Recap: Dancing With the Stars “Icon Night” Season 21, Episode 8

This week, it’s Dancing With the Stars “Icon Night” and immunity is at stake. At the end of tonight’s performances, the couple with the highest scores will receive immunity from elimination next week. The other six couples will immediately pair up and compete in a head-to-head dance off, their second dances of the night.

Welcome back Erin Andrews! You did a great job covering baseball and thanks to Leah Remini for filling in as the designated hitter in Andrew’s absence.

Carlos PenaVega & Witney Carson 1-855-234-5605
Dancing a Salsa to “Valio La Pena” by Marc Anthony
Carlos is inspired by Marc Anthony because the singer reintroduced Carlos to his Latin roots. And sweet Marc invited Carlos and Witney to his concert to chat about finding Carlos’ Latin roots. And yowza, yowza! Carlos delivered! The dance was hot, the shirt came off and the lifts were jaw-dropping. (And as an added treat, we saw Val and Carlos salsa together shirtless!)
Julianne: Those tricks were out of this world.
Bruno: Magic Carlos is back with extra pec-power! He was flipping Witney into positions not found in the Kama Sutra!
Carrie Ann: It was really enjoyable to watch.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Julianne: 9, Bruno: 9, total: 27 out of 30.

Alek Skarlatos & Lindsay Arnold 1-855-234-5601
Dancing Contemporary to “‘Holding Out For A Hero” by Ella Mae Bowen
Alek is dancing in honor of Chris Kyle, the service member who wrote the book, American Sniper. Alek appreciates that after Kyle retired from the military, he was active in veteran’s charities and worked with vets with PTSD. The dance really highlighted Alek’s strength and his gentle nature.
Bruno: It’s almost impossible to judge you, but the dance — you looked like a tower of strength, but were highly moving.
Carrie Ann: Every week we give you a new challenge and you rise to the occasion.
Julianne: I would have liked to see more side-by-side combinations.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Julianne: 8, Bruno: 8, total: 25 out of 30.

Andy Grammer & Allison Holker 1-855-234-5603
Dancing a Viennese Waltz to “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder
Talk about a flip, last week Andy was dark and creepy with Marilyn Manson, and this week he’s full love with Stevie Wonder! He’s dancing in memory of his dance-loving mother. “I was trying to be her prince charming…always.”
Carrie Ann: I could feel her spirit watching over you as you danced.
Julianne: Stevie Wonder brings a sense of joy and love and laughter to people, and you do that too.
Bruno: The heart was in the right place … [but] technically, it was slightly challenged.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 8, Julianne: 7, Bruno: 7, total: 22 out of 30.

Alexa PenaVega & Mark Ballas 1-855-234-5602
Dancing an Argentine Tango to “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay
It’s a dance inspired by the Biblical tale of David versus Goliath. Alexa relates to David and his struggle against things larger than him. It was a very Mark-like performance: beautiful and theatrical and powerful.
Julianne: You fought your giant (a slip) and you kept toing, but Aargh!
Bruno: It was like a Cecil B. DeMille biblical epic!
Carrie Ann: I saw the teeniest, tiniest mistakes, but that was epic!
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Julianne: 8, Bruno: 8, total: 25 out of 30.

Nick Carter & Sharna Burgess 1-855-234-5610
Dancing Contemporary to “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Haley Reinhart
I can’t help feeling that Nick and Sharna would have received better scores for last week’s argentine tango if the song hadn’t been so badly butchered by Ray Chew live. This week, Nick is dancing to one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs on the radio airwaves. Nick is dancing in honor of his wife, Lauren. “She is the woman I dreamed of, she is my savior,” he says. He also described the couple’s struggle to get pregnant and announced that he and his wife are 16 week pregnant. Congrats! Of course, I’m a crying mess by the end of the beautiful dance, and after the judge’s comments, the couple finds out that they’re having a boy!
Bruno: that was a love poem, perfectly visualized by dance.
Carrie Ann: You took my breath away.
Julianne: You showed tonight that you’re a dancer.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 10, Julianne: 10, Bruno: 10, total: 30 out of 30.

Bindi Irwin & Derek Hough 1-855-234-5604
Dancing a FoxTrot to “Grace Kelly” by MIKA
Last week vampy Vampire Bindi was pure perfection, and this week’s music is as off-beat and bubbly as she is. But now that Bindi’s been dubbed “The one to beat” the pressure is on, and she’s suffering in silence through swollen knees and blistered toes. But when she dances, it’s like life is total perfection. I’m not sure who she’s inspired by, but who cares, she inspires us all!
Carrie Ann: That was an incredible routine!
Julianne: When I watch you, I’m trying to find something wrong.
Bruno: It’s like a Bugsy Berkeley Hollywood routine.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 10, Julianne: 9, Bruno: 9, total: 28 out of 30.

Tamar Braxton & Val Chmerkovskiy 1-855-234-5612
Dancing a Paso Doble to “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga
I hope that some of the faster parts of this week’s song will allow Tamar to show off her power. Tamar’s sister sister Toni Braxton inspires her. This week, Tamar’s and while she’s having a tough week connecting, Val reassures her that she’s the best.
Julianne: That choreography is the perfect way to showcase the kind of dancer you are.
Bruno: No distraction, strictly Paso Doble down to the core.
Carrie Ann: Good self-talk leads to good Paso Doble.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: 9, Julianne: 9, Bruno: 10, total: 28 out of 30.

After their first dances, Nick and Sharna have a score of 30 out of 30 and are awarded immunity from elimination as well as three extra points. The remaining six teams are paired off and will return after a quick wardrobe change for a dance-off. At stake for the victor of each face-off is two–precious points. And although the picking is supposed to be spontaneous, it seems pretty staged. If I was a top couple, I’d want to face off against one of the worst couples, instead of my closest competition.

As the night’s second-highest score-getters, Bindi and Derek choose to dance against Carlos and Witney who choose for them to dance the jive. It was fun to watch both couples to dance at the same time; this is a fun format!
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: Carlos, Julianne: Carlos, Bruno: Carlos, America: Bindi. Winner: Carlos, who adds two points to his score raising his score to 29 out of 30.

Up next are Tamar & Val and Alexa & Mark dancing a Cha Cha. Thank goodness that Val’s shirt has no buttons, so we got to gaze upon his magnificent chest. Not to be undone, Alexa’s skirt removes itself.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: Alexa, Julianne: Tamar, Bruno: Tamar, America: Alexa. Winner: Alexa, who adds two points to her score raising it to 27 out of 30.

Finally, Alek & Lindsay face off against Allison & Andy in a head-to-head Samba, a dance neither couple has danced in competition. It was not pretty Samba-ing, but they’re both the lowest rungs on the ladder o’ talent. But it was so bad that it was good.
Judges Scores: Carrie Ann: Andy, Julianne: Andy, Bruno: Andy, America: Andy. Winner: Andy, who adds two points to his score raising it to 24 out of 30.

After the dancing, it’s time for one of our couples to go home. Bindi & Derek are the first couple called safe. Then Tamar & Val follow suit. Also safe are Alek & Lindsay and Alexa & Mark. That means Carlos & Witney and Andy & Allison are in jeopardy. It’s no surprise that Andy’s “Samba worm” was his swan song as he and Allison are eliminated. Well he left us with a performance that was a lovely tribute to his mother, and another dance that we also won’t soon forget.

Slither on, Samba worm.

How to Vote
This week (week eight), viewers may cast their votes for their favorite couples via phone on Monday during and up to 60 minutes after the end of the Dancing with the Stars broadcast in each time zone. Online voting at www.ABC.com and on Facebook at https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ is open for 24 hours, beginning from the start of each episode on the East Coast at 8:00pm, ET/5:00pm, PT and closing at 8:00pm, ET/5:00pm, PT on Tuesday evenings.

Find Season 21 voting phone numbers here!

Dancing With The Stars > ABC > Mondays at 8pm ET/PT