‘Dancing With The Stars’: Shawn Johnson Lands At The Top For A Night Dedicated To Michael Jackson

This week’s semi-finals of Dancing With The Stars seemed to put the all-stars over the edge or at least in an utter state of confusion.

The dancers were not only asked to do another fusion performance, but to gear the dance to a very specific (and seriously weird) theme ranging from Knight Rider to the Big Top circus, forcing most of the contestants to say “huh?”

But of course, this wasn’t even the hard part. The dancers were then asked to perform a tribute to Michael Jackson’s Bad, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, in the second round.

Melissa Rycroft, the only dancer left who is not a previous champion, kicked off the night with a caveman hustle, which had them channeling their inner Fred and Wilma. Len called it a “hustle with no hassle,” while Carrie Ann thought it was a little off. Bruno on the other hand thought they effectively made use of their animal skin costumes, leaving them with a score of 27.5.

For Round 2, Melissa performed an Argentine tango to “Dirty Diana” in front of MJ’s mother, Katherine, who was sitting in the audience. Though the reality star came into this week as the underdog, she proved that she was anything but. Bruno raved about the lift sequences, while Len said he would be disappointed if she didn’t make it into the finals. It was no surprise to see that Melissa earned herself a perfect score and a combined score of 57.5. 

After Shawn Johnson’s less than stellar performance last week, the gymnast was working hard to get back in the judges good graces. But it wasn’t going to be easy with her Knight Rider Bhangra, which her partner Derek Hough said was worse than having mustard on ice cream.

With its constant leaps and jumps, the Indian folk dance left Shawn out of breath. In the end her hard work paid off according to Len, “Shut up, close the door, this dynamite was fantastic!” With the duo earning a perfect 30, Len’s opinion seemed to be unanimous.

Her next time on the floor she was sassily kicking her way through the Argentine tango to the King of Pop’s “Bad,” which Bruno thought was stylistically perfect. Carrie Ann on the other hand thought it wasn’t dramatic enough. But for Len, he thought there was two parts to any dance—the training and the final performance—and he thought they nailed both. With a score of 29, the two were nearly perfect earning a combined score of 59.

Apolo Anton Ohno was given “Big Top” jazz, which meant lots of jazz hands and a little bit of mime. Carrie Ann felt the dance was a little sloppy, but Bruno though it was a combination of “Cirque du Soleil and Clockwork Orange.” The pair squeaked out a 27, but proved they deserved a spot in next week’s finals with their simple, yet passionate rhumba to “Man in the Mirror.” Their perfect score helped them earn a 57.

Emmitt Smith went cartoonish for his espionage Lindy Hop, which was definitely not in his comfort zone. The judges felt that though the moves weren’t always perfect, the energy was there, leaving him with a 27. For Emmitt’s tango to “Leave Me Alone” though he upped his game and showed his precision and poise. Bruno felt the power was there, but he needed to be even more exact. Though he only earned a score of 27, Carrie Ann thought he brought his A-game and that both his performances were two of the night’s most entertaining.

Kelly Monaco and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy donned their bathing suits for their surfer Flamenco, which was had the two stopping around in a 2-inch swimming pool. Though the judges thought they mastered the beachy feel, they didn’t nail the precision of the flamenco. Bruno thought it was all over the place, but Kelly wondered if maybe his eyes were focusing elsewhere. Maybe on Val’s speedo perhaps? With a 25.5 she landed in last place, but was able to redeem herself with her Rhumba to “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.” The two showed off their chemistry and steamed up the ballroom with their passionate final kiss.  The judges believed the dance was driven by desire and awarded her with a 28.5.

Tonight, the all-stars face another double elimination. Who do you think deserves a spot in the finals?

Shawn Johnson: 59

Melissa Rycroft: 57.5

Apolo Anton Ohno: 57

Emmitt Smith: 54

Kelly Monaco: 54

Voted off:

Sabrina Bryan (week 6)

Kirstie Alley and Gilles Marini (week 7)

- Shannon Carlin, CBS Local

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