"DWTS" Week 9 Recap: Lowkey Iconic
Pretty much every episode of “Dancing with the Stars” is fully stocked with pop culture icons (you say b-list celebs, I say icons—tomato, tomahto). But this week, “DWTS” took it up a notch with “Icons Night,” celebrating musical icons, from Freddie Mercury to Amy Winehouse. And the results were lowkey iconic.
But in case you missed last night’s episode (or were busy trying to figure out why Ariana Grande is beefing with Dixie D’Amelio), make sure to catch up on all of the most *iconic* dancing—and see who went home.
Nelly and Daniella Karagach: Jazz
File Nelly’s performance last night under the category of, “Not Technically Great, But Really Fun to Watch.” Because, TBH, we couldn’t get through 30 seconds of Nelly’s Tupac-inspired performance without sporting some big dumb smiles. Week after week, Nelly and partner Daniella Karagach are bringing that extra *something* to the ballroom that just makes you want to watch them dance—a little spunk, a little attitude, a little fun. Sure, the judges gave #TeamDaNelly three 8s for a total 24, but we guarantee this is a routine they’ll remember fondly.
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev
We at Dance Spirit are huge suckers for anything and everything involving Miss Britney Spears (#FreeBritney). So naturally, we loved Kaitlyn Bristowe’s “Icons Night” performance. Her “Toxic” tango was top notch—and reminded us just a little bit of Heather Morris’s tango to the same song from a few seasons back. But honestly, Heather Morris is an icon in and of herself, so…makes sense. The judges gave Kaitlyn and partner Artem Chigvintsev three 10s, for a perfect 30 (and an official end to the scoring feud between Artem and one Carrie Ann Inaba).
Johnny Weir and Britt Stewart: Quickstep
Please add “figure skating champion Johnny Weir donning an Amy Winehouse-inspired wig and lip-syncing “Valerie” on live television” to the list of reasons we love “Dancing with the Stars.” Because, whew, where else are you going to get this kind of entertainment? Johnny and partner Britt Stewart went all out with a totally smile-inducing quickstep, nailing the dance style’s signature bounce. The judges gave the duo three 10s, for a total 30. And we want to know what liquid liner Johnny uses, because he was killing that cat eye.
Next up came the dance-offs, where each couple competed against another for a bonus two points—in the hopes of being spared from another painful elimination. And, surprise surprise, Nev Schulman and partner Jenna Johnson were granted dance-off immunity, after earning the highest cumulative scores. Coming out of the dance-offs, Justina Machado, Skai Jackson, and AJ McLean were each granted the two-point bonus.
But as it turns out, two points can only make so much of a difference, and AJ and partner Cheryl Burke landed in jeopardy alongside Johnny and Britt. Despite the fact that it was the duo’s second time in jeopardy, the judges voted to save Johnny and Britt. We’re sure Amy Winehouse would be proud.
