After my explosion of depression yesterday, I am back with a review of the Dancing with the Stars 10th Anniversary special. Some quick pros include the return of almost every past pro and star, Tom and Erin sort of dancing, and the production value at an all-time high. The ONLY con was that it was only 1 hour. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! You can’t stuff 10 years’ worth of fringe into 60 minutes! Sacrilege! Anyway, let’s discuss this beautiful special in all its glory.
Tom and Erin descended from the ceiling in a giant 10 (which I am getting installed in my home as well speak) as every pro ever and a large group of past stars killed it on the dance floor. Lots of gold, lots of sliding, lots of hips, and LOTS of Corky Ballas. However, a lack of Tom Delay and Buzz Aldrin, so it cancels each other out. The final shot of the opening was of Johnathan Bennett in the audience with his crazy eyes, so I approve!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ1AxezaXOU
The biggest issue I had with the special (other than the one hour thing) was pretty small in comparison to other grudges I hold with the show (Willow). Since it was filmed last week, they could edit it, and editing on the show is weird. Lots of close-ups on the celebs in the audience, which made me uncomfortable. They were very close and distracted from the thing I came to see…DANCING.
After a Tom-Amongst-Hologram segment (I never want to see Steve Wozniak doing the worm in person, virtually, or in any other capacity ever again. Post Traumatic Steve Disorder, for real.), they went into the first montage of the night, showing off all 19 winners. It really gave me chills. I love this show to a degree that some would call clinically insane.
The OG of #DWTS, Miss Kelly Monaco, danced with her all-stars partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, the infamous Surfer Flamenco. Bikinis and Speedos and Water, OH MY! I would like to point out, that as an avid watcher of this program, Val’s swimwear got smaller between performances of this dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmjxe2yRrEk
A medley of popular dancers from various seasons (Kristi Yamaguchi, Amy Purdy, Maria Menounos, Amber Riley and Katharine Jenkins) danced a fun number that went from gold to red in the blink of an eye! That’s the power of non-live television, I guess! Amy Purdy had to dance with Sasha Farber, since Derek has had the injury, but I am A-OK with that. Team Sasha! I want more Sasha! They danced to Uptown Funk, the unofficial song of 2015, with Kristi bringing the most funk. GET IT, GIRL! Katharine was dancing 4 months pregnant, too. GO MISS JENKINS!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1tso0sLmNw
A mishap montage followed suit, reminding us of the train wreck that was Kirstie Alley, as it seemed like everything bad that could’ve happened to her while dancing, DID. They showed the Kate Gosselin melt down and the Marie Osmond fall down. Mishaps, a plenty! However, they didn’t show Lolo Jones’ painful dance, so that’s a plus. They finished off the montage with some of Maks and Len’s fighting, and then them riding a tandem bike in the studio. What a beautiful computer wallpaper opportunity.
Billy Ray Cyrus sang. It was weird. Moving on.
They next had an inspiring individual montage, which was fun to see. Noah, Marlee Matlin, Heather Mills, Amy Purdy and J.R. Martinez were all featured. However, did the main person discussing the dances in the montage have to be Lisa Rinna? That makes no sense! (RIP Soap Talk.)
The Season 18 and 19 champions then did encore performances to show us why they are the best winners the show has ever had (yeah, I said it). Alfonso and Witney danced first, and they were just exceptional. Really fun, lots of neon, and a big ball of energy. They then showed the best rehearsal clip ever, with Witney kneeing Alfonso in the groin, and her saying “What do ya need? A snack?” Perfection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK9n4jh5QeQ
Then, the time came. I got my tissues ready, tried to get cozy in my bed to stop the goosebumps, and a smile grew on my face. Meryl and Maks were back in the ballroom. MERYL AND MAKS. The best duo the show has ever seen and the two highlights of my life. I want a poster of them for my room, no joke. They seemed to have danced a tango, but I don’t really care, because they were absolute perfection. Let her just become a troupe member, please! Maks’ audition video was shown, white beanie and all. It was super embarrassing and super amazing. MERYL AND MAKS. Now, click here if you want to see their DWTS10 perfomance, but I HAVE to show you their freestyle from Season 18, because it is incomparable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmexaOaVQcU
A montage of professionals discussed the production value of the show and how it has changed over the years. The best part of the montage was the large presence of Anna Trebunskaya. She needs to come back as a permanent professional because her artistry is impeccable. I LOVE ANNA! Also, her name is so fun to say!
Melissa Rycroft had a small solo with her winning partner, Tony Dovolani. She will be hosting the DWTS10 Live tour this summer, so be sure to check out if she’s in a city near you.
The judges picked out their all-time favorite dances, and I would have to agree with them all. Bruno went with Mel B and Maks’ Paso Doble from Season 5. Donald and Peta’s Season 14 Argentine Tango was Julianne’s pick. Len went with Julianne and Helio’s Quickstep from Season 5. Carrie Ann picked one of my all-time favorite dances, Amy and Derek’s incredible Contemporary routine from Season 18.
The 7 football players from the show danced. I didn’t really care about it other than ANNA TREBUNSKAYA!
Miss Patti blew the roof off the ballroom, with help from Amber Riley and Lil’ Kim, as they sang Lady Marmalade. If she doesn’t sing at the finale, I may never watch again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhmFNUTGWWU
The show ended with everyone who’s ever been a part of the show doing a fun routine in the midst of confetti, Tom and Erin included. I was a MESS. Happy 10th Anniversary, Dancing with the Stars! Here’s to 10 more!