Most Memorable Year Night always ends up being the emotional night of the season, and Monday night’s dances definitely took the cake! Even with a wide range of stories that showcased the celebrities’ most memorable years, it ultimately had to end with another elimination.
So, commenting on the dances from the night, here are Paul Bentley, Julia Delbel, and Dwtsdreams!
Most Memorable Year Night Dances
To highlight their most memorable years of their lives, the remaining couples performed dances that helped tell their stories, which was then followed by an elimination.
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson
Quickstep
Adventure of a Lifetime by Coldplay
Most Memorable Year: 2017, Since He Likes to Live in the Present
Julia I noticed this Most Memorable Year night had a lot of complex stories compared to others, featuring mixed emotions in most of the stories. Frankie’s memory loss was certainly painted as one of these, with him putting a positive spin on his poor memory situation. I LOVED the choreography for his routine on Monday but unfortunately there were a lot of obvious technique issues, most notably the huge gap in between Frankie and Witney (good for a middle school dance, but not a ballroom Quickstep). It also just seemed generally pretty messy and ended up not being very memorable by the end of the night. I still think Frankie is very safe for a while, though.
Bentley I didn’t think that it was possible, but hearing Frankie talk in his package made me like him even more than I already do! I mean, how can you not like him?! Even the fact that he was able to turn his memory loss into something hopeful and joyous just exemplifies how much of a uniquely positive character that he is. His Quickstep was a good way to start the dances for the night with how uplifting yet sentimental it was. Frankie was dancing a little too far “up” in a way with his upper body, putting too much stress into the center of his shoulders. He also rushed in a few sections, which was magnified by Witney’s stability. I did like his footwork during the height of the music, though, and I love how much controlled energy he put into his legs for it. In a way, this felt like a preview of Disney Night with how magical it felt!
Dream This Most Memorable Year night was one of the heaviest and most emotional compared to past seasons. Frankie’s story was touching and he had such an incredible attitude about this tumultuous journey of memory loss. I thought it was very touching that Witney created only one of the three “happy” uplifting dances of the night. His Quickstep to me stood out because of his positivity. In terms of technique, Frankie rushed through his movements very quickly, causing some of his technique to be lost. For example, his shoulders were up for a good amount of the dance, and he was putting weight on his ankle and foot rather than specifying the pressure, putting the weight on the balls of his feet.
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
|
#TeamFranneyPack 1(800)868-3405
Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke
Viennese Waltz
I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston
Most Memorable Year: 2012, When His Grandmother Died
Bentley From the story that Terrell told, I could tell that he genuinely had a good connection with his mother, which made me see him in a more authentic way than I’ve seen him before. And that authenticity was reflected into his Viennese Waltz with Cheryl. His Foxtrot from Ballroom showcased his potential for the ballroom style, but I felt like I could have seen more from him. Well, this dance showed me everything that I wanted to see from him previously! Terrell was focused on keeping himself controlled from the very start to the finish, and kept everything polished. When not in full hold with Cheryl, though, Terrell was focused too much on his composure and not focused enough on his extensions. Even with his thrown away limbs, this was easily Terrell’s best dance yet!
Julia Oh yeah, this was easily my favorite dance from Terrell. It felt very smooth and it seemed like he was at ease throughout it. I’m glad he seems to be more focused and dedicated to the competition now than he was at the beginning. If he keeps this up I think he could stick around until close to the end!
Dream We all know that I have been very hard on Terrell, but this was his best dance. He was smooth and executed all the movements, but I still feel as though his technique has a long way to go. P.S. That was not a 9 dance @Julia @Bentley……!!!!
Julia Okay, Len. :P
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
8
|
Len
8
|
Bruno
8
|
Total
24/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
9
|
Dwtsdreams
7
|
Julia
9
|
Total
25/30
|
#TeamGetchaPopcorn 1(800)868-3411
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev
Contemporary
Fight Song by Rachel Platten
Most Memorable Year: 2016, When a Neck Injury Almost Ended Her Career
Bentley Serious props to Nikki for getting back into the ring after such a terrible injury-- I know that I wouldn’t have taken that risk! We’ve had a lot of people who could be called “fighters” on this show, but Nikki fits that definition to a T! And what could be a better-fitting dance to tell a story about that than this Contemporary number?! The silks hanging from the ceiling were a really cool idea, and while I still really liked them, I feel like Nikki was in some weird state while on them where she didn’t give any facial feedback to the audience (I don’t know, maybe I’m the only one who thought that). Nikki was splendidly lyrical at the same time as her being powerful, and while it was shaky here and there, she and Artem created such an awesome routine; and I think it might be my favorite dance from the night!
Julia I think the facial thing was Nikki being really focused on her movements and/or trying not to break down during her performance (she said the package beforehand really affected her). Luckily, it didn’t take away from the performance too much since the camera mostly focused on her full body instead of just her face. I loved that this routine really showcased Nikki’s strength, making it suit the performance rather than detracting from it like in some of her previous dances. I did notice some shaky moves here and there, but again, they were minor and didn’t detract too much from the overall piece.
Dream Nikki has so much potential in her dancing! I mean, she is flexible, strong, and executes every move, but she still isn't connecting all her movements. Dance isn't one move then that stops to another. It is one continuous move. This is one of her better dances, but she still has some ways to go.
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
|
#TeamSmackdown 1(800)868-3409
Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd
Contemporary
Falling Slowly by Marketa Irglova & Glen Hansard
Most Memorable Year: 2011, When He Married Vanessa Lachey
Bentley I’m not the biggest fan of romance stories, but I’m glad that this was more of a genuine (I’ve been using that word a lot) story, and not a calculated one rooted from feeling obligated to choose marrying Vanessa as his most memorable year. But to be honest, I found this Contemporary to be uninspiring. It was sweet and all, but it was just not “big” enough for me. It was also rough around the edges without much flow between movements. And what was up with that painfully slow dip with Peta at the beginning? But enough with being negative. I thought that Nick connected with this dance more than with any other dance he performed, and he was definitely more self-aware with his movements than he has been in the past. It was good, but it just didn’t do it for me.
Julia This was actually the first time I could say I truly enjoyed watching Nick on the dance floor. The routine was pretty simple, but let’s be real, he probably couldn’t handle choreography much more challenging. Even with a couple mistakes, Nick obviously put his all into the performance, especially on the jumps! I think being able to connect with the music and story of the routine helps contestants perform better, and that’s probably what happened with Nick this week. He’s probably still my least favorite contestant left, but I warmed to him just a little bit more this week. :P
Dream This was cute and all, but I am so over this married narrative. Vanessa is in every one of Nick’s packages, and I want to learn more about him, not them. This routine was simple and sweet with only a couple of mistakes. He is still stiff and rigid in some parts, but overall, this was okay.
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
8
|
Len
7
|
Bruno
7
|
Total
22/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
7
|
Dwtsdreams
7
|
Julia
8
|
Total
22/30
|
#TeamMomAndPops 1(800)868-3408
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas
Viennese Waltz
Anchor by Mindy Gledhill
Most Memorable Year: 2017, When Her Father Died
Bentley The story about Lindsey’s father was so touching, and for me, it was tied for the most emotional story of the night. The Viennese Waltz that followed was absolutely perfect for Lindsey. Mark is such a freaking genius with his dances! I was surprised by how low of a score Lindsey got because, besides Len’s opinion of there not being enough content, the judges didn’t say anything bad about the dance (but I guess they did stay pretty positive throughout the night), and I can’t see any reason for marking Lindsey down. Len aside, what did she do wrong that the judges wanted to see different from her? I thought it was without-a-question suitable for a 10! The dance was as gentle as the clouds, and the production was so good that it was chilling! It was such a wonderful set that paid close attention to detail, even with the nice touch of Mark wearing Lindsey’s father’s hat and scarf.
Dream I FLIPPING LOVE MARK BALLAS. That creativity and choreography was out of this world. There was plenty of content and everything was executed really well. What an amazing dance!
Julia I agree with Bentley that it’s weird when the judges don’t say anything bad about a dance but then give it a score less than 10. I’m guessing they kept Lindsey under the top of the leaderboard for drama and to “shake things up” because it’s reality TV. That said, I’m disappointed this did not receive a perfect score because I think it definitely deserved one! Once again, Mark did a great job marrying concept and content (I didn’t understand Len’s comment about lack of the latter because there was certainly a lot there). I think this is going to be one of the dances that sticks out in people’s minds the most when they look back on Season 25.
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
9
|
Len
8
|
Bruno
9
|
Total
26/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
10
|
Dwtsdreams
10
|
Julia
10
|
Total
30/30
|
#TeamSTARK 1(800)868-3407
Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess
Jazz
Eliminated- 11th Place
Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield
Most Memorable Year: 2007, When His Daughter Was Diagnosed With Eye Cancer
Bentley Whew, 2007 must have been one tough year for both Derek and his daughter. I can’t imagine going through having to make that decision of whether or not to have his daughter’s eye removed. It is beyond a miracle and a relief that everything worked for her in the long run. Derek’s dance was really nice to watch with the change of pace to something a little more upbeat for the night, even with the emotional backstory to it. Derek was pretty spot-on technique-wise as he always is, but I found Derek’s energy to be oddly low. Maybe it has to do with watching the video package beforehand, but Derek did not dance with the same charisma that I liked so much from his other performances. It is always a bummer when spectacular acts get eliminated on the show, but I think Derek can agree that this Jazz being his last dance on the show is something special. He and Sharna have been a pleasure to watch, but I guess some of the bigger personalities made this team get lost in the shadows.
Dream I always complain that the Jazz routines on this show are excuses to booty shake, get some girl troupe action, and some sub par lifts but this dance had some content! In a way it reminded me of a broadway type of style with the chasse steps and across the floor type work. This was such a cute uplifting dance that I really enjoyed.
Julia These two were obviously thrown under the bus so Nick and Peta could stick around longer to continue the married couple shenanigans. It sucks because Nick doesn’t seem nearly as invested in this show or having nearly as much fun as Derek was. I really hope this nonsense ends soon because we’re going to lose more good couples if the producers keep it up. I loved that this was an actual Jazz routine (a lot of the “Jazz” dances on this show aren’t) and was a nice celebratory tribute to Derek’s daughter (loved that she got to watch it live in the audience!). I actually think his energy was better than some of his previous performances, and that the lack of it in the past may have made this team forgettable to the audience and made them an easy target to be sacrificed. Being forgettable is never good, but it seems to be a major curse this season in particular; we’ve already seen two good couples get eliminated because lesser dancers were more memorable, and I think this is a trend that’s going to continue for at least a little while longer.
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
7
|
Len
8
|
Bruno
8
|
Total
23/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
8
|
Dwtsdreams
8
|
Julia
8
|
Total
24/30
|
#TeamHoopsAndHeels 1(800)868-3403
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold
Contemporary
Take Me Home by Us the Duo
Most Memorable Year: 2005, When He Got Adopted by His Parents
Bentley Jordan has always seemed like such a nice and down-to-earth person to me, and now I can see where he gets it from. His close family unit is clearly something very special to him, and the fact that he cried at the end of his dance when he went to hug his parents is endearing. Jordan and Lindsay’s Contemporary was a mix of all sorts of emotions ranging from empowering to calm to captivating. Those lifts that they executed were extraordinarily good, and required a decent amount of trust to execute in the way that they did it. It was something straight out of a poem!
Dream Lindsay is truly a gift to this world. This season, the Contemporary dances have been so sub-par with no stylized movements and I was yearning for some turns and leaps. Lindsay created an actual competition Contemporary routine, and it was so beautiful. Lindsay creates so many textures and level changes, which created a heartfelt routine for a beautiful story. Jordan or Victoria are my season 25 winners for sure. Jordan is amazing!
Julia I’m glad Jordan did such an emotional dance because I’ve been worried about his ability to connect to the audience, and I think this helped him a lot in that department. This was pretty much technically flawless and I could feel the emotions packed into this performance. Great job!
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
10
|
Len
9
|
Bruno
10
|
Total
29/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
10
|
Dwtsdreams
10
|
Julia
10
|
Total
30/30
|
#TeamFishUponAStar 1(800)868-3406
Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko
Foxtrot
Over My Head (Cable Car) by The Fray
Most Memorable Year: 2016, When She Got Engaged to her Fiance
Bentley It takes a whole lot of confidence and comfort to be able to share her insecurities with the world like Sasha did, which is not easy to do by any means. I’m glad she found her husband to share her life with so they can support each other and be there for when the other is at a low point. While this Foxtrot didn’t receive a lot of traction, I ended up actually really liking the concept with the doors at the beginning and the end. Sasha is probably the most improved celebrity from week one to now, and she just keeps going uphill! Her feel for dancing has improved emphatically, but she is still in the process of needing to get rid of those statue-like poses. She is able to flow from one move to another a whole lot easier now, but it still needs working. It is obvious that she is letting Gleb guide her so she can learn to guide herself, and it is really paying off for her-- let’s just hope she is getting enough votes from the audience!
Dream I saw improvement! Sasha seemed to be comfortable in this dance, and she is starting to flow more. This was a creative, cute dance.
Julia I think Sasha did very well with this performance. In fact, the only real issue I saw was that there were times her movements were too small. However, even though this was easily her best dance to date, I am very, very concerned for her because she continues to be forgettable, and I think this coming Monday will be the time that problem catches up with her and she gets eliminated.
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
8
|
Len
8
|
Bruno
8
|
Total
24/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
8
|
Dwtsdreams
8
|
Julia
9
|
Total
25/30
|
#TeamATeam 1(800)868-3410
Vanessa Lachey and Maks Chmerkovskiy
Rumba
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) by Nick Lachey
Most Memorable Year: 2017, When She Gave Birth to Her Youngest Son
Bentley Vanessa’s family is the definition of the ideal American Dream family (with a lot more fame and money, of course), and hearing how much she and Nick care about their family made it that much more heartfelt when their son was shown in the incubator. As for Vanessa’s Rumba, I found the simplicity to be beneficial for the nature of the dance. It presented a connection between she and Maks, even if they really don’t have much of a connection with each other off of the dance floor. Vanessa had such beautiful lines, and she shifted her weight appropriately. When heading into certain moves with Maks, though, she had some minor trip-ups, and the changes in motion could have been refined just a little better. I would’ve given her a 9, but I guess the judges didn’t see the dance the same way I did!
Dream I can’t imagine going through something like that. Vanessa is such a strong women. As for this Rumba, it was lacking hip action, and there was zero chemistry. I have got to say that the chemistry was a little awkward. She did had beautiful lines through the dance, though.
Julia I loved Vanessa’s performance but it felt like she was in a completely different world than Maks, and they just didn’t connect on a choreographic level (she was mostly separate from him in terms of movements), not a chemistry level. She also needed a little more hip action for a Rumba. Everything else - including her lines, expressions, and leg movements - was amazing! I almost gave Vanessa a 9 for this (and really wanted to!), but it didn’t quite seem fair to give it despite how much I loved her performance.
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
8
|
Len
8
|
Bruno
8
|
Total
24/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
9
|
Dwtsdreams
8
|
Julia
8
|
Total
25/30
|
#TeamBabiesAndBallroom 1(800)868-3412
Drew Scott and Emma Slater
Jive
Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
Most Memorable Year: 2007, When He and Brother Started Property Brothers
Bentley It is always nice to see a good success story, but I have to be honest in saying that Drew looked like he was milking any shred of slightly “emotional” part of story to get some sort of reaction to an otherwise average Most Memorable Year Night anecdote. But Drew did have his brother Jonathan help him out with his appearance in the routine, which I did really like, especially with how the story relates to both of them! Drew’s Jive wasn’t all that bad, but he did not have as much refinement or sharpness as I would have liked to have seen from him. And being that Drew is so much taller than Emma, it was a bit awkward during certain parts. I absolutely loved Drew’s hype for this particular performance, but it came off as somewhat cluttered.
Dream Drew’s routine was positive and uplifting on such an emotional night, which made it stand out! It was such a special treat to have his brother join him. Something Drew should work on is that his moves come to the position fast, but they leave quite slow, causing him to not look as sharp as I would have liked.
Julia I have to disagree with Len that this was Drew’s best dance yet. While Drew managed to keep up with Emma better than I expected, he was still a little off at times and while I could tell he was trying to point his toes, I think he needed to do so a little more. However, it was the best example of a pro helping endear their celebrity to the audience, even a relatively weaker dancer like Drew. Happy stories tend to get forgotten on Most Memorable Year Night (maybe that’s why Drew played up the emotion of his, even if it was kinda forced :P) but Emma managed to make Drew’s stand out by bringing in Jonathan! I sort of wish they’d gotten Jazz, because Jive is a dance that seems difficult to teach to one tall guy, let alone two, but Emma somehow managed to prepare both Property Brothers to go out there and do an adequate job!
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
|
#TeamHotProperty 1(800)868-3404
Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy
Foxtrot
I Lived by OneRepublic
Most Memorable Year: 2017, When She Re-Learned How to Walk
Bentley Victoria is honestly incredible! She has been through it all, and I am still stunned by how she manages to do everything that she does. She is the best example of an inspiration of learning how to overcome absolutely anything that life might throw at someone. She is living proof that there is always hope, and that there is always a chance to do something that might seem impossible to do. Her Foxtrot with Val was quite clever with how it was put together, like how the wheelchair was used as more than just a “thrown in” object, and how it had a progression of a story that was clear and original. Victoria is getting better at holding her own, but I still saw some stumbles here and there. Nonetheless, she danced as lightly as a feather, and it same together very nicely. It might have been predictable that Victoria was going to dance last on Monday, but it’s fitting that she did. It was the most inspiring performance of the night, and it made for a good message to end on!
Dream I loved how Val created such an creative dance with the wheelchair. The wheelchair had a practical impact on this dance, and it made me so emotional. Victoria is so special and strong. As for the dance, I would love for her to work on using that core to not be stumbly, but overall, it was such a beautiful dance.
Julia I liked the use of the wheelchair in this performance. Val is actually a trained wheelchair Ballroom instructor, and I wished they’d done a bit of that in this routine, but this was supposed to be about Victoria’s ability to forgo the chair and stand on her own two feet! I almost gave this a 9 because her footwork and expressions were fantastic, but she was quite shaky and wobbly throughout the performance. I still loved it, though, and I also think this helped Victoria endear herself to the audience more than she had been up to this point. To be honest, I’m not sure why she wasn’t before, but I’m glad she is now! However, I think going forward, the show needs to stop focusing on her disability quite so much and include other aspects of Victoria’s life and personality in her DWTS journey. She’s a human being, not a piece of “inspiration porn”.
The Judges’ Scores
|
Carrie Ann
9
|
Len
9
|
Bruno
9
|
Total
27/30
|
The Bloggers’ Scores
|
Bentley
9
|
Dwtsdreams
9
|
Julia
8
|
Total
26/30
|
#TeamViVa 1(800)868-3413
Dance Rankings
Bentley (roasting by Julia and Dreams)
1. Lindsey & Mark I can get down with this
2. Jordan & Lindsay Not mad about it [Jordan should be first lol] Agreed but not mad at second
3. Victoria & Val Sure YASS
4. Vanessa & Maks I think a little high; I don’t entirely agree but I can see why (I wish I could put it this high)
5. Terrell & Cheryl WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY to high; Okay
6. Derek & Sharna Whatever
7. Nikki & Artem I think I agree considering how strong this episode was
8. Sasha & Gleb HOW IS THIS SO LOW???
9. Frankie & Witney HOW IS THIS SO HIGH??? (Yes 9th out of 11 is high for this dance :P)
10. Nick & Peta HOW IS THIS SO LOW???
11. Drew & Emma I agree with this being low just not quite rock bottom lol
OVERALL SCORE: 6.5/10 not quite cancelled...yet ;)
Julia
1. Jordan & Lindsay
2. Lindsey & Mark
3. Terrell & Cheryl
4. Sasha & Gleb
5. Vanessa & Maks
6. Victoria & Val
7. Nikki & Artem
8. Nick & Peta
9. Derek & Sharna
10. Drew & Emma
11. Frankie & Witney
Dreams
1. Jordan & Lindsay
2. Lindsey & Mark
3. Victoria & Val
4. Sasha & Gleb
5. Vanessa & Maks
6. Nikki & Artem
7. Terrell & Cheryl
8. Derek & Sharna
9. Nick & Peta
10. Drew & Emma
11. Frankie & Witney
Bentley If it wasn’t for the elimination being cancelled last week, I’m pretty sure we would have gotten more of an actual opening number and a tour preview dance. Just like last week, it seems like things were rushed during the show, especially with how little the Skybox and Red Room were used, which also meant for some sacrifice for the pros being showcased. But I’m sure we’re going to get a good pro number next week, especially for Disney Night!
Julia We’ll probably get an opening number for Disney Night and a tour number or two later in the season.
Bentley Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that this is the first Most Memorable Year Night where every celebrity’s most memorable year was in the twenty-first century. It seems like mostly everybody chose relatively recent years, but at the same time, the twentieth century was over 17 years ago, which is really weird to think about. It’s also interesting how Jordan, the second youngest celebrity of the season, chose the oldest year out of everybody.
Julia Jordan is actually the third-youngest celebrity, but I see what you mean! :P
Bentley Usually I find myself getting a little bored during Most Memorable Year Night, but that was not the case this time around! There were a lot of emotional stories this time around, and it just goes to show how open and real this cast is.
Julia I usually enjoy MMY, but sometimes I feel like the sad or stressful stories are a little overdramatized (it is television, after all). I like that this season a lot of the stars were more “matter of fact” about things and/or discussed both the negative and positive sides to their situations. It made things feel a lot more natural.
Bentley By the way, Maks totally lucked out that Monday was Most Memorable Year Night, because if it were any other night, it would probably have to be explained in the package why Maks didn’t do the show last week. It’s appropriate, though, because Vanessa’s dance was supposed to be about her, and not any drama that she might have had with her partner.
Julia Yeah, they definitely would have played up from that situation Monday night. They probably would have teased it for the whole two hours and then have them dance last to drag out the drama as long as possible.
Follow DWTS Interact on Twitter at @DWTSInteract, and follow the bloggers at @TheBentleyNinja, @juliadelbel, and @dwtsdreams!
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