Although Dancing With the Stars wasn’t on last week due to the vice presidential debate, stars and their pro partners followed their schedule as usual, pre-tapping the episode that aired Monday evening. “Soul Train Night” was the first half of this week’s double dose of DWTS, and it felt like a trip down memory lane to a period where boogie (a word that came up several times in between performances) was all the rave. Fittingly, Soul Train alum Rosie Perez came in as a guest judge, providing first-hand feedback on whether a celebrity captured the feel and groove featured in the old-school TV show. With contestants like Ilona Maher and Dwight Howard wearing wigs and dressing up in ’80s fashion, the themed episode was vibrant and only somewhat hindered by inconsistent judge scores.

The Stars Put On Wigs and Pump Up the Energy in a Night Honoring ‘Soul Train’
Image via Disney

The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Phaedra Parks and her pro partner Val Chmerkovsky were the first to show their funky soul on the dancefloor. They performed a satisfactory Quickstep to Aretha Franklin’s “Think.” Although there were some clear missteps, the pairing got the stamp of approval from both judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Perez, with the latter pointing out that Parks didn’t just know how to dance, but she also knew how to “boogie.” The only other contestant who also got that exact compliment from the guest judge was The Bachelor Season 28’s Joey Graziadei, but more on his epic dance number later. Similarly to Parks, Maher and Danny Amendola scored a 30 out of 40 with their takes on the foxtrot. Whereas the rugby player was commended for her continued improvement, the two-time Super Bowl champion had judges gushing over his continued effort to smile more throughout his performance. After being in third for two weeks in a row, Stephen Nedoroscik had the same outcome as Maher, Parks, and Amendola, ranking lower on the leaderboard due to his struggle with musicality and stiffness.

Speaking of the judges, it is fair to say that the scoring felt inconsistent throughout the show. Although Week 2 had Derek Hough, who was a little harsher on the stars and their pro partners when it came to marks, his scores weren’t the problem. Inaba’s scores had been somewhat inflated in the two previous episodes of DWTS, but last night, it felt clear that her feedback was constantly out of sync with the rest of the judges (except for Perez). She gave out 8s like candy despite certain routines being more simplistic than others. The hardest score to comprehend was both Brooks Nader and Eric Roberts getting a ‘7’, even though they weren’t nearly on the same level of dance skill and execution.

Judges’ scoring aside, last night explored sexy choreography in two ways, one more effective than the other. Brooks and her pro partner Gleb Savchenko might’ve caused an online uproar with their showmance in previous weeks, but their rumba was far from the most sensual and chemistry-filled performance featured on Soul Train Night. Former Bachelorette Jenn Tran stripped off her bubbly smile to capture the intensity of the Viennese waltz alongside her pro partner Sasha Farber. The result was attention-grabbing. There was no need for the extra drama of a showmance; meticulous choreography and hard work made it look and feel magnetic. With gorgeous thrills and continued focus on keeping the frame intact, Tran showed she is a contestant to watch, landing in the Top 3 by the end of the episode.

Joey Graziadei and Chandler Kinney Earn First 9’s of the Season With Funky Choreography

The first two spots were occupied by stars Chandler Kinney and Graziadei, who’ve already managed to get the first 9s of the season. The former bachelor continues to surprise us with every routine, but last night’s jive to “Shout” by The Isley Brothers deserves particular praise. He and his pro partner Jenna Johnson had one of the most energetic performances of the evening, and not only in terms of overall stage presence. The dance style was all over the choreography, and it left room to be playful (even a backflip thrown into the mix!) If he continues at this rate, Graziadei will be a strong contender for the mirrorball trophy. The only person in his way is Kinney, whose talent has been noticeable since Week 1. The Pretty Little Liars: Summer School alum and her pro partner Brandon Armstrong embodied the word “cool” with that cha-cha, which also had elements of hip-hop. Judge Bruno Tonioli is right, we might have another Zendaya on our hands!

Overall, “Soul Train Night” was upbeat and showed some celebrities slowly making their way up to the top. Although “Hair Metal Night” will air tonight and give a closer look at who will continue in the competition with another double elimination, Monday’s episode already showed mirrorball potential coming from Graziadei and Kinney. With a few inconsistent scores, the judges’ feedback was a little harder to crack, but that could still change in the near future.

ReviewSoul Train Night was a boogie-filled tribute with Joey Graziadei and Chandler Kinney pumping up their chances to get to the finals.ProsIlona Maher and Danny Amendola continue to improve a few weeks into the competition.Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber showed that chemistry doesn’t have to come from showmance.Graziadei and Kinney combined technicality and energy in their upbeat routines. ConsJudges’ scores felt inconsistent throughout the night, particularly Carrie Ann Inaba’s feedback.

U.S. reality show based on the British series “Strictly Come Dancing,” where celebrities partner up with professional dancers and compete against each other in weekly elimination rounds to determine a winner.Release Date June 1, 2005 Cast Carrie Ann Inaba , Bruno Tonioli , Len Goodman , Tom Bergeron , Cheryl Burke , Tony Dovolani , Derek Hough , Mark Ballas , Karina Smirnoff , Maksim Chmerkovskiy , Kym Johnson , Sasha Farber , Val Chmerkovskiy , Emma Slater , Sharna Burgess Main Genre Reality Seasons Studio Expand

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