Tuesday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars" was the second night of the show's Hometown Glory special. This time, viewers got a glimpse of where the pro dancers grew up. It may still be early in the season, but it seems as though the same stars keep advancing and coming out on top. There are definitely already some fan favorites — and a few who you know won't last much longer even though they're giving it all they've got.
Monday, we saw the first elimination of Season 21 as Chaka Khan got sent home and, last night, we said goodbye to Victor Espinoza and his partner Karina Smirnoff. Although he scored 20 out of 30 points with his rumba, which was his highest score, his previous dances just weren't that good. Smirnoff pushed him hard — and he was definitely starting to improve — but, sadly, he was sent home.
Gary Busey was in the bottom two alongside Espinoza, and it'll be interesting to see him back next week. While his positive attitude is infectious and he really does seem to be enjoying himself, it's his quirky personality that has people wondering just how much longer he'll last.
As for the rest of the crew, Tamar Braxton and Val Chmerkovskiy came out on top last night with 25 out of 30 points. It was the first time so far this season that Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough were not the highest scored performance. Nick Carter came close behind with 24 points, while Hayes Grier and Andy Grammer were tied for third with Irwin with 23 points. Alek Skarlatos and Alexa PenaVega continued to stay near the top with 22 points, while Alexa's husband Carlos PenaVega wasn't far behind with 21 points. Kim Zolciak-Biermann and Paula Deen still couldn't break 20 points as they each scored 18 points, and Busey got 15 points, which is the same score he got during week one and the lowest score we've seen this season.
While everyone seems to be making pretty significant improvements and getting more competitive, this week they had to learn two dances, which is an extremely hard task for week two. Some handled it like pros, while it was a little too much to take in for others. Either way, all of the stars are giving it their all and proving they really want that Mirror Ball trophy. Here were the five best dances of the night and what the judges thought of the top five stars.
Tamar Braxton and Val Chmerkovskiy
These two completely rocked the Charleston with their own funky twist as a shirtless Val remembered growing up in New York. Judge Bruno Tonioli gave out the first 9 of the season, and he obviously did it as enthusiastically as possible. "You killed it," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told them. "You are such a dynamic performer on so many levels. You nailed it!" Julianne Hough complimented them on their improvement from the night before, pointing out that their practices definitely paid off.
Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess
After slipping a bit the night before, Carter came out with much more confidence for their foxtrot. It was nice to see the two connect for a very emotional performance as Burgess told a sad story about wishing her father could travel to see her perform. "There was poetry to your dancing tonight," Inaba told them. Julianne explained: "The thing that was different for me tonight was that you got out of your own head and you were there for Sharna and that was what separated you. You kind of just left all that stuff that you've been thinking about and you protected her and it was so beautiful."
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough
While it's been amazing to watch these two perform upbeat and fun dances, watching them slow it down for the waltz might have been the highlight of the night. We got to see a side of Irwin we haven't seen yet, and she nailed it. Derek is known for his quick steps and fast-paced dancing, and sometimes watching him perform slower dances like the waltz can be a little boring, but that was not the case last night. The only downfall, Derek lifted Irwin slightly off the ground at one point when he spun her around, and Inaba made sure to point this out as official dancing rules say a lift cannot be included in a waltz. Without this lift, the two may have remained in the top spot, but 23 points is still amazing for week two. "What I just saw, was two dancers dancing as one," explained Julianne, praising Irwin for her confidence. "It was so beautiful. And what I love so much about you Bindi is that you have so many different sides of who you are, and we've been able to see them from week one to last night to tonight, and I think a lot of times we're afraid to show those different sides, and so we stay in our comfort zone, but you're such a blessing for so many girls out there to show you're comfortable in your skin." Tonioli added that it was "close to perfection."
Hayes Grier and Emma Slater
These two kicked off the night with a bang. Their quickstep had the crowd on its feet as Slater dedicated the upbeat performance to her twin sister. Grier's personality is really shining through his dances and his young, positive attitude, and crazy huge fan base, will most likely keep him around for a long time. As the youngest male to ever compete on the show, Julianne told them the dance was "fresh, fun and everything you two are," while Tonioli absolutely loved it. "It was hip, it was cool, it had the kind of joyful energy of youth. Twinkle in his eyes, spring on the feet. I tell you, you are going out there like a model," exclaimed Tonioli. "You were just like a supermodel. It was absolutely your best dance."
Andy Grammer and Allison Holker
Grammer was a little nervous for the contemporary dance, but Holker nailed the beautiful choreography. She dedicated the song to her husband and daughter and, with them sitting in the audience cheering her on, you could tell Grammer really wanted to prove he could do this for her because he knew how much it meant to her. There were a lot of leaps and jumps, but the singer improved greatly from the night before. He took the judges words to heart and really came out strong. "There is nothing like that feeling when you're so present and I saw that tonight," Julianne told him. "It was really beautiful. And so much better than last night." Tonioli insisted he missed the lift, but Inaba, Julianne and pretty much the entire audience disagreed. "I felt the commitment," Inaba told them. "Well done."
See what the stars have in store for viewers next when week three kicks off Monday on ABC.
