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“Dancing with the Stars” returned for a new episode which featured New York City Night as the theme. First taking to the stage were DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold who performed a smooth Foxtrot to “Boy From New York City” by The Manhattan Transfer.
“I always watch for [footwork] — you nailed that. You were good last week and you were better tonight,” judge Len Goodman gushed. Carrie Ann Inaba, meanwhile, praised them for their great blend of power and softness. DeMarcus got 24 points out of 30.
Up next was Danelle Umstead, who opted for a Cha Cha to Taylor Swift‘s “Welcome to New York” alongside pro partner Artem Chigvintsev. Bruno Tonioli was a fan of the performance, saying, “Respect. You took center stage by yourself. You took the wrong step but you got it back.” While it was radiant, Carrie Ann told Danelle to stop counting with her mouth. The pair got 18 points.
Following it up with a Charleston to “New York’s My Home” by Sammy Davis Jr. were John Schneider and Emma Slater. Carrie Ann raved, “That was so polished and professional, you have great showmanship.” Bruno even dubbed their performance “a first class ride.” The judges gave them a 23, highest score so far.
Nancy McKeon and Valentin Chmekovskiy, meanwhile, did a Cha Cha to “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. Nancy had a fractured foot and Len said that he saw a little mistake, though the latter praised her for being confident. Meanwhile, Carrie Ann said that she didn’t see the mistake, adding that the performance was great. Nancy earned 21 points.
Dancing a ballet-inspired Argentine Tango to “Swan Lake” by Ray Chew Live” were Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten. While Bruno said that it was “Prima Argentina,” Carrie Ann noted that the lift and a wardrobe malfunction were “not great.” Len totally loved it, even giving them a 9. Alexis earned a 25, taking over John’s highest score title.
Joe “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile and Jenna Johnson did a Foxtrot to “New York State of Mind” by Matt Beilis. Following their performance, Carrie Ann said, “You’re the only contestant who has no performance experience in front of an audience, whatsoever. Tonight, I saw transformation from last week to this week. You’re a new man.” The judges gave them a 17.
Performing next were Tinashe and Brandon Armstrong. They danced an Argentine Tango to “New Dorp. New York” by SBTRKT featuring Ezra Koenig, and it was “the bomb,” according to Carrie Ann. “The lifts were spectacular! …but it lacked a bit of Argentine flavor,” said Len, while Bruno called it “futuristic fantastic.” They got the highest score so far with a 26.
Milo Manheim and Witney Carson then danced their way to the ballroom to dance a Charleston to “Living in New York City” by Robin Thicke. Bruno said it was “exhilarating. So bright, so bursting with excitement!” Carrie Ann gushed, “This is week 2! You were fabulous!” Tying with Tinashe, Milo also got a 26.
Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber then took the stage to dance a Waltz to “A Natural Woman”, a live performance by Sarah Bockel from the Broadway show “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”. The judges loved it that she embraced the music and the moment, giving her 22 points.
Juan Pablo Di Pace danced a Quickstep to “42nd Street” by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies alongside Cheryl Burke. Len said that Juan needed to work on his frame, but Carrie Ann dubbed it “one of my favorite Quicksteps.” Juan was the third contestant to get a 26.
Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe followed it up with a Samba to “Can’t Touch It” by Ricki-Lee. “I’m shocked!” Bruno exclaimed, adding, “There is a little devil inside you and I like it a lot.” Carrie Ann said it was fierce, with Len calling it a proper Samba. They got a 24.
Offering the final performance that night were Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess, who opted for a Foxtrot to “Theme from New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra. “You’re a little rough around the edges but you’re authentically joyous when you dance,” Carrie Ann said. Bobby got a 20.
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