Tuesday night’s Dancing With the Stars brought head-banging energy and a sea of mohawks for its “hair metal” theme night, celebrating the power of heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll. [Cue: sign of the horns!]
For die-hard rock fans, heavy metal isn’t just music — it’s about rebellion, freedom and living on the edge. While that might seem like a wild fit for the ballroom, Broadway choreographer Lorin Latarro, who is not affiliated with DWTS but is a fan, saw it as an opportunity for the show to break the mold.
“Heavy metal embodies that feeling of being disenfranchised,” she told Yahoo Entertainment. “Whether it’s teenage disenfranchisement or, right now, spending $300 to get groceries feels like disenfranchisement, it’s about anti-establishment in all forms.”
For Latarro, whose Broadway credits include American Idiot, The Who’s Tommy and Waitress, rock’s diverse subgenres — be they heavy metal or punk rock — bring an edgy challenge to the competition.
“It’s so visceral and physical,” she explained of the dance style. “You can take a Viennese waltz, make it staccato, throw your arms into it, add a kick, and it suddenly has a whole new energy. Shaking things up like that keeps dance alive, otherwise it becomes too codified.”
That energy was on full display on Dancing With the Stars.
Leading the pack were Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson, who delivered a standout tango to the Scorpions’ “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” earning the highest score of the night with 36.
Others weren’t as lucky. In a double elimination, Reginald VelJohnson and Emma Slater, along with Eric Roberts and Britt Stewart, were sent home.
Roberts praised his partner, saying, “I have never had a better working experience in my entire professional life,” while VelJohnson, whose recent knee replacement made some moves difficult, expressed his gratitude to Slater, calling her “very special to me.”
Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko, who had been spotted getting cozy earlier in the week, brought undeniable chemistry to the dance floor with a sizzling cha cha to Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” complete with a pole dance opener.
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson fired up the audience with their paso doble to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” while Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong’s jive to Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” earned steamy praise from the judges.
“You fogged up my sunglasses!” Simmons told Kinney.
Latarro believes rock music’s ability to channel emotions like joy, frustration and angst gives it its lasting appeal. Translating that into body movement is another story.
“You have to personalize it,” she told Yahoo. “It’s about freedom and letting go. It’s about a feeling you want to get across to viewers so they feel it too.”
At its peak, Latarro said, heavy metal shattered conventions in both sound and style. Iconic moves like headbanging, windmilling, stage diving and crowd surfing became synonymous with the rebellious spirit of rock in the 1980s.
Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik brought that energy to the dance floor, complete with eyeliner and mullets.
Though Maher’s jive to Quiet Riot’s “Cum on Feel the Noize” with partner Alan Bersten stumbled after a strong start, Nedoroscik’s foxtrot to Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” with Rylee Arnold fared better, scoring 8s across the board.
Phaedra Parks delivered intensity with her paso doble to Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” alongside Val Chmerkovskiy, though she made a few missteps. Also performing the paso doble were Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber, dancing to “The Final Countdown” by Europe, and Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach, who took on Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”
Though the night was steeped in ’80s nostalgia, Latarro believes there will always be a place for the raw, unfiltered expression that rock music provides.
“Anyone who’s been hurt or wants to express themselves uses art for that purpose,” she said. “I think that’s what music does so well.”
Dancing With the Stars returns for its “Dedications” episode Tuesday, Oct. 15, on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
How did the stars perform?
Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Gene Simmons (guest), Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli
Eric Roberts and pro Britt Stewart: ELIMINATED
-
Dance: Paso doble
-
Song: “Cherry Pie” by Warrant
-
Score: Carrie Ann 6, Gene 6, Derek 5, Bruno 5
-
Total: 22/40 (total for both nights: 46)
Reginald VelJohnson and pro Emma Slater: ELIMINATED
-
Dance: Cha cha
-
Song: “I Wanna Rock” by Twisted Sister
-
Score: Carrie Ann 6, Gene 5, Derek 5, Bruno 5
-
Total: 21/40 (total for both nights: 42)
Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson: SAFE
-
Dance: Tango
-
Song: “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions
-
Score: Carrie Ann 9, Gene 9, Derek 9, Bruno 9
-
Total: 36/40 (total for both nights: 70)
Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong: SAFE
-
Dance: Jive
-
Song: “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
-
Score: Carrie Ann 8, Gene 9, Derek 8, Bruno 8
-
Total: 33/40 (total for both nights: 69)
Jenn Tran and pro Sasha Farber: SAFE
-
Dance: Paso doble
-
Song: “The Final Countdown” by Europe
-
Score: Carrie Ann 8, Gene 7, Derek 8, Bruno 8
-
Total: 31/40 (total for both nights: 62)
Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten: SAFE
-
Dance: Jive
-
Song: “Cum On Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot
-
Score: Carrie Ann 7, Gene 7, Derek 6, Bruno 6
-
Total: 26/40 (total for both nights: 56)
Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson: SAFE
-
Dance: Paso doble
-
Song: “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi
-
Score: Carrie Ann 7, Gene 9, Derek 7, Bruno 7
-
Total: 30/40 (total for both nights: 60)
Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold
-
Dance: Foxtrot
-
Song: Song: “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake
-
Score: Carrie Ann 8, Gene 8, Derek 8, Bruno 8
-
Total: 32/40 (total for both nights: 62)
Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy: SAFE
-
Dance: Paso doble
-
Song: “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi
-
Score: Carrie Ann 7, Gene 5, Derek 7, Bruno 7
-
Total: 26/40 (total for both nights: 56)
Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko: SAFE
-
Dance: Cha cha
-
Song: “Nothin’ But a Good Time” by Poison
-
Score: Carrie Ann 8, Gene 9, Derek 8, Bruno 8
-
Total: 33/40 (total for both nights: 61)
Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach: SAFE
-
Dance: Paso doble
-
Song: “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith
-
Score: Carrie Ann 8, Gene 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7
-
Total: 29/40 (total for both nights: 52)
