It's only Week 2 of the All-Stars season of "Dancing with the Stars", and already, the dancers are feeling the pressure. The judges' standards are higher and the majority of the stars are actually competent on the stage, which is an interesting twist for the series. But the judges aren't the only ones stepping things up. This week the dancers lay it all out on the dance floor and the competition really started to heat up.
So who brought the heat? And who left the judges lukewarm? Find out below.
THE DANCE OF THE NIGHT:
Sabrina Bryan and Louis Van Amstel: After hurting her arm on a particularly tricky move in rehearsal, all eyes were on Sabrina to see if she'd be able to pull off their difficult quickstep injury-free. Not only did they manage to get through the routine without a scratch, but they also earned the first nine and highest score of the season, with Bruno referring to Sabrina as "a true dazzler!" Score: 26
THE STANDOUTS:
Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd: After their classic foxtrot last week, Gilles and Peta had a lot to live up to ... and the pair delivered! Gilles performed the aptly-
named quickstep with the ease and charisma of John Travolta and, together, they were a truly dynamic duo, once again landing them the second-highest score of the night. Score: 25.5
Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough: Shawn and Derek were completely in their element with the spunky jive that they tackled this week. Though Len didn't love it, Carrie Ann and Bruno both raved about the routine, and Carrie Ann even named them the "All-Star Sweethearts" of the season. Score: 25
Apolo Ohno and Karina Smirnoff: After earning an average score the previous week, Olympic champion Apolo was determined to step up his game and place in the top three routines of the night (or, as he would say, earn a spot on the podium). Though he may have only placed in fourth, the athlete clearly gave it his all and it showed. Even Carrie Ann noted that he had "put his competition pants on." Score: 24.5
Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani: Nerves were running high for Melissa after an injury during rehearsal stopped her from performing the jive the first time she appeared on "DWTS". This season, Melissa and Tony kicked the night off right and the judges had nothing but praise for them, with Len telling Melissa that she had "set the bar high." Score: 23.5
Helio Castroneves and Chelsie Hightower: Last week, Helio was all charisma, but lacked on his technique. This week, however, he shifted into high gear and delivered a technical AND charming jive with Chelsie. As Carrie Ann said, his "body caught up
to the charm." Score: 23
THE GOOD:
Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke: Emmitt and Cheryl's fiery cha cha earned them the top score last week, so the pressure was on for the pair to pull off another crowd-pleasing number. Though their quickstep was good and their chemistry was "red hot", the technique wasn't great and the judges felt they didn't step up their game like the other couples. Emmitt did, however, where a bright red, leopard print-lined suit, so that was a definite plus. Score: 22
Drew Lachey and Anna Trebunskaya: After landing in the bottom two last week, Drew was anxious to prove why he belonged on stage with the other all-stars. His jive with Anna might not have been perfect, but it was unique and intense (and was also set to "Dance Dance" by Fall Out Boy ... throwback) and Len declared that they should not be in the bottom two this week. Score: 22
Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson: Joey, clearly feeling the pressure of all-star season, was determined to deliver a routine that lived up to the judges' tough standards this season. He brought everything he had to the dance floor with his '20s-inspired quickstep and the judges felt that he captured the "magic" of movies in that decade. Score: 22
Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkosvksiy: Though tensions were high for a lot of the couples, Kelly and Val kept things fun in rehearsal, which involved an interesting sequence where Val strapped on a bra and water balloons ... hmm. Overall, the couple's quickstep was well done, however Carrie Ann felt that Kelly needed to extend her lines more and work on the frame. Score: 22
THE MEDIOCRE:
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Kirstie continued to keep things lively this week with awkward "50 Shades of Grey" references and claims of old age (OK, so
she is three times older than Shawn Johnson, but she's not exactly Cloris Leachman). Despite her "maturity", Kirstie performed a fairly good jive with Maks, with Carrie Ann telling her she was "working it" and Len giving her the somewhat backhanded compliment that there was a lot of "recognizable jive" in the dance. Score: 21
THE UNCOMFORTABLE:
Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas: Bristol, a self-proclaimed redneck, decided to
loosen up in preparation for this week's quickstep with a trip to the shooting range and while she may be a little bit too good at shooting a gun, the same cannot be said for her performance, which earned the lowest score of the night by a sizeable margin. The hoedown-inspired quickstep was strange to say the least and, though she's come along way, she still seems out of place on the stage. Score: 18
What was your favorite performance of the night? Who do you think will get eliminated on Tuesday night? Sound off in the comments.
"Dancing with the Stars" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm E.T. on ABC.