Veteran's Day brought out the patriotic side on "Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars" and allowed the seven remaining couples to show off their skills in two routines each. With the upcoming double elimination, the pressure was on for the contestants to give it their all and perform to the fullest. Each couple performed their standard couple routine, but additionally, each was thrown another professional dancer to create a trio performance, making for some very interesting dynamics and unique routines. With the competition heating up, even the judges seemed to be cracking under the pressure. Almost every routine left the judges split and tensions were running high. So who managed to shine? And whose performance was lackluster? Find out below.
THE DANCE OF THE NIGHT:
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani: Melissa continues to make her way to the top of the all-stars. Her quickstep with Tony stole the show and the judges loved it. Score: 30
Trio: After their perfect score, it seemed unlikely the Melissa and Tony's paso doble could live up to their quickstep. The couple pulled out all the stops with their fierce performance and left the judges even more impressed. Len paid her the ultimate compliment, telling her, "You impress me the most." Score: 30.
Total Score: 60
THE STANDOUTS:
Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd: Gilles showed off his quickstep skills with his "Highway to the Danger Zone" performance. Bruno and Len both loved it, but Carrie Ann called him out on his (very minor) mistakes. Score: 29.5
Trio: Gilles led Peta and Chelsie on the dance floor in their sexy salsa. All the judges loved it and Carrie Ann thought he controlled the dance floor. Score: 29
Total Score: 58.5
Apolo Ohno and Karina Smirnoff: Apolo and Karina took on an aggressive tango. The dramatic routine scored them major points with the judges, with Bruno calling it a "dare devil of a tango." Score: 29.5
Trio: Apolo continued to impress with his jive with Karina and Sasha. He took a risk by dancing with another male pro ... and he actually kept up with him! The judges were actually in agreement and Carrie Ann called it his most vibrant moment. Score: 29
Total Score: 58.5
Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke: Emmitt and Cheryl danced a smooth Viennese waltz. The judges liked it, but Carrie Ann wants more impact from him. Score: 28
Trio: Emmitt redeemed himself with his salsa with Cheryl and Kym Johnson. (I think it's because he was decked out in satin lime green tank top). The judges loved his charisma on the stage and Carrie Ann praised him for his ability to handle his women. Score: 30
Total: 58
THE GOOD:
Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy: Kelly and Val's romantic Viennese caused some judge drama, with Len getting on Kelly's case for her sharp movements and Bruno and Carrie Ann praising her. Regardless, Bruno referred to her as a "twinkling twirler," so that had to feel good. Score: 28
Trio: Kelly, Val and Louis' jive was energetic and fun, creating tension between Val and Louis as they fought for Kelly's attention -- and it felt a little to real on Val's end. Carrie Ann thought she handled herself well and kept up the whole time. Score: 28.5
Total Score: 56.5
Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough: For their first dance of the evening, Shawn and Derek took on a graceful Viennese waltz (which naturally involved Sarah McLachlan). The judges loved it, with Bruno calling it heavenly perfection and Len saying, "It was poignant, it was gentle, it was perfect." Score: 29.5
Trio: Shawn, Mark and Derek decided to abandon the rules in their tribal samba and the performance left the judges split. Len seemed deeply offended by their disregard for the rules and even Burno thought it wasn't really a samba. Carrie Ann on the other hand loved it and told them "sometimes you have to take risks. Score: 26
Total Score: 55.5
THE MEDIOCRE:
Kirstie Alley and Maks Chmerkovskiy: Kirstie and Maks kicked of their evening with the Viennese waltz set to the ultimate emotional song, "Hallelujah." The judges praised her for improvement, but Carrie Ann said she wants to see her push harder. Score: 27
Trio: If you've ever dreamed of seeing Kirstie Alley twirl across a stage in angel wings while dancing to Evanescence, you're in luck. Her trio paso doble with Maks and Tristan was an interesting take on the song "Bring Me to Life."The judges weren't exactly crazy about the routine, but Bruno pretty much captured the general feeling of the piece when he called it "surreal." Score: 24
Total: 51
What was your favorite performance of the night? Who do you think will get eliminated Tuesday night? Sound off in the comments.
"Dancing with the Stars" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
