole lot to say about but I am quite impressed with Frankie so far.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 8	Len 7	Bruno 8	Total 23/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 7	Dwtsdreams 7	Julia 7	Total 21/30

#TeamFranneyPack 1(800)868-3405

Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke

Foxtrot

Pillow Talk by ZAYN

Bentley Terrell and Cheryl made me so conflicted. They were oozing with passion and clarity of movement, but the Foxtrot was nearly nonexistent. And the Foxtrot I did see had some frame errors and clunkiness. But everything else was sexy and smooth. However, that wasn’t the Foxtrot. It’s hard to score something that really doesn’t have much to score, so based on what I saw, the technique was clunky, and since he wasn’t able to improve throughout the dance because of how little content there was, I wasn’t able to see him get more comfortable and get more used to the frame. The choreography might have hurt him this week, and because of that, I had to give him a low score.

Julia I think Terrell executed what he was given pretty decently, but there was so little Foxtrot content in this it’s hard to justify scoring him higher than a 6 or so. Does Cheryl usually sex up the dances like she did Monday night? Regardless, I honestly don’t care about the couple at all and was really hoping they would be the ones to leave on Tuesday.

Dwtsdreams I don't know if anyone saw Val’s cringe face up in the sky box after Terrell did the dance but that was me. Terrell comes off conceited and overconfident. He is paying too much attention to how he looks and “how sexy he is “ than the actual technique. I mean what was the body roll grind thing at the end. I just didn't like this dance one bit.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 7	Len 6	Bruno 7	Total 20/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 6	Dwtsdreams 5	Julia 6	Total 17/30

#TeamGetchaPopcorn 1(800)868-3411

Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko

Viennese Waltz

I’m Going Down by Rose Royce

Bentley I really did not expect Sasha to come out and make a complete turn out from her shaky dance last week! She truly made this Viennese Waltz all about her, and she actually made a connection with me that was completely absent from last week! Her balance is still off, and she still has to make her lines more cohesive, but this Viennese Waltz was an incredible improvement from just a week since the premiere episode. I absolutely loved the way that she carries herself across the dance floor with more than just a couple steps; she does it with class and style!

Julia I was so happy to see Sasha’s stage presence and performance level improve so much with this number! I agree with Bentley that she was very classy and poised, which suited the tone of the routine wonderfully! I’m still kind of worried about her votes but if she keeps improving hopefully people will jump on board her bandwagon!

Dwtsdreams It happened! She broke down her first wall! Sasha is much more confident on the dance floor and owning it! She still has to work on her balance and focusing on engaging the core through her turns because some she will forget to spot or use her core and her turns get messy. Overall she performed this dance was a great poise.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 8	Len 8	Bruno 7	Total 23/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 7	Dwtsdreams 7	Julia 7	Total 21/30

#TeamATeam 1(800)868-3410

Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy

Tango

Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift

Bentley This dance was everything that the Tango is about- the intensity, the passion, the lure. Victoria had it all and then some! It was so sharp and well put-together that that fact alone made it the dance of the night for me! Victoria’s body was a bit too forward at the beginning, plus she seemed to have lost just the tiniest bit of control with Val at one point, but she managed to fix her form quickly and do so without losing her character, which was also part of some of the best acting of the night!

Julia This was easily the dance of the night for me. Victoria nailed the acting and kept up with Val nicely. The intensity carried throughout her whole body...except her legs (but I’m sure she’ll soon improve on that). Her frame was amazing and she executed the awesome choreography brilliantly!

Dwtsdreams Dance of the night. Hands down! Val came up with a brilliant concept and choreography and Victoria nailed it. She was strong and fierce and killed her technique. This dance was definitely a finalist routine.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 8	Len 8	Bruno 8	Total 24/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 8	Dwtsdreams 8	Julia 8	Total 24/30

#TeamViVa 1(800)868-3413

Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess

Foxtrot

Hallelujah, I Love Her So by Ray Charles

Bentley I found this performance to be a good balance between simplicity and showiness. Rather than using a big production or something equivalent to that, Derek and Sharna were showy solely in the choreography without the need of anything or anybody else. That just goes to show how stellar that these two can be on their own, which is actually quite impressive. I think that they were scored a tad harshly on this Foxtrot, because even though Derek was a little stiff in hold, and could’ve added a little more pizazz, he still used his personality to put his own personal stamp on the dance as something that is unique to him as a dancer. However, there was a real lack of hold, which makes it kind of hard to judge since once when Derek got into the hold, it would already be over. This was the second time that I wanted more from this couple dance-wise, but that streak ended the day after for Latin Night.

Dwtsdreams Bentley and I both have dance experience and/or understand dance technique. We both have different opinions so I have to disagree with Bentley just on one note. I thought that the performance was a little too much show and too little technique. Don't get me wrong, there was Foxtrot content, but I found the beginning to be a little corny.

Julia I tend to agree with Bentley on this one. Derek had nice frame, footwork, and personality in the dance, but he lacked energy. The lack of hold did bother me but he did well with what he was given, and I’m glad he stuck around the next night even with his low scores.

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 6	Len 6	Bruno 7	Total 19/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 7	Dwtsdreams 6	Julia 7	Total 20/30

#TeamHoopsAndHeels 1(800)868-3403

Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold

Viennese Waltz

Count on Me by Judah Kelly

Bentley This was another technically good dance from Jordan and Lindsay, but despite it being high on my rankings list for the night because of the strong execution of every move in the routine, I found some little things that he could improve that kind of stood out to me. First of all, he wasn’t as fluid as I thought he was last week. But what really stood out to me was how, in my opinion, there was too much up-and-down and side-to-side, done so in such a way that he and Lindsay shifted a bit abruptly and aggressive at times, which took away from the elegant flow of the Viennese Waltz. Nonetheless, Jordan still crushed the dance with an okay connection to Lindsay.

Dwtsdreams Excuse me while I lose my composure. Disclaimer: this will not be a well written beautifully crafted paragraph.

OH MY GOD JORDAN FRICKIN FISHER. I don't think people understand how hard it is to still follow the choreographers direct by then add your personal flair to it. The choices he makes while executing choreography is choices that some professional make. Yes he still has some way to go on this technique. But he excites every move with such a attention to detail I would be baffled if he didn't win.

Julia I agree with Bentley Jordan wasn’t as fluid as he could have been but the more staccato movements did match the song so they didn’t bother me too much. I would have liked to see a lot more in hold, though. But my main takeaway from this performance was that Jordan and Lindsay definitely have great chemistry!

The Judges’ Scores	Carrie Ann 8	Len 8	Bruno 8	Total 24/30
The Bloggers’ Scores	Bentley 7	Dwtsdreams 8	Julia 8	Total 23/30

#TeamFishUponAStar 1(800)868-3406

Dance Rankings

Julia

1. Victoria & Val

2. Jordan & Lindsay

3. Lindsey & Mark

4. Sasha & Gleb

5. Derek & Sharna

6. Vanessa & Maks

7. Nikki & Artem

8. Frankie & Witney

9. Drew & Emma

10. Nick & Peta

11. Terrell & Cheryl

12. Debbie & Alan

13. Barbara & Keo

Bentley

1. Victoria & Val

2. Jordan & Lindsay

3. Lindsey & Mark

4. Derek & Sharna

5. Sasha & Gleb

6. Frankie & Witney

7. Vanessa & Maks

8. Nikki & Artem

9. Terrell & Cheryl

10. Debbie & Alan

11. Nick & Peta

12. Drew & Emma

13. Barbara & Keo

Dwtsdreams

1. Victoria and Val

2. Jordan and Lindsay

3. Lindsey and Mark

4. Sasha and Gleb

5. Vanessa and Maks

6. Frankie and Witney

7. Nikki and Artem

8. Derek and Sharna

9. Drew and Emma

10. Debbie and Alan

11. Nick and Peta

12.Terrell and Cheryl

13. Barbara and Keo

Bentley So, Terrell was in jeopardy with Barbara. It’s not too surprising that he ended up lower on the overall score board including the audience’s votes, but I don’t actually think that Terrell was in was in the bottom two after votes were calculated (and not just because I know that he survived Tuesday’s episode, too). I think he has a lot of fans that are rooting for him at home!

Julia I think Terrell will be gone in the next few weeks (I think being in jeopardy Monday night might have saved him on Tuesday). I think he does have some fans who are voting, though, and Cheryl probably does too!

Bentley Did anyone else notice Mark and Elena from Big Brother in the audience? Maybe I’m looking too far into things, but the fact that they managed to get front row tickets at (probably) such a late date after being locked in the Big Brother house for awhile, I wonder if the DWTS production had to move some ticket-holders that aren’t well-known to somewhere else to get them into the camera shot. If so, I don’t like the idea of moving people who paid money for certain seats, and then get moved to show someone else on camera. But maybe those seats were already reserved or something… I don’t know.

Julia I don’t think you have to pay for DWTS tickets; you just sign up and they tell you when you get them. Higher-profile people are usually seated in certain areas, though. I always scan those sections when they appear on screen to see if I recognize anyone!

Week 2, Night 1 MVP Picks

Most Valuable Pro

Bentley This is a hard choice for me, but I think I have to go with Mark Ballas as my MVP pick! He not only came out with a Disney Night-level performance that was fun to watch from beginning to end, but he also gave Lindsey some choreography that kept its consistency while still presenting his storybook fantasy! And while Lindsey’s technique was better in her Cha-Cha-Cha than in her Quickstep in my opinion, Lindsey is definitely finding her independence as a dancer quickly, which I have to give credit to Mark for since he has obviously been teaching her a lot of what she knows!

Julia My Monday night MVP pick is Val Chmerkovskiy! His Tango choreography was amazing, and I was blown away at how he managed to get someone with a lack of sensation in her legs to do THAT. Incredible!

Dwtsdreams My MVP for ballroom night is the one and only Val Chmerkovskiy! The way he is able to choreograph on Victoria and help her succeed even though she can't feel her legs is incredible. He packed that dance with content and an incredible strong ass woman concept.

What did you think of Ballroom Night? What did you think of Barbara and Keo’s elimination? Who did you think was going to be eliminated on Tuesday?