Dancing With the Stars: Juniors had its first ever hour-long episode on Sunday, featuring ten separate performances in the tightly packed schedule. The show aired on October 14, and it was all about the junior celebrities dancing to a song from the year they were born!
Oh, and also Val and Mandy switched seats on the judging panel this time around.
With thoughts on the quick night of performances, here is Paul Bentley, along with the scores that you gave in the online poll, making up The Readers’ Score!
“Song From the Year I Was Born” Dances
The ten remaining junior teams performed dances to songs from the year they were born. And at the end of the night, another team was eliminated, determined by the judges and the votes of the studio audience.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Val Chmerkovskiy, Mandy Moore, Adam Rippon]
Mackenzie Ziegler and Sage Rosen, Mentored by Gleb Savchenko
Quickstep
Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet from 2004
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 8, 8 (24/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: It might have taken a while for Mackenzie and Sage to get to the actual Quickstep, but once they did get into hold, it was a valiant effort, and certainly better than their Foxtrot from the premiere.The dance as a whole was a lot more solid than their dance last week, but there were a few things that stood out to me that Mackenzie can work on, such as the gapping between she and Sage, and this weird thing that would describe as a “tether.” Mackenzie tends to dance from her upper body rather than her core, making everything below her shoulders feel beneath her. It’s hard to explain, but I feel like her footwork was a bit loose and disconnected from the rest of her. But it’s nothing glaring. As much as I liked this dance, I hope that Gleb challenges this couple more, because it looks like we’re not seeing everything they are capable of yet!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 8
#TeamGleb
Sky Brown and JT Church, Mentored by Alan Bersten
Cha-Cha-Cha
Just Dance by Lady Gaga from 2008
The Judges’ Scores: 7, 7, 8 (22/30)
The Readers’ Score: 9
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I love how invested Sky and JT were in their Cha-Cha-Cha this week. They really felt the music and had little details that complimented it. And that is what I have noticed a lot from Sky so far—she is great at paying attention to the details! When doing so, she comes off as a little too careful in some sections. And unlike her dance last week, I thought it could use some more hip movement. Once again, I have to applaud Alan for a great routine he gave these two. They are such a stand-out couple, and they are proving that the younger kids can give the older kids a run for their money!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 8
#TeamAlan
Sophia Pippen and Jake Monreal, Mentored by Sasha Farber
Foxtrot
Love Story by Taylor Swift from 2008
The Judges’ Scores: 7, 6, 7 (20/30)
The Readers’ Score: 7
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: This was a nice Foxtrot with a refreshing delicate demeanor from both Sophia and Jake. And I don’t know if this has to do with Sophia trying hard to be delicate in the dance, but she was a bit too relaxed, leaving me wanting some more flair. It would have been nice if there more accents and harder-hitting moments in the choreography, but I understand Sasha going for a more stripped down and gentle approach. Sophia has very pretty elements to her dancing, but I would like to see more of a dynamic side of her.
Paul Bentley’s Score: 6
#TeamSasha
Jason Maybaum and Elliana Walmsley, Mentored by Emma Slater
Jive
Shake It by Metro Station from 2008
The Judges’ Scores: 7, 7, 7 (21/30)
The Readers’ Score: 7
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I can see Jason improving his technique already. This Jive was miles more together than his first dance, although there were some hints of sloppiness sprinkled here and there, albeit subtle. And I have to admit that even though this was a fun routine, which I commend Emma for adding in, there just was not enough Jive content for me. Jason is starting to get a better feel of the music, and he is also starting to match up to Elliana better. I would have liked to have seen higher knees and slightly better synchronicity, but Jason is slowly climbing that ladder. He might be a dark horse this season!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 6
#TeamEmma
Mandla Morris and Brightyn Brems, Mentored by Cheryl Burke
Salsa
Pump It by The Black Eyed Peas from 2005
The Judges’ Scores: 7, 7, 8 (22/30)
The Readers’ Score: 7
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: For about half of this dance, it felt a lot more like a Jive than a Salsa, which I was a bit surprised about since Cheryl usually stays true to the dance style. I understand giving less strict content to kids, but I think Cheryl took too many liberties on this one. Despite that, I think Mandla and Brightyn gave it their all. The Latin flair was missing from Mandla, though. He needed more hip action and just overall body “shimmying” to go along with it. The Salsa is supposed to feel like a party, but this dance seemed to be a little mellow in that category. However, Mandla was nice and sharp, which will surely help him in his ballroom dances in the future!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 7
#TeamCheryl
Hudson West and Kameron Couch, Mentored by Hayley Erbert
Paso Doble
Eliminated- 10th Place
4 Minutes by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland from 2008
The Judges’ Scores: 7, 8, 7 (22/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: The Paso Doble must be one of the hardest styles for someone Hudson’s age to do, but he attacked that performance with great strength! Hudson and Kameron were one fierce couple on that dance floor, putting power in all the right places for a controlled, yet strong performance. Hudson would have benefited from more shaping and polish, which is hard for adults to master, let alone ten-year-olds! I loved the use of the superhero cape, which gave Hudson a nice little solo section. It was unfortunate to see Team Hayley getting eliminated this week because of all the potential they had, but then again, the elimination of any of this teams would have been unfortunate. I don’t like seeing kids eliminated!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 8
#TeamHayley
Miles Brown and Rylee Arnold, Mentored by Lindsay Arnold
Argentine Tango
I Don’t Want to Be by Gavin DeGraw from 2004
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 8, 8 (24/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Lindsay went for a more technical and serious approach for this Argentine Tango, and it paid off! Rylee dances just like her sister, and that is a huge compliment! Miles had fantastic lines along with a strong, confident form. Sure, Miles’ feet were a bit clunky towards the end, and the Paso sections could have been more fluid, but this dance makes me think Team Lindsay is going to make it far! But as we all know, votes are important. But if Miles and Rylee continue to bring the heat like this, I think they have a chance to make it all the way!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 8
#TeamLindsay
Alana Thompson and Tristan Ianiero, Mentored by Artem Chigvintsev
Cha-Cha-Cha
Don’t Cha by The Pussycat Dolls from 2005
The Judges’ Scores: 6, 6, 7 (19/30)
The Readers’ Score: 6
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Well, Alana brought the sass and hip movement back, but lacked on the Cha-Cha-Cha technique. This dance felt very pedestrian, and it didn’t stand out too much from her Salsa during the first episode. I was hoping Artem would have given her move to work on than just her star quality and her “posey” movements, because I do think she is capable of doing more Cha-Cha basics. Tristan was a good asset in this performance, though, because while he did nail the fun of the dance, he let Alana be the one showcased, even though he could have taken more of the spotlight away from her if he “outdanced” her in a way. All in all, I just want to see more from Team Artem, and I don’t know what “more” should be exactly, but being that they have a ballroom dance for next week, I think there is a good chance they’ll change things up a bit!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 5
#TeamArtem
Akash Vukoti and Kamri Peterson, Mentored by Witney Carson
Cha-Cha-Cha
Dynamite by Taio Cruz from 2010
The Judges’ Scores: 7, 7, 7 (21/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: These kids are such a joy to watch! Akash might have been a little out of his usual element with this Cha-Cha-Cha, but he could’ve fooled me! He did look a little nervous, but who doesn’t get nervous sometimes? He had swagger and character throughout the entire dance. He and Kamri were just a blast, but I do have to say (just I did with many of the dances from Sunday) that I wanted to see more content. I like that Witney involved the crowd for this routine, but a few more Cha-Cha-Cha steps would have been nice to see. As far as improvement goes, Akash just needs to fine tune his execution and dance from his core more. I love seeing what this team has to bring, so I hope they have a long journey on DWTS:Juniors!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 7
#TeamWitney
Ariana Greenblatt and Artyon Celestine, Mentored by Brandon Armstrong
Jive
Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne from 2007
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 8, 8 (24/30)
The Readers’ Score: 9
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: And once again, Ariana and Artyon stand out with one of the best (if not the best) dances of the night! In this Jive, it was hard to tell which one of them was the pro! These two were full of hype, and they contained their energy into their footwork phenomenally! This is just a small thing, but Ariana could have pointed her toes more. This was a spectacular performance on everyone’s part on Team Brandon. And I might be a bit bold saying this so early, but I really think we are going to see this team make it to the finale… and maybe win that Mirrorball Trophy!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 9
#TeamBrandon
Week 2 Scoreboard
Dancing With the Stars: Juniors Week 2 Scoreboard
| |||
Couple
|
Dance Style
|
Judges’ Scores
|
Overall Score
|
Mackenzie and Sage
|
Quickstep
|
8, 8, 8 (24/30)
|
24/30
|
Sky and JT
|
Cha-Cha-Cha
|
7, 7, 8 (22/30)
|
22/30
|
Sophia and Jake
|
Foxtrot
|
6, 7, 7 (20/30)
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20/30
|
Jason and Elliana
|
Jive
|
7, 7, 7 (21/30)
|
21/30
|
Mandla and Brightyn
|
Salsa
|
7, 7, 8 (22/30)
|
22/30
|
Hudson and Kameron
|
Paso Doble
|
8, 7, 7 (22/30)
|
22/30
|
Miles and Rylee
|
Argentine Tango
|
8, 8, 8 (24/30)
|
24/30
|
Alana and Tristan
|
Cha-Cha-Cha
|
6, 6, 7 (19/30)
|
19/30
|
Akash and Kamri
|
Cha-Cha-Cha
|
7, 7, 7 (21/30)
|
21/30
|
Ariana and Artyon
|
Jive
|
8, 8, 8 (24/30)
|
24/30
|
Week 2 Awards
Most Entertaining Dance: Akash and Kamri’s Cha-Cha-Cha
Akash and Kamri absolutely killed this Cha-Cha-Cha. They were such powerhouses who filled up that dance floor and brought the energy in that room to an eleven!
Best Costumes: Ariana and Artyon’s Jive Costumes
Those alternative grunge costumes that Ariana and Artyon wore for their Jive were so much fun and very fitting for the song. It was very cool!
Best Choreography: Miles and Rylee’s Argentine Tango
Lindsay did it again! She gave Miles and Rylee a challenging performance, showcasing their strengths, and highlighting how serious they are for that win! I love the Paso Doble moves added in to the Argentine Tango!
Strongest Couple: Ariana and Artyon
What more could I say? Ariana and Artyon are a force to be reckoned with! They have such a talent for dancing, which is brought out through Brandon’s awesome choreography!
Most Improved Child Celebrity: Jason Maybaum
Jason came a long way with cleaning up his footwork and being more aware of what his body is doing. He still has that great personality of his, though, which is the most important part of it all for me!
Stand-Out Moment of the Night: Alana and Tristan Making Fun of Artem Saying “The Pussycat Dolls”
Okay, so Artem has a bit of trouble pronouncing “The Pussycat Dolls.” I don’t know why, but I found it funny when Alana and Tristan teased about his pronunciation. Tristan’s impression was spot on! XD
Furthermore
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Ten dances in one hour… that was quite a lot to digest, but it wasn’t as hectic as I thought it would be. Being that this show was pre-recorded, having the luxury of being able to edit things afterwards allowed for the editors make things flow more. It was sad to see Hudson and Kameron being so upset after their elimination, but I guess we’re going to have to get to use this each week. :(
Week 3 Show Information
Next week is the two-night Disney event, with Disney Night on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors on Sunday, and the another Disney Night on Dancing With the Stars season 27 on Monday! The teams will create performances from songs from popular Disney movies.
According to the DWTS: Juniors press release, these are the performances we will be seeing from the child pairs:
- Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and Tristan Ianiero (mentored by Artem Chigvintsev) will dance a Foxtrot to Something There from Beauty and the Beast
- Akash Vukoti and Kamri Peterson (mentored by Witney Carson) will dance a Jive to Zero to Hero from Hercules
- Ariana Greenblatt and Artyon Celestine (mentored by Brandon Armstrong) will dance a Samba to Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride from Lilo & Stitch
- Jason Maybaum and Elliana Walmsley (mentored by Emma Slater) will dance a Foxtrot to You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story
- Mackenzie Ziegler and Sage Rosen (mentored by Gleb Savchenko) will dance Contemporary to Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas
- Mandla Morris and Brightyn Brems (mentored by Cheryl Burke) will dance Jazz to Un Poco Loco from Coco
- Miles Brown and Rylee Arnold (mentored by Lindsay Arnold) will dance a Charleston to One Jump Ahead from Aladdin
- Sky Brown and JT Church (mentored by Alan Bersten) will dance Contemporary to How Far I’ll Go from Moana
- Sophia Pippen and Jake Monreal (mentored by Sasha Farber) will dance a Samba to Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid
Links
#SongFromTheYearIWasBorn #DWTSJuniors
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