There was a major dance party happening last night on Dancing With the Stars, but based on the rehearsal videos, tensions were running high leading up to the live show. Notably Meryl Davis and Maks Chermkovskiy, who usually get along swimmingly, had some drama leading up to their perfect score.
While rehearsing their tango, the video played before their dance revealed Chermkovskiy getting frustrated with his partner when she kept repeating the same mistakes. Paired with their score last week–a 36 out of 40, which didn’t seem to match up to the high praise the judges gave before showing their paddles–the 34-year-old pro was beginning to crack under the pressure.
Is Romance Brewing Between DWTS Partners Maks Chmerkovskiy and Meryl Davis?
“I think for Maks, he’s such a passionate person that I think when he feels things aren’t going his way, he takes on the role of fixing things,” Davis told the camera. “I think that’s a role that entails a lot of pressure.” But it wasn’t Chermkovskiy doing the fixing this week, it was Davis. The ice dancer had a calming effect on her partner when she asked him to hold her hand and started a conversation about what’s really bothering him: he’s “terrified,” as he put it, because he doesn’t know what else he needs to do to impress the judges. What followed was an emotional heart-to-heart about their future on the show.
As it turns out, things are looking up for the couple because their tango clinched them the second perfect score of the season and even left Carrie Ann Inaba momentarily speechless. When her words caught up with her, she said “there is something so magical happening between you two.”
Check out how the rest of the pack did this week:
NeNe Leakes and Tony Dovolani: 33
Leakes’s salsa is the most confident she’s ever been on the dance floor. Head judge Len Goodman thought the reality star “cornered the market on fun and entertainment” while guest judge Redfoo (of the band LMFA) thought Leaks “owned that” and called their routine “hot.” Bruno Tonioli turned up the heat with some hip action of his own as he praised Leakes for being “one of a kind.”
Candace Cameron Bure and Mark Ballas: 32
Cameron Bure showed great improvement with her sassy cha cha. Bruno Tonioli told the Full House star and her partner that “there [were] moments of brilliance” in their routine. Redfoo was also impressed by their routine, but not more than her costume for which he had two words: “bling bling.” After last week’s often stiff dance, Goodman thought Candace Bure’s “leg action was terrific.”
James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd: 35
After earning a perfect 40 last week (the first of the season!) the pressure was on for Maslow and Murgatroyd’s quickstep. The judges were all picky with the pop star’s technique, but all were blown away by the performance. Tonioli was impressed with the couple’s ability to combine musical theater with a classical quickstep while admitting “he could have been lighter on his feet.” Red Foo on the other hand was blown away by Maslow’s agility on the dance floor, likening them to crabs in the sand.
Danica McKellar and Val Chmerkovskiy: 36
McKellar’s cha cha wowed the judges and even earned comments calling their dance “the best of the night so far,” but even that high praise wasn’t enough for a single 10. Red Foo told the Wonder Years star “you just put love in the club” while Tonioli likened her to “a purring kitten.” Inaba went for a different metaphor when she complemented McKellar’s entire journey on the show, saying this week “you are the full blossom.”
Charlie White and Sharna Burgess: 36
White brought a white-hot cha cha to the ballroom this week with enough hip action to keep the judges more than satisfied. Inaba was thrilled with the improvement and said their dance was “funky,” and Red Foo said it made him want to get right back up on that stage and dance with them. Goodman complimented White’s ability to dance to the music telling him “you’ve got the most brilliant musicality when you dance.”
Drew Carey and Cheryl Burke: 32 Eliminated
Being on the bottom of the leader board last week didn’t affect Carey’s ability to tackle a character with full steam. His role this time? Pimp! Inaba called Carey “the life of the party” with his foxy tango. Though Tonioli thought the comedian’s “technique was a little bit all over the place,” he also admitted that Carey “pimped my tango.” Red Foo was impressed with the fiesty number and commended Carey’s “stanky pimp face.” Unfortunately for Carey and Burke, this was their last dance as they were eliminated from the competition.
Amy Purdy and Derek Hough: 38
Purdy and Hough’s jive landed them in second place on a night of stiff competition. Inaba told the Olympian her “kicks and flicks are the best I’ve ever seen.” Red Foo said their jive “blew my mind,” and bruno echoed the sentiment, calling Purdy a “real-life super hero. Goodman continued the praise-fest by telling the duo “that was such a fantastic performance.”