ABC competition series ‘Dancing With the Stars’ sent two couples packing on Monday night’s episode.
Dancing With the Stars giveth, and Dancing With the Stars taketh away.
Despite wrapping its Disney Night with a storybook ending two weeks ago — “No one’s going home!” — the ABC series made up for that non-elimination on Monday, when not one, but two couples were sent packing.
But before any of the Season 27 duos went home, the remaining competitors took to the dance floor for Country Night — which is fitting, given that a double elimination can prompt heartache worthy of a country song. And it wasn’t just couples who were do-si-do-ing around the ballroom; Monday’s broadcast also featured the first team dances of Season 27, which added a few extra points to each contestant’s score.
First, let’s review the highlights of Country Night:
BEST OF THE NIGHT DeMarcus Ware and pro Lindsay Arnold (Viennese Waltz) — I was a little stunned that DeMarcus didn’t earn a perfect score after this Viennese waltz, especially given the judges’ praise. For the last three weeks or so, I’ve found his and Lindsay’s performances to be a bit forgettable, which is why Monday’s dance was doubly pleasant to watch. It was so graceful and tender, and DeMarcus seemed more connected to Lindsay and the choreography than he has since the first week of competition. Judges’ Score: 27/30
BEST OF THE NIGHT (RUNNER-UP)
Evanna Lynch and pro Keo Motsepe (Rumba) — Season 27 has delivered very unpredictable eliminations thus far; Tinashe is gone, but Grocery Store Joe has never even been in jeopardy. (Insert the emoji of the shrugging lady here.) But I’m so glad that voters have given Evanna a chance, allowing her to stick around long enough to really hone her skills and start dancing for herself instead of other people. The Harry Potter actress showcased incredible confidence and sensuality with this rumba, and she seems to have an awareness of her body and the space around her that even some of the strongest contestants lack. Judges’ Score: 30/30
MOST EXHAUSTING (IN A GOOD WAY!)
Alexis Ren and pro Alan Bersten (Samba) — My goodness, this samba went on forever, didn’t it? Not only was this routine an excellent commercial for Lauren Alaina’s single, “Ladies In the ’90s,” but it also served as a reminder that Alexis could very well win this whole show — and she would wholly deserve it. Her movements were so crisp, and, somehow, her energy never flagged. (To be fair, her first kiss with Alan was just broadcast to millions of people, so I suspect there was a little more adrenaline pumping for the Instagram model this week.) Judges’ Score: 29/30
MOST OVERLOOKED ERROR Juan Pablo Di Pace and pro Cheryl Burke (Charleston) — Let’s not get this twisted: Juan Pablo and Cheryl were really, really strong on Monday, and they’ve been one of the season’s most consistently excellent couples. But. The final eight-count of their Charleston featured a trick that looked so clumsy, I thought Cheryl was about to fall or get forever entangled in Juan Pablo’s limbs. As Juan Pablo put his leg over Cheryl’s body and twisted around her, it seemed the pair got momentarily stuck — and even if the trick didn’t have disastrous results, it was still an awkward finish to an otherwise electric routine, and I was surprised that none of the judges acknowledged the flub. Judges’ Score: 30/30
The team dances, meanwhile, shook out like this:
* Team “Hay Now” (Bobby, Milo, Evanna and John): 29/30
* Team “Joe-Down” (Joe, Juan Pablo, DeMarcus and Alexis): 26/30
And now, the results:
COUPLES IN JEOPARDY
John Schneider and pro Emma Slater
DeMarcus Ware and pro Lindsay Arnold
Evanna Lynch and pro Keo Motsepe
ELIMINATED
John Schneider and pro Emma Slater
DeMarcus Ware and pro Lindsay Arnold
