DWTS’
Always Exciting
Dance Offs Gets a
Red, White and Blue Makeover!
S21, Wk08
DWTS’ staple, Dancing Duels returned to the Glitter
Dome Monday night, with a never-before seen, patriotic twist! …
Ladies and Gentlemen, sitting in as Head Judge for
this enthralling Round was … YOU, the Viewer!
That’s right, folks, in a brilliant, judging
change-up, America was allowed to temporarily “sit in” with the show’s Panel
Judges as “Head Judge” via votes which were displayed live in the Ballroom
whilst each Dance Off was performed!
Furthermore, as “Head Judge”, should a Tie have resulted following any Dance Off, America’s vote would automatically carry more weight,
and therefore its chosen Couple would be named the event’s Winners!!
It was an all-new, thrilling game changer; and, it
all happened live, for the night’s second Round of competition! ...
Bindi
& Derek, Carlos & Witney:
“Who wants to Jive?” an excited Derek asked when selecting his and partner Bindi’s dancing opposition.
As the Night’s second highest scoring Couple, Bindi & Derek had earned the
strategic right to choose any Couple from the remaining six, to Dance Off
against.
Immediately raising their hand in the affirmative, Carlos &Witney deftly
accepted Hough’s challenge
right before an anxious Host, Tom
Bergeron, stepped in vocally and reminded the Ballroom at large that,
while it was certainly Bindi & Derek’s right to choose their opposition,
the right to choose a Dance style (of the pre-selected, offered three: Jive,
Cha-Cha, and Samba) remained with Carlos & Witney.
“Trying to use Jedi mind tricks, Derek?” an amused Tom playfully reprimanded.
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Bindi & Derek
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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After officially settling on Carlos & Witney as
their dancing opponents, a laughing Bindi & Derek quieted in anticipation
of that Couple’s response.
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Carlos & Witney
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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Dance-offs
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Following a brief conference,
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Carlos & Witney
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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a grinning Witney turned round again from facing her partner and boldly announced “The Jive!”
Opening up the exciting, “dueling” Round of
competition with a Jive to “Travelin’ Band” by Creedance Clearwater Revival, high-scoring pairs Bindi Irwin & Derek Hough and Carlos PenaVega & Witney Carson, took to the dance
floor! …
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Bindi & Derek vs. Carlos & Witney
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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Wow!! Talk
about your shucking and jiving, that Dance Off was an absolute amazing Flurry of Fast and Furious,
quick-Flicking Fun; and, that Bindi/Carlos Lift at end was just all too cute!
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Bindi & Derek vs. Carlos & Witney
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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Both Couples jived so brilliantly, it really would
be impossible for me to choose which performed their routine better!!
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Bindi & Derek
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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Carlos & Witney
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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“Nice strategy,” An impressed Judge Julianne Hough informed her big
brother, before addressing Carlos & Witney with, “but also, interesting
that you gave into that strategy!”
“…I’m just saying!” she continued, teasing both
Couples, “I’m just saying did that pay off? Because, I gotta be honest, this is
probably the closest I’ve ever seen! …”
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Bindi & Derek vs. Carlos & Witney
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
Icons Night -
Dance-offs
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“It was so unexpected!” Judge Bruno Tonioli chimed in. “You've really got to wait to see what
happens [With the Scoring] … because it’s so unpredictable!”
“I was really impressed!” concluded Judge Carrie Ann Inaba “…And I loved
the comradery at the end, with the Lift! …” she added with a smile.
In the end, the show’s three Panel Judges voted in
favor of Carlos & Witney’ Jive, while America
chose Bindi & Derek’s!
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Bindi & Derek vs. Carlos & Witney
"Good game."
"Good game." |
Tamar
& Val, Alexa & Mark:
Challenging “the beautiful Alexa”, Tamar & Val quickly settled
on their opposition, while Alexa
& Mark swiftly decided on their Dance style of choice: The Cha-Cha.
Dancing the Cha-Cha to “Fun” by Pitbull, featuring Chris
Brown, Tamar Braxton & Val Chmerkovskiy, and Alexa PenaVega & Mark Ballas all stepped down
onto the Ballroom’s dance floor …
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Tamar & Val vs. Alexa & Mark
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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Well, for me, it was certainly no contest … Alexa
& Mark just completely owned that dance floor!
Heavily-peppered with difficult Cha-Cha content, Alexa’s dance took on a
distinct, authentic flavor,
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Alexa & Mark
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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while Tamar’s
efforts leaned far more towards the “Contemporary take” side of the Latin
Classic.
In addition, Alexa’s performance as a whole sparkled
with delighted enthusiasim, affording it that much-needed edge of some having
“Umph!” to it, while Tamar’s stereotypically-relaxed approach once again lent
itself unto a sloppy Frame and lazy, unfinished Lines.
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Tamar & Val
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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“ … Those girls are hot! … You have to wait and see!”
began Bruno Tonioli as he
opened the Judges comments, following the routines.
“One of you had more ‘flavor’, one of you had more …
‘traditional’ …” teased Carrie Ann
Inaba, “So, depends on what I like!”
“ … I definitely preferred one over the other, so
you’re gonna have to wait and see!” added Julianne
Hough, much to the anticipatory agony of the two ecstatic Couples.
The Couples didn’t have to wait for long, however,
as Carrie Ann voted for Alexa
& Mark, Julianne for
Tamar & Val, Bruno for
Tamar & Val, and America
for Alexa & Mark.
As “Head Judge” America’s choice was counted as the
“Deciding Factor”, and the Win was awarded to Alexa & Mark.
Andy
& Allison, Alek & Lindsay:
With little choice in the matter, as there were no
more Couples or Dance styles left to “choose” from, Andy Grammer & Allison
Holker and Alek Skarlatos & Lindsay Arnold descended
onto the show’s dance floor, more or less resigned to their respective fates as they prepared to perform a Samba - For each of the Couple’s first time of the competition -
to “Lean On” by Major Lazer
and DJ Snake, featuring MO.
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Andy & Allison vs. Alek & Lindsay
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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Well, to be completely, albeit brutally, honest neither
one of these efforts were very good, with both failing to meet an even
“Half-way Decent” standard.
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Andy & Allison vs. Alek & Lindsay
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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It does seem worth mentioning; however, that Alek’s Samba was far more
traditional,
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Alek & Lindsay
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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while poor Andy’s
leaned toward … well, “leapt into” is more like it! … much more of a Freestyle-type performance.
“Andy breaking out the rarely seen ‘Samba Worm’!”
Joked Tom.
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Andy & Allison
DWTS Season 21, Week 08 -
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Carrie Ann began the Judges
critiques with, “Okay, first of all, BOTH of you need to go work on your
Sambas! … Okay, Andy, impressive: You said, ‘You know what? I’m not doing this, so I’m going to Flip! …
Well done!”
“… Andy, I actually think you did a really good job
with the Samba!” countered Julianne,
“…if you’re back next Week, you should maybe do the Samba! … That Hand-spring …
We got tricks, guys! …”
“Andy, you put the Bounce in there,” finished Bruno, “… Alek, as always, you
Present the girl so well! … Samba:
incredibly hard! Just doing it
like this, off the gate, is really, really [Broke into an appreciative
applause]”.
Despite Alek’s admirable efforts, the voting against him was shown to be frightfully unanimous with every Panel Judge being joined by America in the choosing of Andy’s Samba, an outcome most unfair I thought, as I’m sure Alek (or most anyone, for that matter!) could have performed better if they had been made aware of the freedom to leave the selected style of dance altogether and simply “wing it”.
