The competition on “Dancing With the Stars” is heating up as the contestants took on music video night in the ballroom. The goal was to find inspiration from pop culture hits to impress guest judge Paula Abdul, and the performances certainly did not disappoint.
Reality TV star Harry Jowsey attempted to channel a young Justin Timberlake while dancing “jazz” to N’Sync’s “It’s Gonna Be Me.” The performance was met with mixed reviews from the judges, scoring 24 out of 40.
Actor Barry Williams danced the quickstep to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” receiving praise for his mid-ballroom performance, scoring 28 out of 40.
Actress Alyson Hannigan wowed the judges with her quickstep to Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman,” receiving a score of 33 out of 40.
Charity Lawson’s jazz number to Janet Jackson’s “All For You” received a score of 32 out of 40, with judges noting her ambitious choice of song.
Social media star Lele Pons opened the show with a sultry salsa to Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever,” scoring 33 out of 40.
Actress Xochitl Gomez danced jazz to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” receiving a score of 34 out of 40.
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz performed a jazz dance to “Take On Me,” scoring 35 out of 40, despite criticism from judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
Ariana Madix brought high energy to the ballroom with her cha cha to Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 You,” scoring 37 out of 40 and winning immunity for being on the top of the leaderboard.
In the team dance round, the “Young and Style” team of Jowsey, Pons, Gomez, and Lawson wowed the judges with their quickstep to Gangnam Style, scoring a perfect 40.
The Team 4 Everybody of Hannigan, Mraz, Madix, and Williams performed the tango to the Backstreet Boys, receiving a score of 37 out of 50.
Ultimately, Lele Pons was eliminated from the competition, while Barry Williams survived for another week. The competition continues to heat up as the remaining contestants vie for the coveted mirror ball trophy.