Season 29, Week 7: Villains Week, aka Halloween

Dancing with the Stars always has a big, splashy night for Halloween. Well, this is it, and they are calling it (for the first time) “Villains Night.” It begins with a very lame Blair Witch takeoff as the opener.

Brandon and Jeannie, paso doble, Hannibal Lecter

Not sure if the concept of Villains is working yet, but the paso had some great shapes and lines.

Derek: “You absolutely ate up that paso. You had proper frame, the oval shapes. I loved it. That was a great paso.” Bruno: “You throw yourself with such gusto and intention, that it’s really irresistible to watch.” Carrie Ann: “That was an explosive way to start the show. Great attack. Really powerful. I want you to start adding back in some of the grace.”

JUDGES: 25 (out of 30)

Britt and Johnny, Viennese waltz, vampires

Vampires dancing to “Creep”? I’m so there for that. There really wasn’t enough in hold for a good Viennese waltz, IMHO, but it was fun to watch anyway.

Bruno: “I am bitterly disappointed, because it wasn’t bad at all. It was very, very good. What you did, that I really really liked, apart from the fact that you have wonderful sweeping motion is you really captured the Gothic romance feel. It was passionate, and it was fluid. It’s a question of balance. You balanced it extremely well. Fantastic job.” Carrie Ann: “I agree. You floated through that like a dream, like you were a rock star. There was so much interpretation of the music, more than I’ve ever seen. I felt like you became one with the bass, and the strength and the power and the story.” Derek: “One of my favorite parts about the show is redemption. Having a bad week and coming back and doing what you just did. It was so beautiful. I loved the version of that song. Rock and roll, the costume, the theme, the character, the dancing. It was like a perfect formula. Fantastic.”

We have a skull mirror ball, hanging in the ballroom!

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Gleb and Chrishell, paso doble, Malefecent

Not really much of a dance there. Ugh.

Carrie Ann: “Chrishell, you are in your element. Talk about storytelling at its finest. That is what this night is all about. It was simple, the strategy was good: simple moves, executed beautifully.” Derek: “That was cinematic. You, tapping into that villain, with the horns. The simplicity of it called for that. It was sparse. There was space.” Bruno: “That was mesmerizing. Your focus, your intention, your purpose were absolutely spot on. You lost the fluidity sometimes. Overall, it was a very strong performance.”

JUDGES: 26 (out of 30)

Val and Monica, jazz, Nurse Ratched

Any dance to “Fever” is a good one, especially with Val Chemerkovskiy’s stunning choreography.

However, Monica Aldama still doesn’t seem really comfortable with all this, and she seems to be stepping rather than dancing through it all.

Derek: “First of all, that opening leg! The musicality, the transitions into the lifts, I really felt that seductive energy at the beginning. And I think that tonight more than ever, it’s really about the character. For me, that side by side moment, I lost the character in the middle, but overall, I thought it was a  really strong performance.” Bruno: “I didn’t get a fever. I got more of a mild chill. Great leg extensions. Great lifts. The thing with jazz, it has to always come from the body. Think Fosse. (And he shows us what he means.)” Carrie Ann: “I agree with Bruno. What was not lacking was the intention behind the movement. The shapes were really nice. Tonight especially, it’s about storytelling. It wasn’t your best dance. You are still improving. This is a process.”

JUDGES: 22 (out of 30)

Cheryl and AJ, tango, Norman Bates

AJ likes dressing up in women’s clothes, so he loved dressing as Norma Bates’ mom (as in the movie) for this dance (at the beginning at least). Personally, I like the old-timey ’50s feel to the dance, with costumes and hair. 

Cheryl hit her head in rehearsal, but says she’s ok.

Carrie Ann: “AJ! Wow. I’m truly impressed. That was a really difficult routine, and you did… every movement was great. The power, the dramatic shifts. This is kind of what we’ve been looking for all night: the light and shade.My God! Well done.” Derek: “AJ, I loved the intro, with you dressed up as Normal Bates’ mother. That was so creepy and wonderful. I was watching your footwork a lot in that. Well done.” Bruno: “Thrilling. You managed to translate the neurosis of the character into the steps.”

JUDGES: 26 (out of 30)

Daniella and Nelly, Argentine tango, Freddie Kruger

They dance to “I Can’t Feel My Face,” which is hilarious. Daniella, as always, was fantastic. Her choreography is just amazing. Nelly is, um, Nelly.

Carrie Ann: “Nelly! What is going on? That was by far your best dance. Everything you were doing was so dramatic. There was a sense of urgency to your moves. The dynamics in that: the push the pull, the hold, the footwork, everything. Booyah!” Derek: “That was definitely not a nightmare on that dance floor. You were such a great partner to Daniella.” Bruno: “You killed that Argentine tango. I don’t know how it happened, but your whole stance was completely different today.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Sasha and Justina, tango, Carrie

Well, this is funny. Justina hates Halloween, and she’s paired with the King of Halloween, Sasha Farber. 

Now, that’s a tango! Wow. Great dance.

Justina screams a few times during the dance. Chilling.

Derek: “You literally set this place on fire. That was awesome. First of all, your screams. I loved it. Your frame is exquisite. Also what I love: you travel across that floor. You move so much. And that means that you’re in the correct position.” Bruno: “Blood-curdlingly good. She stormed through it like a woman possessed. So powerful.” Carrie Ann: “You, to me, are one of the best dancers here. You have such a shot at winning this. I love the way you use the space. When you come out in the ballroom, it is yours. You own everything that you do, and I love that.”

JUDGES: 26 (out of 30)

Jenna and Nev, paso doble, Black Swan

Jenna gets big points for creativity for this whole concept and choreography. Just wow. Nev gets big points for all the manscaping he had to do for this.

Bruno: “It has to be perfect. And it was! I loved this piece and you lived up to the expectation.” Carrie Ann: “There were high expectations coming into this performance, and you met them, and you exceeded them. I want to thank your dad for exposing you to ballet at such a young age. Look, it’s paid off. Your lines, your negative space, the way you change character, all of it. Wonderful job. Breathtaking.” Derek: “From beginning to end. The opening moment, when Jenna’s spread out like that. Gorgeous. Oh my gosh! It’s so good. The light. The shapes. The way you stretched. Just beautiful.”

JUDGES: 30 (out of 30, first perfect score of the season)

Alan and Skai, Argentine tango, Bride of Chucky

Interesting Argentine tango to a Billie Eilish song. Lotsa lifts. Still felt awkward to me.

Carrie Ann: “I am so proud of you. You’ve had the roughest road of this competition this season. And you came back stronger this week than ever. The power that you exuded in that dance was mesmerizing.” Derek: “Last week, I felt for you. This week, I feel you. You are on a mission. You were focused. So good. You actually killed that routine. Amazing lifts.” Bruno: “There isn’t a bad bone in your body, and not a bad step in that tango. What was fabulous tonight: the way you extended the shapes.”

JUDGES: 27 (out of 30)

Artem and Kaitlyn, paso doble, Cruella DeVille

Yes, it is hilarious for anyone who follows Kaitlyn’s social media to see her playing someone who hates dogs. Her dogs are so loved!

Really great paso doble.

Derek: “Artem, I want to adopt you. Kaitlyn, you are dancing your butt off every single week, with so much content. I just have to thank you for that. The shapes! Great way to end the show.” Bruno: “You had the right intention. For me, it felt slightly rushed. It wasn’t as crisp and defined as a paso doble should be. But at this stage, you have to get the finish absolutely right.” Carrie Ann: “What’s so hard, Kaitlyn, is that you are a good dancer. I saw you trying really hard tonight. I don’t wanna discourage you, but this was another not great dance of yours.”

JUDGES: 24 (out of 30)

Who are in the Bottom Two?

Brandon and Jeannie and Monica and Val. Who goes home?

Sadly. :-(

MICHE’s Favorites of Villains Week

1. Sasha and Justrina, tango

2. Jenna and Nev, paso doble

3. Cheryl and AJ, tango

4. Val and Monica, jazz

5. Britt and Johnny, Viennese waltz

6. Artem and Kaitlyn, paso doble

7. Brandon and Jeannie, paso doble

8. Daniella and Nelly, Argentine tango

So Done With

1. Skai

2. Chrishell

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