‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2014: Sadie Robertson Dazzles on Partner Switch Episode, No One Is Eliminated
Nine stars -- paired with their original pro partners -- compete next week.
— -- The stars switched partners tonight on “Dancing With the Stars,” performing their routines with pros chosen for them by viewers who voted on Twitter, and after a tough judges’ panel they all likely breathed a sigh of relief to learn there would be no eliminations in this fifth week of the competition.
The switch was for one night only. Stars will return to their original pro partners next week. The couple with the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewer votes then will be eliminated.
With head judge Len Goodman absent from the judges’ panel this week, pop star Jessie J was tonight’s guest judge. The singer opened the show with her hit songs, “Bang Bang” and “Burnin’ Up.”
When the night was over, “Duck Dynasty” star Sadie Robertson topped the leaderboard with 36 out of a possible 40 points, while NASCAR legend Michael Waltrip brought up the rear with 20 points.
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Tonight’s RoutinesAntonio Sabato Jr.: The actor’s original partner is Cheryl Burke, but he and Allison Holker turned in a rousing, crowd-pleasing Bollywood number that earned him a standing ovation from the ballroom audience. Judges Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and Julianne Hough said they appreciated his enthusiasm, but faulted him on timing.
“It wasn’t as synchronized as it should have been,” Tonioli said. Inaba felt Sabato danced the song “very well,” but said she saw missteps from both him and Holker. Jessie J offered Sabato “massive congratulations” on his performance, but earned some boos for awarding him only 6 out of 10 points. The other judges gave him two 7s and an 8, for a total of 28 out of a possible 40 points.
Bethany Mota: Mota’s original partner is Derek Hough, but tonight she danced hip-hop with Hough’s best friend, Mark Ballas, and judges praised the new pairing.
“You have swag,” Inaba told Mota. Julianne Hough –- Derek’s sister –- said Mota “attacked” the performance. “You completely held your own and it was really wonderful,” she added. Jessie J said she really enjoyed the routine, while Tonioli pointed out that Mota was “blossoming in confidence, week after week after week.” Judges gave Mota four 8s for a total of 32 points.
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Jonathan Bennett: During the actor’s high-energy jitterbug with Peta Murgatroyd –- his pro partner is Allison Holker –- he had some trouble with timing and appeared to fumble a few moves, including fairly acrobatic landings by Slater. Judges said the routine caused them some anxiety because of those issues.
“It made me feel uncomfortable,” Jessie J said. “I was nervous. I couldn’t relax and enjoy it. ... I could feel like you wanted it to be better than it was, and I mean that in the nicest way.” Inaba said she saw “moments of brilliance” but said “so much of it was wrong.” Hough agreed with Jessie J. “It’s true, I was holding my breath, and not in a good way,” she said. Bennett earned 6s across the board, for a total of 24 points.
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