I wasn’t sure what I was expecting going into last night’s Dancing With the Stars: 10th Anniversary Special. They told us that there was not going to be any elimination tonight or the current contestants performing. So what happened during the episode? I had fun. It actually was a good look on the history of the show, as well as previous stars just getting up on stage and dancing. First, all of the dances highlighted the older dancers like Chelsea Kane and Kristi Yamaguchi. That was cool, because they got their moment in the spotlight, but it still let the show run smoothly and on time. Secondly, the thing I noticed about the dancers is that they all seemed to be having fun. I could tell by the looks on their faces, and it translated to the movements. It made, for some of them anyway, for much better dances.
This was the first time I was actually looking forward to going out into the audience and seeing who was there. I enjoyed seeing the past stars of the pairs sitting in the crowd. I saw Leah Remini, Corbin Bleu, Danica McKellar, and so many more, and I enjoyed it. I liked seeing the faces from the past, so to speak, and remembering their dances. They also had new dances with some older dancers, like Kelly Monaco and Melissa Rycroft. I realized that I didn’t recognize some of the people, and I had to scurry onto the internet to find out who they were. However, all of the stars looked amazing! It’s as if they’re just dancing around their houses to get the exercise. Check out Kelly Monaco’s dance from last night, or Melissa’s Rycroft’s on Youtube. Strictly from a physical standpoint, their bodies are athletic and in top form. Finally, we also saw two champion couples, Alfonso and Witney, who won Season 19, and Meryl and Maks, winners of Season 19, take the stage and dance again. There was such great chemistry between both pairs, although I noticed a little bit more romantic chemistry between Meryl and Maks than the other two.
Last night’s Dancing With the Stars also had video packages prepared for the viewers. The first one I vividly recall was the Mishaps, Drama, and Tantrums, featuring some of the most memorable anger outbursts and accidents that have happened in the past on Dancing. When you put them all together like that, it seems like quite a dramatic show! Then they had an “Inspirational” video package, which showed all of the dancers who didn’t choose to see their disabilities as problems but as obstacles to overcome. They interviewed the stars throughout the night, and Candace Cameron Bure put it best, when she said, “I admire people so much that use their life in spite of their challenges to encourage and inspire other people.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Finally, they showed how the show had affected the lives of the contestants and almost every single star said it was one of if not the best moments of their career. It made me want to go on Dancing With the Stars just to see what that feels like.
Like I said, I had fun watching this. It didn’t hurt that they had every star come from the audience and partake in the big group number in the end, because ultimately, that’s what dancing is all about: having fun. They had a segment where each judge picked an iconic dance and what they looked for primarily in a dance. Julianne, the newest judge, always looks for “taking the dance to the next level.” I think that if you embrace the dance, even if you make mistakes, you can go all the way, get a 10, and get the Mirror Ball!
[Photo credit: Adam Taylor/ABC]
Follow Us
