Dancing With The Stars All Stars was back for a second week as the leaderboard shuffled and the final 12 couples competed for the Mirror Ball Trophy.
After the first week of Dancing with the Stars All Stars, most of the dance pairs finally got into the swing of things (pun totally intended) in the second week of performances while a couple of early frontrunners failed to impress the judges. And now that the All Stars have shaken off the premiere jitters, the chemistry between the couples finally began to show on the dance floor.
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani opened the DWTS show this week with a jive that the judges, especially Len Gooman, actually liked. It wasn’t a fantastic routine but it was good enough for Len to criticize Bruno Tonioli for his negative remarks. When their jive was all said and done, Melissa and Tony scored a solid 23.5.
Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas were next to hit the ABC dance floor with high hopes on a quick-step but couldn’t maintain their first week momentum. Passes were missed, Mark broke his hold in the middle, and the judges could only award them a low score of 18. It was off to the bottom three for Bristol for the second straight week.
As the Dancing with the Stars drama continued, Hélio Castroneves and Chelsie Hightower took on the jive with a few more complex moves than last week. As it turned out, Helio and Chelsea did a fantastic job on one of the best dances of the night. Was anyone else confused when they only scored a 23?
Olympic speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno and Karina Smirnoff took on the quickstep for another solid outing on the dance floor. Although Apolo rose above most of the pack on Monday, it’s crazy to think that his best is likely yet to come. In the end, after a great routine, Apolo and Karina earned 24.5 from the judges.
ABC
Over the past two weeks, things are already looking up for Sabrina Bryan as compared to Season 5. Bryan and Louis Van Amstel had the best dance of the night with a nearly flawless quickstep. After getting a score of 26 from the DWTS judges, Sabrina could be on her way to the finale.
For their second week dance, Kirstie Alley and Maks Chmerkovskiy hit the floor with a French-style jive. Like last week, Kirstie needed to work on a few things to improve on her scores. Unfortunately, with such stiff competition, Kirstie and Maks received a low 21.
Although DWTS frontrunners Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke took on the quickstep, it wasn’t the stellar performance they hoped for after wowing the judges last week. Their transitions were shaky and Emmitt was a bit slow. In the end, it was 22.5 for Smith and Burke. Look for Emmitt to bounce back in the next round.
Drew Lachey and partner Anna Trebunskaya also took on the jive on Monday but the two couldn’t find their groove. It was clear that Drew had a hard time regaining the same form that helped him win the Mirror Ball trophy back in season 2. The pair managed a 22.5, which placed them in the bottom half of the scoreboard.
Although Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson were one of the most entertaining couples of the evening, their technique and timing were off on the quick-step. Fatone was clunky with his feet but his energy made the couple fun one to watch. Fatone and Johnson scored 22.5.
For the third to last performance, Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough blazed through their jive. Johnson lucked out with Hough as her partner. His quickness along with a tough work ethic paid off for the duo on Monday after a score of 25, good enough for third place on the scoreboard.
ABC
Season 1 winner Kelly Monaco hit the DWTS stage with Val Chmerkovskiy for yet another quickstep. Although Kelly was great in the season premiere, Monaco was off on her footwork in the second week. Despite their falters, the pair scored 22.
Finally, for the last dance on the Dancing with the Stars night, Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd lit up the floor with a phenomenal jive that solidified the duo as major contenders of the All Stars season. Marini was gracefully fluid and a jot to watch. Gilles and Peta danced off with a 25.5 for second place on the leaderboard.
Dancing with the Stars Leaderboard – Week 2
Sabrina Bryan & Louis Van Amstel: 26
Gilles Marini & Peta Murgatroyd: 25.5
Shawn Johnson & Derek Hough: 25
Apolo Anton Ohno & Karina Smirnoff: 24.5
Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: 23.5
Hélio Castroneves & Chelsie Hightower: 23
Drew Lachey & Anna Trebunskaya: 22.5
Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke: 22.5
Joey Fatone & Kym Johnson: 22.5
Kelly Monaco & Val Chmerkovskiy: 22
Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 21
Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas: 18
What did you think of this week’s performances on Dancing with the Stars?