It was a night of backflips and surprises on 鈥淒ancing with the Stars.鈥
Monday, in the first of two competitions, 鈥淏achelor鈥 star Joey Graziadei made a move that impressed the judges and put him at the top of the leader board. A jive (complete with one of those backflips) showed he has the most musicality of the contestants and a real way with charming the audience. He got a 34 and clearly made 鈥淪oul Train Night鈥 his date for destiny.
The only one to best him was Chandler Kinney who did Run-DMC proud with a cha cha that included a lesson from 鈥淪oul Train鈥 dancer Reggie Thornton. It got a 36, but Kinney has been a consistent leader since the season began. She鈥檚 likely in the finals but she also has a smaller learning curve.
Also making a move: 鈥淏achelorette鈥 Jenn Tran, who earned a 31 for an elegant waltz. She took the judges鈥 advice to heart and they were quick to point out she learned something from them.
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Jenna Johnson and Joey Graziadei scored on "Soul Train Night" on "Dancing with the Stars." Scores will be added to Tuesday's "Metal Night" to eliminate two dancers.
Those who didn鈥檛 got those hollow compliments and praise for just getting out on the floor.
In other words, that was what greeted Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Roberts, two who are likely to go home after Tuesday鈥檚 "Metal Night." VelJohnson hugged the bottom of the list with a 21; Roberts got a 24.
Thirties went to Phaedra Parks, Ilona Maher, Stephen Nedoroscik and Danny Amendola. Brooks Nader got a 28, which was close, but she and her partner Gleb Savchenko, were visibly miffed, probably because they鈥檝e been feeding the 鈥渟howmance鈥 rumors when they鈥檙e not on the show.
Basketball superstar Dwight Howard, who鈥檚 usually game for something like 鈥淪oul Train Night,鈥 wore a Lord Farquaad wing and stumbled throughout his 鈥渨hat was it?鈥 dance. Because he鈥檚 so tall, it is always a challenge to partner Daniella Karagach, but this was a complete flop.
Like 鈥淥scar Night,鈥 Monday鈥檚 theme started out strong 鈥 with 鈥淪oul Train鈥 dancers in the audience and Popin鈥 Pete on the floor 鈥 but then it waned and included numbers that would seem out of place on "American Bandstand." Because "Soul Train" had its own vibe, 鈥淒ancing鈥 producers should have let everyone do a freestyle and avoid shoehorning ballroom into soul.
Early on, the judges (including guest judge Rosie Perez) fell over themselves trying to praise the so-so dancers. Words like 鈥渨onderful鈥 and 鈥渇antastic鈥 spilled out. Parks got a 30 largely because her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, pulled her tight throughout.
Maher got one of those generous 30s, but she has a desire to improve every week. She has personality plus but there鈥檚 something so effortless about Graziadei that he bears watching. He admitted he was a cheerleader in high school, but it wasn't a 鈥渟erious鈥 position. Still, it gave him the confidence to step out on 鈥淪oul Train鈥 night.
Look for the two senior citizens to exit after Metal Night. If they鈥檙e saved, Howard or Nader could be packing those dancing shoes.
