The two dancers I predicted to be eliminated were eliminated, so let’s rank all of the dances we saw today, including those two team dances. Can’t say I’m a fan of this super fast format, but there are some true stars amongst these short routines.
10. Jennie Finch Daigle and Keo Motsepe- This started fine, but got much worse as it went on. For someone who showed huge potential in the opening of the season, I was really let down by Jennie’s dance. Since she was safe this week, she might have the fan base to carry her through. But I don’t think it’s enough to take her to the finale.
9. Team Tennis- This was a mess in so many ways. Poor Kareem stood out the most, but in a not-so-positive way. I think Josh, Chris, and Tonya all did great, but as a unit, there wasn’t much in sync. The theme was fine, but like tennis itself, didn’t show off the amount of energy as Team Football.
8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lindsay Arnold- The dancing really wasn’t good, but I have to give Lindsay creativity points. Making Lindsay seven feet tall was the coolest choice, and really sent Kareem out with a bang. Definitely the most entertaining of the night.
7. Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess- Josh had a pretty good Paso Doble. I think the crappy score was just a result of him performing so early on in the night. I think he had some really powerful moments and could see him going much deeper in this competition.
6. Arike Ogunbowale and Gleb Savchenko- I can’t believe how much Arike improved this week, only to be sent home too early. I was upset she’s gone, but she left on the highest possible high she could have. It’s a shame we didn’t see more of her.
5. Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber- Tonya was a lot of fun this week, but this didn’t come close to her outstanding debut in week one. I like seeing a different side of her, but this didn’t catch my eye as much as her first.
4. Chris Mazdzer and Witney Carson- Chris did a great job this week. I still somehow forget about his routines by the end of the night, which is a problem. But he seems to be hanging in there and gaining lots of good support from people. The best dance of the first half of the night for sure.
3. Team Football- This was one fun team dance. Not as good as either Adam or Mirai’s first routines, but definitely one of the standouts of the night. So much energy and synchronization made this one of the better team dances in recent memory. And yay for Jennie showing us she actually does have moves.
2. Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson- Adam really knows how to work it on the dance floor. Didn’t show as much personality as his first routine, but definitely elevated the dancing chops by far. He’s a firecracker on the dance floor and I’d love to see him in a main season of the show to see him improve even more week to week. But this mirror ball is easily his to lose.
1. Mirai Nagasu and Alan Bersten- Mirai is a literal princess and this routine just warmed my heart to the max. In her first week, she showed great potential, but now I think she’s becoming a contender and leaving her mark on the competition. But it also proves that this season is a subpar one because we don’t get to see a whole night devoted to Disney songs.
So next week we find out our finalists. Wow, this season is flying by. Mirai and Adam are in for sure. Now it’s just a matter of whether or not they’ll be joined by Chris, Tonya, Josh, or Jennie. I think Jennie can be counted out, and because Chris and Tonya have been in the bottom before, I’ll say Josh makes it through.
The two dancers I predicted to be eliminated were eliminated, so let’s rank all of the dances we saw today, including those two team dances. Can’t say I’m a fan of this super fast format, but there are some true stars amongst these short routines.