I’m a little behind, so forgive me, but I have not seen any spoilers, so this is all going off of complete whim. It was Vegas night. We sadly said goodbye to Danelle (as expected), and got 12 more exciting routines. Time to rank!
12. Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess- We know how I feel about Bobby. And this was no exception to why I’m not a huge fan. It was sloppy, a bit out of control. And his emotions are a bit too much for me. Nothing against the guy, but I do think his dancing isn’t improving, whereas someone like Joe’s is, just at a much slower rate than many others. He was my least favorite of the night.
11. Joe Amabile and Jenna Johnson- Joe has become more and more surprising, because at this point, he’s just here to have fun. And honestly, I’m okay with that. He knows he’s not great, and is going to just live it up every time he goes out there. His coordination is truly off, and I think it sticks out like a sore thumb. But there’s so much charm there because he truly does try his best and seems to have a good time doing it.
10. John Schneider and Emma Slater- John is just so so entertaining, but let’s be honest. This was a bit of a mess. So much to the point where I thought he’d be the one sent home. I love his commitment to character, but worry that he’s only really there for entertainment value. I think “Most Memorable Year” dances will determine John’s longevity in the competition.
9. Nancy McKeon and Valentin Chmerkovskiy- This dance was a bit off, and seemed to be lacking some true commitment and grit. I love what Val did with the choreography, but again…as I’ve said every week…I think Nancy is being overshadowed by concept and by Val himself. She’s just not keeping up with the routine, and it’s becoming more and more blatant as time goes on.
8. Danelle Umstead and Artem Chigvinstev- Yay for Donny Osmond! I’ll admit, Danelle was never gonna win, but I was really hoping she’d go much further than she did. This one showed so much character and glam that I was quite impressed by her. I think she went out on her best routine, and I couldn’t commend her more.
7. DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold- I was a little tough on them last dance because it didn’t truly live up to the first. But DeMarcus knows how to move, and his smile literally lights up the room. I think this was a bit shaky at points, but he really is one of the strongest ones there. I’m only critical of him because of how strong his first week was. He needs to keep upping his game, and I think he’s plateauing at the moment.
6. Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber- You can’t have Vegas without the Copacabana. And you can’t have a bad time with Mary Lou. She’s just a sparkling light of energy and this was by far her best dance. I’m glad she went last, because I think she needed that push. This was her push, and I think it makes her a serious contender here. I’ll even give her a slight edge over DeMarcus, one of my favorites.
5. Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe- Yes Evanna! This was so so much fun. She’s a little firecracker of energy, and I think she is the celebrity having the most pure fun out there. She’s not ready to take the top spot yet, but if she keeps it up, it’ll happen no doubt.
4. Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten- Alexis knows how to light up the room, and more importantly, the dance floor. I think this one was a little less technically impressive than her last, but I think she showed a ton of energy and of course, a very sassy salsa. Also props for the lifts, which were awesome, obviously.
3. Milo Manheim and Witney Carson- Milo has shown his goofier side before, but this was the first intense, passionate dance we’ve seen from him and he absolutely nailed it. He may be young, but he is definitely a force to be reckoned with here. And being able to make that height difference work? I’m impressed.
2. Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke- I think Juan Pablo is really shaping up to be quite the dancer. He just moves with such a smooth elegance, and often makes it hard to remember who the pro is. Cheryl hasn’t won in quite some time, but she may be getting closer and closer to a mirror ball as we speak.
1. Tinashe and Brandon Armstrong- Tinashe really dug her character this week, and you can tell. She was having so much fun. This was everything you want from a Vegas night. Pizazz, sharp, cooky, corny, flashy, committed. She won the night for me.
I was off of the judges’ opinions a tad. I thought that Nancy, Joe, John, and Bobby all struggled more than Danelle. Danelle had some technical issues, but put on a much better show that the other four did. I think it’s no question that it’ll be one of Nancy, Joe, John, or Bobby going home. Joe seems to be the train that keeps chugging along and with so many people in the same 18-19-20 range, I think he’ll be safe. Nancy has Val to thank for probably keeping her out of elimination (and since she went toward the end of the night). Between John and Bobby, I truly think Bobby is still going to resonate with the voters more, but John’s Elvis theme was at least memorable by the end of the night. It’s a tough call, but I think Bobby will get one more shot to prove himself to me, and John will be saying goodbye to the competition.
I’m a little behind, so forgive me, but I have not seen any spoilers, so this is all going off of complete whim. It was Vegas night. We sadly said goodbye to Danelle (as expected), and got 12 more exciting routines. Time to rank!
1. Tinashe & Brandon (+1)
2. Juan Pablo & Cheryl (-1)
3. Milo & Witney --
4. Alexis & Alan --
5. Evanna & Keo --
6. Mary Lou & Sasha (+1)
7. DeMarcus & Lindsay (-1)
8. Danelle & Artem (+4)
9. Nancy & Val --
10. John & Emma (-2)
11. Joe & Jenna (-1)
12. Bobby & Sharna (-1)
Biggest Rise: Danelle & Artem (+4)
Biggest Drop: John & Emma (-2)