Three couples earned satisfying 24 scores, while another couple had to be eliminated after struggling both in this and last episode with their dance routine.
- Sep 26, 2017
AceShowbiz - The second night of "Dancing with the Stars" season 25 officially kicked off with the 13 celebrities showing off their dancing skills on Monday, September 25. As the Monday episode was "Ballroom Night", the contestants offered classic ballroom styles, including tango, quickstep, foxtrot and waltz among them.
Debbie Gibson and Alan Bersten danced their way to the stage, performing a high-energy Quickstep to "This is My Time" by Amy Stroup. Len Goodman said they were "a little bit lacking in control," but he admired that Debbie came out "full on" for that night's performance. Carrie Ann Inaba added, "Every shape that you hit is so beautifully executed." It was such a good start as the pair earned 20 points out of 30.
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev danced an elegant Waltz to "Come Away with Me" by Norah Jones. Bruno Tonioli loved the performance, as he said, "It was a wonderful transformation." Echoing Bruno's remark, Carried Ann dubbed it "stunning." Nikki and Artem got 21 points.
Another couple dancing a Quickstep was Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas. Backed by "Swing Set" by Jurassic 5, the duo awed judges. Carrie Ann gushed, "That creativity--fantastic! … You have this natural elegance," before noting that Lindsey's neck was still a little "forward." The violinist joined Nikki with 21 points.
Dancing a Tango with Keo Motsepe, Barbara Corcoran hoped that she would impress the judges with that night's performance after earning disappointing 14 points in the season premiere. "I would like a little more of an exaggerated top line … However, it was better than last week," Len said. The businesswoman earned 17 points, 3 points higher compared to the previous one.
Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd danced a Foxtrot to "Mandy" by Barry Manilow. That might be a fine performance if there wasn't a bit of a wardrobe malfunction at the beginning of the performance. "It started well, but something happened … a little bit jagged and unsteady," Bruno said. But Carrie Ann disagreed as she thought that she "saw an improvement on week two." Nick earned 19 points.
Up next were Drew Scott and Emma Slater. Drew tried his best dancing a Quickstep to "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Louis Prima while battling a hamstring injury. However, the pain didn't slow him down as he earned satisfying 20 points. "That is a fantastic, luxury performance," Bruno gushed.
Nick's wife Vanessa Lachey (formerly known as Vanessa Minnillo) and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy opted for a Foxtrot to "Hit Me with a Hot Note" by Tami Tappan Damiano. It was such a solid performance which earned them 24 points, the highest score of the night. "I liked it," Len said, while Bruno added, "It was like watching Ava Gardner at her sultriest."
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson followed it up with their Tango, earning 23 points. "Intense, precise…you didn't miss one step," Bruno gushed. "You guys are this really incredible, dynamic couple," Carrie Ann added.
Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke hit the stage with a Foxtrot. Backed by "Pillow Talk" by Zayn Malik, it was definitely a sexy performance. But it might be too raunchy for a Foxtrot as Len said, "I don't get it, this is ballroom night. It was a little bit too raunchy for me." Bruno later concluded, "It was a sextrot straight into the bedroom." The former NFL star got 20 points.
Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko danced a Viennese Waltz to "I'm Going Down" by Rose Royce. Len said, "I think you've got a really nice position in hold … Knocked my socks off." Meanwhile, Bruno warned Sasha about her free arm, which according to him were "like karate chopping things." The judges gave the "Pretty Little Liars" actress 23 points.
Victoria Arlen and Valentin Chmerkovskiy performed a Tango to "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift. Bruno loved it as he said, "That was a tough-cookie tango … Very clever, very well executed." The former Paralympic athlete got 24 points, tying with Vanessa Lachey.
Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess brought a Foxtrot to the ballroom. While Carrie Ann complimented Derek about something "magical" in him, she noted that the basketball player needed "to own the whole thing." The earned 19 points.
Rounding out that night's performances were Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold, who danced a Viennese Waltz to Judah Kelly's "Count on Me". Len said, "I liked it, but it was a tad staccato for me." Meanwhile, Carrie Ann said, "It's undeniable how incredible you are … I'd like to see more ballroom nuances … but you are amazing."
Now it was time to reveal the first pair to get eliminated. Unfortunately, Barbara Corcoran was sent home.
