"Dancing with the Stars" Recap: Season 12, Elimination 4

Alright, we’re gonna be completely honest. Monday’s performance episode was strange—very, very strange. It had nothing to do with the contestants, and everything to do with the theme: America Week. It was a well-intentioned idea to honor Patriot’s Day (and, ya know, taxes were due), but gave us odd combinations, such as Ralph and Karina’s Brazilian samba…to “Sweet Home Alabama.” And Kendra and Louis’s fox trot…to “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

All of which made last night’s dance-packed elimination show all the more rewarding. Have we mentioned how much we adore the “Dancing with the Stars” troupe? Perhaps, but let us profess our love again: They. Are. Amazing. The group—along with Lacey and Maks—performed a ballroom/country line dance mash-up while guest Toby Keith sang his 1990s hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” If the producers decided to feature the troupe on every single show, we wouldn’t be mad. Just sayin’.

But the performance of the night definitely goes to choreographer Jamal Sims and crew, who danced, pranced and boogied their butts off to Janelle Monaé’s “Tightrope.” Yes, Monaé performed the song last year on both “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars.” We don’t care. It’s infectious. And Sims created a playful routine that blended hip hop, contemporary, ballroom, breaking and 1960s-inspired moves (think Hairspray). Plus, we love spotting “SYTYCD” alums on other shows. You can’t miss Kayla Radomski’s shock of blond hair, even when it’s partially hidden under a fedora.

Oh right, there was an elimination. On Monday, Petra and Dmitry faced down the dreaded quickstep—and unfortunately, it got the best of them. We were really rooting for Petra, and we’ll definitely miss the sweet chemistry between her and Dmitry. Ah, well.

So, do you think the right person went home? Share your thoughts on Twitter or Facebook. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Dance_SpiritMag for live-Tweeted performance shows. Next week’s theme? Guity pleasures—much more enticing!