Stevie Wonder Night brought out the best in Kellie Pickler. She's at the top of the leaderboard.
Dancing With the Stars featured a real star on Monday. It was Stevie Wonder Night.
The legendary singer, 62, teamed with young country singer Hunter Hayes, 21, to open the Week 6 show.
"We are so happy to have you here on Stevie Wonder Night because had you not shown, it would have been really awkward," cracked host Tom Bergeron.
Replied Stevie, "I (had) to be here or I would have had to watch it on TV." He grinned.
Tom added, "He's the only one that can make that joke, by the way."
Stevie and Hunter even played along with the show's opening theme song.
"We're all excited about this one," said Tom, noting that the remaining eight couples would be dancing to Stevie's hits (even though he didn't sing them live, but did perform two songs) for judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli.
Here's how the stars stacked up:
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough had some spats during rehearsals (with Kellie loving it any time Derek messed up because he's hard on her when she messes up) as they tried to perfect their quickstep to Stevie Wonder's Part Time Lover. And perfection it was. Said Carrie Ann: "Perfect posture, perfect nuance, perfect lines, perfect interpretation!" She quibbled about a tiny bit of space in their hold. Len said, "For me, that's the best dance I've seen this season." Bruno argued that it was "dancing of the best quality. ... Superb!" Scores: 9, 10, 10 = 29 (There were boos after Carrie held up her paddle.) + 25 = 54
Aly Raisman, who is from Boston and was supposed to be at the Boston Marathon, had a rough week focusing on her foxtrot to Isn't She Lovely. Her partner, USA TODAY blogger Mark Ballas, choreographed a charming dance, which she pulled off beautifully, even if she wasn't quite as upbeat as usual. Len said her "bottom stuck out a little bit," but "it was a real foxy foxtrot." Bruno said she was "pretty as a picture" but criticized her frame. Carrie Ann said she "brought out her beautiful Bostonian elegance." Scores: 9, 9, 9 = 27 + 25 = 52
Zendaya performed an impressive cha cha to Do I Do, twirling and swirling herself with precision around the ballroom floor. "Did you notice you had a standing O before you even started?" said Tom. The audience loved it and so did the judges. "It was full of snap, crackle and pop," said Len. He quibbled about one part where she walked around partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Bruno declared her "Gob. Smacking. Gorgeous!" Carrie Ann said, "You blew me away." Scores: 10, 9, 10 = 29 + 22 = 51
Ingo Rademacher, who was celebrating his 41st birthday, danced an elegant tango to Uptight (Everything's Alright). Bruno liked his "beautiful lines," but mentioned a "couple of foot faults." Carrie Ann thought it was "great." Said Len: "Bingo Ingo for the tango." He said it was "sharp and crisp." The soap star said his birthday wish was "to make it through to next week!" Scores: 8, 8, 8 = 24 + 22 = 46
Jacoby Jones spent the week trying to make his feet parallel, not pointed in. "My feet are made like that. They're not going to turn out," he said during rehearsals. His quickstep to For Once in My Life was filled with fun bounces, jumps and splits. Bruno said, "Your energy is amazing." Carrie Ann: "Yeah, your feet are a little funky but every time you come out ... you surprise me." Len told him he liked him, but didn't feel the dance suited him. "It's not your best but it's not your worst." Scores: 8, 7, 8 = 23 + 22 = 45
Sean Lowe did the samba to I Wish. And we almost wish he hadn't! "I don't want to say I'm uncoordinated but I feel uncoordinated when I try to shimmy," said Sean, who rehearsed wearing a T-shirt tied at his waist. Adding to the problem: He had to miss a full day of rehearsal for a previous commitment. So how did he do? He hoped that taking off his shirt would help, but it didn't. His buff bod was nice, but his moves were terrible. Carrie Ann praised his determination, but not his musicality. Len said it was "riddled with mistakes" and then detailed them one-by-one. "Sean, look on the bright side. You can always get a job as a stripper," said Bruno, who said he was "like a lumberjack." Scores: 7, 7, 7 = 21 + 25 = 46
Andy Dick did the samba to Signed, Sealed and Delivered. "We have to change our scores," said Andy during rehearsals, noting that he wanted to increase his technical skills and not just rely on his comedy. He dressed as a mail carrier who seduces one of the women on his route as he spun partner Sharna Burgess around the floor. Bruno said it was a "personality-driven shamble of a samba." Carrie Ann said he's in her "heart," but she didn't recognize samba steps in his performance. Len praised him for giving the crowd "fun" even though it "wasn't that good technically." Scores: 6, 6, 6 = 18 + 25 = 43
Victor Ortiz performed a rumba to I Just Called To Say I Love You. The hip action was a challenge to the boxer, who insisted he had never danced a slow dance with a girlfriend. Ever. He did more standing than dancing, though, as his partner Lindsay Arnold swished around him. Len praised his "fighting spirit." Bruno said it looked a "bit like an airline safety drill." Carrie Ann cited the "sparkle" in his eyes, even though the action was lacking in his hips. Scores: 6, 6, 6 = 18 + 22 = 40
All the celebs finished the night by dividing into teams for a final extra score.
Team Paso — with Victor, Jacoby, Ingo and Zendara — featured all its guys dancing shirtless and waving neon capes for a performance that didn't impress the judges much. Len called it "spirited" and "petty tight." Bruno said it was "like watching an episode of Wrestlemania -- all those writhing bodies." Carrie Ann said it was "like the guys were all doing solos on their own ... It was kind of a mess. I'm sorry." Scores: 7, 8, 7 = 22
Team Samba, featuring Kellie, Sean, Andy and Aly, sported goofy go-go costumes for their Samba to Superstition. "It was like a reunion of the cast of Boogie Nights," blurted Bruno. Carrie Ann said, "They worked completely as a group. There was flow. There was unity." Len said, "Well done to you all." Scores: 8, 9, 8 = 25
Looks like Victor will be going home Tuesday. What do you say?
Source: http://www.news.theusalinks.com/2013/04/22/dwts-recap-shirts-come-off-on-stevie-wonder-night/
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