‘Dancing With the Stars’: Queen Night Rocks — Plus, a

Amanda Kloots’ dance to “Don’t Stop Me Now” (Jive)

In addition to being a former Broadway dancer and current co-host of The Talk, Amanda Kloots also leads her own fitness classes. A big fan of Queen’s classic hits, she often uses their music during her workout routines, which made her very excited for her jive to “Don’t Stop Me Now” with her partner Alan Bersten, who playfully sported Freddie Mercury’s iconic mustache and jacket. After turning in several impressive dances over the last few weeks, the judges found their performance a little lackluster. Len stated the dance lacked rhythm, while Carrie Ann commented that her dancing was beginning to feel metronomic. Bruno strongly disagreed, mentioning that he knew Freddie and claimed that he would have loved their dance. With one of their lower scores of the season, the pair earned a total of 33 points out of 40.

Olivia Jade’s dance to “Fat Bottomed Girls” (Quickstep)

Olivia Jade felt special going into Queen Night after coming out of the bottom two and avoiding elimination last week. During rehearsals, she talked about how she grew up with Queen’s music, calling them her “favorite band ever.” This week’s routine proved a challenging one, as she and partner Val Chmerkovskiy performed a quickstep to “Fat Bottomed Girls.” After “kicking her butt” learning the difficult routine, their hard work successfully paid off, with Len calling the pair “always a joy to watch.” Carrie Ann praised Olivia’s ability to stay light on her feet while using the floor, and Derek noted that she didn’t miss a step. Unlike the song’s name, Bruno called her a “lean, mean, quickstep machine.” With two scores of 10, the pair earned a total of 38 points.

Iman Shumpert’s dance to “Another One Bites The Dust” (Paso Doble)

Iman Shumpert was ecstatic after his perfect score performance with partner Daniella Karagach last week became a viral hit. Preparing for their paso doble to the classic “Another One Bites The Dust,” the pair video chatted with Iman’s mother, a DWTS superfan. Having attended every show this season, she was excited to see him take on the dance — and it paid off. “This basketball legend is now an accomplished dancer,” shouted Bruno. The judges loved how the duo continued to bring their own flair to the dance, with Carrie Ann stating that he has brought the show into a “new era.” Len and Derek slightly disagreed, pointing out his lack of posture and presence, but were still delighted to see him light up on the dance floor. The pair walked away with a score of 32 points out of 40.

Jimmie Allen’s dance to “Somebody To Love” (Viennese Waltz)

Jimmie Allen credits Freddie Mercury as one of his biggest inspirations, having taught him how to interact with a crowd while performing. In addition to rehearsing throughout the week, he has been touring across the country. Touring hasn’t put a pause on their hard work, as his partner Emma Slater traveled with him to fit in rehearsal whenever he had the time. She applauded how well he has managed to juggle everything on his plate as they prepared for their Viennese Waltz to “Somebody To Love.” The pair pulled off another emotional performance, as Bruno called Jimmie a “true leading man.” Len stated that it doesn’t matter how contestants start the show, but how they finish, “and you are finishing strong.” His improved lines and ability to interpret the music earned them a high score of 38 points out of 40, but not before he kissed his wife after the end of the dance.

The Miz’s dance to “Radio Ga Ga” (Foxtrot)

The Miz grew up listening to Queen with his dad, so it was no surprise when his tough-love father showed up during rehearsals to give his son and partner Witney Carson some advice. Claiming his dad has “no filter,” he emphasized that his son needed to loosen up, which the judges picked up on as well during the dance duo’s foxtrot to “Radio Ga Ga.” Len was pleased with Miz’s improved frame, but he and the other judges agreed that his posture felt artificial at times. Carrie Ann joked that he may have taken some of Witney’s technical advice too literally, as his head was lifted too far on one side. However, they all enjoyed how much fun he has while dancing, with his dad stating, “He already won in my eyes.” With eights across the board, they earned a score of 32 points.

JoJo Siwa’s dance to “Body Language” (Tango)

Super-fan JoJo Siwa loves Queen so much that she dedicated a whole section of her live show to the rock legends. “I’m ready for some Freddie baby,” she exclaimed during rehearsals for their tango to “Body Language.” Jenna encouraged her to tap into her sexy side, to which JoJo joked she didn’t have one. Bruno felt the opposite, calling the routine a “supermodel tango,” and supermodel host Tyra Banks agreed. Carrie Ann compared JoJo’s growth to that of former contestant Zendaya, transforming from a young girl to a woman. Despite a slight critique from Len who noted they missed out on some of the slower moments of a tango, the two earned a near-perfect score with 39 points out of 40.

Suni Lee’s dance to “We Will Rock You” (Paso Doble)

Coming out of the bottom two, Suni Lee got the pep talk she needed from her gymnastics coach Jess going into her foot-stomping paso doble to the anthem “We Will Rock You” with partner Sasha Farber. He encouraged her to treat the dance like one of her gymnastics competitions, giving her the boost to prove that she’s not yet done in the competition. After dominating the dance floor in Freddie Mercury’s signature yellow jackets, Suni ran off, as she had not been feeling well all night. While everyone sympathized with her sickness struggles, Carrie Ann continued to encourage her confidence, as she inspires little girls all over the world with her accomplishments. For not performing at her best, the judges thought she did a great job, despite not being her best dance thus far. Earning a nine from Bruno, they racked up a total of 33 points.

Cody Rigsby’s dance to “You’re My Best Friend” (Foxtrot)

Dancing the foxtrot to the joyful “You’re My Best Friend,” Cody Rigsby dedicated the dance to his best friend Oscar, who passed away after struggling with addiction a few years ago. “I just want to do him proud,” he stated during rehearsals. He confessed his guilt over feeling he didn’t do enough to save him, to which his partner Cheryl Burke assured him what happened wasn’t his fault. Having also struggled with addiction, she managed to overcome it and become sober and wanted Cody to celebrate Oscar with their performance. The judges expressed their condolences over his loss but loved seeing him perform as his “true self.” Len didn’t think it was his best or worst performance yet, but Derek ignored him and declared it his best dance so far. In true Bruno fashion, he loved their retro getup as much as he loved the dance, jokingly calling them “Cody and Cher.” With nines from Derek and Bruno, they made Oscar proud with a score of 34 points.

Melora Hardin’s dance to “Killer Queen” (Foxtrot)

Melora Hardin appreciates how much Queen put into their performances, looking to do the same with her Foxtrot to the iconic “Killer Queen.” During rehearsals with her partner Artem Chigvintsev, she was surprised by her The Bold Type co-stars Katie Stevens, Meghann Fahy, and Aisha Dee. Looking to bring her character Jacqueline Carlyle’s hardworking passion to her performance, Meghann joked that “With Melora, every week is Queen Week.” Her “baby queens” supported her in the ballroom as the pair improved upon last week’s dance, with Len calling it an “all-around polished performance.” Despite a slight slip caught by Carrie Ann, Bruno stated that Melora is the full package, exclaiming, “This killer queen is lethal!” With nines across the board, they walked away with a solid 36 out of 40 points.

Group 1’s dance to “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (Jive)

The first relay dance of the season split the nine remaining couples up into three groups, each dancing a style they have previously done before. The Miz and Whitney, Iman and Daniella, and Cody and Cheryl were the first trios to earn some helpful bonus points, dancing the jive to “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Len enjoyed getting to see each of their personalities shine and how they all differed from each other, making for a tough decision for the judges. Their votes were split between two couples, awarding Iman and Daniella and Cody and Cheryl two bonus points each.

Group 2’s dance to “Under Pressure” (Foxtrot)

Up next were JoJo and Jenna, Olivia and Val, and Jimmie and Emma with a relay foxtrot to the Queen and David Bowie hit “Under Pressure.” The couples were certainly feeling the pressure to win bonus points, though the judges felt one couple’s performance was more deserving than the rest. Carrie Ann praised how much each pair has grown throughout the season so far, with Bruno claiming they have each raised the bar with their high-quality performances. Ultimately, all four judges awarded their bonus points to Olivia and Val, bringing them up to the top of the leaderboard.

Group 3’s dance to “We Are The Champions” (Viennese Waltz)

Ending the night with a Viennese Waltz to “We Are The Champions” were Amanda and Alan, Suni and Sasha, and Melora and Artem. Though Tyra initially expressed concern over whether or not Suni would perform during the relay dance, she felt better enough to pull through and go on with the show. With each couple turning in another graceful performance, Bruno dreaded having to choose one couple to give his point to, stating, “It keeps getting better and harder for us.” Carrie Ann loved their foxtrots so much that she stood on the judges’ table, calling each of them “amazing.” Each of the three couples received one bonus point, but Melora and Artem managed to snag two.

Results

After combining the first round scores and relay dance bonus points, Olivia and Val found themselves at the top of the leaderboard with JoJo and Jenna right behind, while The Miz and Whitney landed at the bottom. In a surprising twist, the WWE star was joined by JoJo and Jenna in the bottom two, despite having some of the best scores of the season. While the judges found the decision to save one couple challenging, JoJo and Jenna survived another week in a unanimous vote. Though his DWTS journey was cut short, The Miz gave it his all and proved how hard work and dedication can turn anyone into a great dancer.

Dancing With the Stars, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC

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