Latin Night on Dancing With the Stars started with a jaw-dropping opening number! I loved how it was staged with the contestants on the balcony above the stage, clapping along with the music as the pros did their thing below.
THE DANCES
A great dance to start the night! Lele and Brandon brought a great energy to the ballroom with their samba. Their biggest note from the judges was to control that energy a bit more.
Tyson did not have the best start last week, so with the salsa, he and Jenna took the opportunity to add in as many tricks and lifts as possible, and the judges congratulated him for being such a good partner in those moments. The times he wasn’t just lifting Jenna, Tyson moved a whole lot better than he did during the premiere.
Another great dance from Barry! I smiled the whole time. He has such great confidence, and I’m in awe of his flexibility and rhythm. I enjoyed the performance, but I felt like the choreography had a few too many moments where Barry would stay still and let Peta dance.
For this performance, I feel like the camera spun around the couple more than usual, so I felt like I couldn’t fully see the details of this dance. The main thing I noticed was that his steps seemed a little clunky.
This routine had more complex footwork than most of the other routines, and Mira did so well with it! This team didn’t rely on tricks, just choreography that was challenging and impressive in its execution.
This performance was stunning! Xochitl’s energy is incredible, and I felt like I was watching a Disney movie. Last week, the judges had a more lukewarm reaction to Xochitl’s performance, but they were so enthused by her salsa. I love how Carrie Ann compared her to a “young Rita Moreno.”
I wasn’t terribly excited by this dance, but I think it was more the choreography I didn’t like, rather than Ariana’s performance. The judges complimented her stage presence, and encouraged her to be more refined in her movements.
This team went from being in last week’s bottom two to a performance that was . . . not great. In the middle of the routine, Mauricio lost track of the steps. I think that threw him off, which caused him to totally not catch Emma during a “trust fall” dance move. I commend Emma for getting back on her feet, without losing any time in the music, and still trusting her partner enough to throw herself upside-down into his arms for the ending pose.
After getting over the hard part of going out and performing on week one, Alyson made it clear that she was ready to push herself and level up. I think she achieved that. Her tango had good gliding across the floor. She was still a little tense, but she’s on an upward trajectory.
Artem, Charity’s usual partner, tested positive for covid, so Ezra, from last year’s troupe, filled in. They performed their cha cha with ease and precision. Charity received one of the highest scores of the night, even though it was one less point than her score last week. It’s still a good score; she and Artem just set the bar really high with their week one dance.
First, I commend Rylee for all those creative lifts. While I could tell this was a better performance from Harry, something about the costumes/choreography/blocking made this routine feel a lot like their week one dance.
In this performance, it was easy to see that Jamie Lynn was more comfortable and having more fun. She could still be a bit sharper on her footwork, though.
This was a fantastic way to end the night! The rumba is all about the movement of the arms, legs, and hips, and Jason was in control of all of the above. Rumba is such a hard dance, and the judges remarked that a rumba that excellent on week two is extremely rare.
ELIMINATION
The bottom two this week were Adrian & Britt and Jamie Lynn & Alan. While I love Britt and Alan, I was not surprised and not unhappy to see those contestants in the bottom two. Once again, there was no judges’ choice, and Jamie Lynn & Alan was the eliminated couple.
That’s it for Week Two: Latin Night! It was so great to see everyone improve from their premiere performances. Next week will be Motown night!