‘Dancing with the Stars’ Music Video Night recap: Team dances pitted mature celebs against the youngsters [LIVE BLOG]
“Dancing with the Stars” made it through an emotional “Most Memorable Year Night” and a spooky “Monster Night.” Now seven weeks into the competition comes “Music Video Night,” where the celebrities will perform routines inspired by some iconic visuals. So who had the best routines, who struggled on the dance floor and who was eliminated at the end of the evening? Scroll down for our live blog for all the minute-by-minute developments and commentary throughout the night.
Last week “Real Housewives” personality and real estate agent Mauricio Umansky was the sixth celebrity eliminated from the competition, leaving eight to compete for the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy: actress Xochitl Gomez, actress Alyson Hannigan, “Too Hot to Handle” star Harry Jowsey, “The Bachelorette” alum Charity Lawson, “Vanderpump Rules” star Ariana Madix, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, social media personality Lele Pons and “Brady Bunch” actor Barry Williams.
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There are two rounds of competition on “Music Video Night.” To start, the celebrities will perform individual routines in a new dance style. Half of those are slated to be jazz routines (Jason, Xochitl, Harry and Charity will perform those numbers). We’ll also get quicksteps from Alyson and Barry, a cha cha from Ariana and a salsa from Lele.
After that will be team dances, and it’ll be a literal battle for the ages. The celebs over age 30 will be grouped together on Team 4 Everybody (Alyson, Barry, Jason and Ariana). And the stars under 30 join forces on Team Young’n Style (Xochitl, Harry, Charity and Lele). Despite the disparity in ages, though, the two teams are evenly matched, with both teams boasting a couple of the season’s higher and lower scoring celebrities. Follow along below to find out what happens starting at 8:00pm (times listed are Eastern).
SEEIt’s a battle of the ages in the team dance on ‘Dancing with the Stars” Music Video Night
8:01pm — Introducing guest judge Paula Abdul, whose judging will hopefully be more consistently decipherable than it was on “American Idol.”
Lele Pons and Brandon Armstrong (Salsa)
8:04pm — A Shakira salsa should be a pretty good fit, and I think salsa will complement Lele’s abilities. Hopefully she can finish her movements to Carrie Ann Inaba‘s liking.
8:07pm — Definitely one of Lele’s stronger performances. Her hip action really channeled Shakira nicely, though the lifts looked pretty awkward from time to time.
JUDGES — Derek Hough liked the isolations and use of her torso. She nailed the Shakira part, but the lifts and tricks need to be smoother. Paula thought she moved like a flame and was wickedly seductively, but she agrees with Derek’s critiques. Bruno Tonioli thought the entries and exits from the lifts interrupted the flow of the dance. Carrie Ann doesn’t care as much about the lifts. She thinks this was the dance she’s been waiting for from Lele.
8:09pm — I’m a little surprised Carrie Ann was so unreservedly positive.
8:10pm — I’m guessing we’re going to see a 9 from Carrie Ann and some 8s elsewhere.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (9), Derek (8), Paula (8), Bruno (8) = 33 out of 40
8:15pm — I was right! That never happens LOL
Ariana Madix and Pasha Pashkov (Cha Cha)
8:15pm — I think Ariana is dynamite, if a little over-scored last week. Her Argentine tango needed a little more oomph. I think she could really compensate for that here. Kill it, girl!
8:18pm — One of her best dances, confident, smooth, she held her own against professional background dancers, and Pasha did a great job of blending the cha cha with the Britney movements, excellent choreography.
JUDGES — Paula thought it was a mix of finesse and fury, and she matched the pros step by step. Bruno thought the cha cha was full of content but could have used work on foot placement. Carrie Ann thought it was spot-on Britney, and it was perfectly in sync to camera. Derek thought it was risky to dance with the pros, but it exposed how fantastic she was.
8:21pm — I think we could see a 10 or two from the judges, definitely a 9 from Bruno for the foot placement.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (9), Derek (9), Paula (10), Bruno (9) = 37 out of 40
8:22pm — I was right again! I’m unstoppable! Alas, We’ve got Harry Jowsey coming up next, and he’s going to have to replicate the dance choreography of NSYNC. I don’t like his odds, thought I’m always happy to be proven wrong.
Harry Jowsey and Rylee Arnold (Jazz)
8:26pm — I think the key for Harry is going to be to have fun. It’s not going to work at all if Harry looks like he’s in his head and thinking all the way through.
8:29pm — You know what, that had its moments. He still need to accentuate his movements a lot more, his movements are really stompy, but there were a few instances where he was in the mood and character of the routine.
JUDGES — Bruno doesn’t think the sync was always on, but he loves watching him. Carrie Ann loved seeing him enjoy the dancing, but he was losing the character from time to time and when he was standing in front of the pro dancers, it wasn’t as good as when he was behind them. Derek thought the performance was fun, but there needs to be more connective tissue between the steps. Paula loves his earnestness, spirit, and vulnerability.
8:33pm — I’m glad the judges are holding him to the same standards as others.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (6), Derek (6), Paula (6), Bruno (6) = 24 out of 40
8:33pm — I’m actually surprised he didn’t get any 7s. I think the 6s are totally fair, but I thought he’d get an A-for-effort 7 from at least one of the judges.
Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach (Jazz)
8:37pm — Hopefully Daniella won’t give Jason as many lifts as they had last week. It’s going to be challenging to translate the visual style of “Take on Me” to a dance, but Jason is a natural.
8:40pm — I liked Jason’s performance more than the choreography, surprising from Daniella. Maybe her sprained ankle this week inhibited her. There could have been a lot more content. It left me wanting more complexity and intensity.
JUDGES — Carrie Ann thought it was a jazzy jazz, but she was underwhelmed compared to the performances he has given before, it felt small. Derek loved the middle side-by-side jazz section, but he agrees with Carrie Ann. It felt like an earlier-in-the-season kind of dance. Paula thought it was relentless, imaginative, and Jason gave a wonderful performance. Bruno thought it translated the video successfully, and it never lost the storyline.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (8), Derek (8), Paula (10), Bruno (9) = 35 out of 40
8:44pm — That’s some schizophrenic scores right there. The 8s seem kinda harsh given what Jason has achieved before, but I … kinda agree with them? I’ll just blame poor Daniella’s ankle.
Alyson Hannigan and Sasha Farber (Quickstep)
8:48pm — Another dance where I’m nervous for Alyson. It’s going to be really intense, and it might be really easy for her to lose the timing. Her strength is her enthusiasm. She’s going to need it to push through a demanding routine.
8:51pm — Way to go Alyson! That might have been her best dance. She kept up with it, her timing was great, she didn’t seem to miss a beat.
JUDGES — Derek Hough agrees that it was her best dance yet, he loved the opening nod to the music video, and she glided across the floor smoothly. Paula thinks the quickstep could look like an obstacle course if done poorly, but she triumphed. Bruno thought it was danced and acted brilliantly, it was a proper quickstep. She even had spring in her feet that she usually lacks. Carrie Ann echoes the sentiments across the board that it was her best dance.
8:53pm — Yeah, that’s getting some 8s, and it’s going to deserve them. What a breakthrough moment, and she really needed one at this stage of the game.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (8), Derek (8), Paula (9), Bruno (8) = 33 out of 40
8:54pm — Glad she got that one 9 from Paula. That dance deserved it. So happy for her! And I’m 100% biased for her, but I don’t care. Problem is, Mira Sorvino and Mauricio Umansky gave strong performances the nights they were eliminated, so people better get out and vote for my girl Aly.
Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy (Jazz)
8:58pm — Just hoping her ankle is okay. It’s literally the only thing that could possibly stop her from delivering on a jazz dance inspired by Gwen Stefani. And it turns out Xochitl has directed a music video of her own, and she’s taking some creative control of this routine. Girl is out-of-this-world talented.
9:01pm — Excellent performance with a minor mishap during the costume change. Threw her off for a moment, but just a moment.
JUDGES — Paula thinks they have a provocative partnership and Xochitl captured Gwen’s style. Bruno thinks she’s so charismatic that his eyes are drawn to her, but that made him notice that she was a little off after her mishap. Carrie Ann disagrees with Bruno, she couldn’t tell that something went wrong which is a testament to her ability. Derek thought it was a brilliant performance, but he agrees with Bruno that there was a disconnect there.
9:03pm — “He’s an Emmy winner, shut up!” says Bruno to the crowd while they’re booing Derek for his rather mild criticism. Nice flex, Bruno!
SCORES — Carrie Ann (9), Derek (8), Paula (9), Bruno (8) = 34 out of 40
9:05pm — An uncharacteristically low score considering how good Xochitl has been in the past. I agree with the 9s, but even the 8s I think are fair. Charity has a great opportunity after Jason and Xochitl kinda underperformed with their jazz routines.
Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev (Jazz)
9:10pm — Charity’s challenge is going to be to really attack the dance with verve and personality. She can be really reserved, and channeling someone as charismatic as Janet Jackson is going to demand that she come entirely out of her shell.
9:14pm — Good performance, but the choreography could have used more intensity. And she wasn’t entirely in the character in the dance. She still felt a little reserved.
JUDGES — Carrie Ann loved the choreography, but she didn’t believe it all the time. The movements were pretty, but she needed to mean it more. Derek thought it was pretty and precise, and she hit it beautifully, but she needs more energy. Paula thinks she danced beautifully, but she needs to step into her power more, and if she does she could be a front-runner.
9:16pm — Another performance where I think she might get some 8s when she’s been used to 9s. I think it’s partly the choreography. The pros are well-versed in ballroom, but maybe not so much jazz. Get Mandy Moore in here to guest choreograph these jazz routines or something.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (8), Derek (8), Paula (8), Bruno (8) = 32 out of 40
9:20pm — Wow, she scored lower than Lele and Alyson. Kinda surprising. I wonder if this is going to put her at risk.
Barry Williams and Peta Murgatroyd (Quickstep)
9:21pm — This has been such a wonky night in the performances and scores that Barry has an incredibly opportunity to move up the leaderboard.
9:24pm — Alas, I don’t think that’s gonna move him up the leaderboard. The quickstep was a little slowstep. And he was a little off from time to time.
JUDGES — Carrie Ann thinks he’s magical, classy. There was a mistake that he couldn’t quite recover from, though. Derek also saw the mistake, but the side-by-side came alive, and his frame was good. Paula liked the quickstep better when it got quick, but it’s been a delight to watch him. Bruno thought there were a few mistakes, but his performances are always there for the judges and audience to enjoy.
9:26pm — You know something, Paula Abdul has been a really good, thoughtful, eloquent judge tonight. Glad to have her on-board this week.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (7), Derek (7), Paula (7), Bruno (7) = 28 out of 40
9:27pm — Not surprised by those scores. They were fair. Barry’s gonna have to hope his team wins the team dance so he can tack on some bonus points. I think Barry could be in trouble. Or maybe Lele. Even Alyson isn’t safe if fans assume she’s safe from her excellent dance.
9:31pm — Ariana finishes on top of the leaderboard after the first dance, so she’s exempt from next week’s dance-offs. And she’ll get points added to her score. Good for her!
Team Young’n Style — “Gangnam Style” by PSY
Harry Jowsey and Rylee Arnold
Lele Pons and Brandon Armstrong
Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy
Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev
9:34pm — I have no idea how this routine is gonna go with Harry as team captain. They might lean on his strength and do a bunch of lifts.
9:37pm — Hmmm, there was something a little off even in the higher-scoring performers, a little rough around the edges. Solid, but not a wow moment I don’t think. Harry was definitely better than in his individual dance.
JUDGES — Derek has figured out that Harry is best in a group. Paula thought it was pure joy. Bruno thought they were all on it. Carrie Ann was impressed that it all came together with teamwork.
9:39pm — I’m surprised the scores were so unabashedly positive.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (10), Derek (10), Paula (10), Bruno (10) = 40 out of 40
9:39pm — I mean, it was fun, but was it perfect score fun? I thought it would be 8s or 9s honestly.
9:41pm — The judges had better be as generous to the next team. I feel like they’re setting us up for more criticism of the next team. Sight unseen, I’m guessing 9s across the board.
Team 4 Everybody — “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by Backstreet Boys
Alyson Hannigan and Sasha Farber
Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach
Ariana Madix and Pasha Pashkov
Barry Williams and Peta Murgatroyd
9:44pm — Sasha says their team is going a lot of ballroom to show off their refinement. I hope they really capitalize on the choreography of the music video as well. They have potential for a really show-stopping moment.
9:49pm — Some great moments. The signature move from the music video was a nice moment. The gender-swapped trading of partners was also great and kinda makes me want to see Jason partner with Pasha.
JUDGES — Carrie Ann could see the unison was a little off. Derek thought they were cleaner than the other team at moments, but they had flaws. Paula liked how the background couples were participating even during the solos.
9:51pm — I was right. The judges were a little harsher to this team. It’s gonna be 9s.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (9), Derek (9), Paula (10), Bruno (9) = 37 out of 40
9:52pm — Yeah, it feels like the judges had decided who was going to win before the teams even danced.
JUDGES’ LEADERBOARD
1. Xochitl Gomez — 34 + 40 = 74
1. Ariana Madix — 37 + 37 = 74
3. Lele Pons — 33 + 40 = 73
4. Jason Mraz — 35 + 37 = 72
4. Charity Lawson — 32 + 40 = 72
6. Alyson Hannigan — 33 + 37 = 70
7. Barry Williams — 28 + 37 = 65
8. Harry Jowsey — 24 + 40 = 64
9:55pm — Well I think Lele and Charity are safe now. Alyson and Barry might be in trouble. I think Barry will be eliminated.
RESULTS
9:57pm — Safe celebrities are … Ariana Madix (duh), Harry Jowsey (sigh), Xochitl Gomez (sigh), Jason Mraz (damn right) and Alyson Hannigan (sigh of relief!) In jeopardy are Lele, Charity, and Barry.
10:00pm — Eliminated from the competition is Lele Pons! How the hell did that happen? She was third on the leaderboard! That’s some bull ish.
10:03pm — Even Brandon was clearly peeved at Lele’s elimination. He thought she was getting better and better, and she really was. She didn’t deserve to go home now.
PREDICT‘Dancing with the Stars’ now; change them until each Tuesday night’s show
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