I love Dancing with the Stars with an unapologetic fervor. Yes, it's super cheesy, but this show fills me with joy in a way no other reality competition show can. I love seeing the celebrities get so invested in their dances and how emotional the whole experience becomes for them. I love a good personal growth arc (see: Hannah Brown as the Bachelorette), and DWTS gives you about ten of them every season. I'm also trying to achieve my own dance hero’s journey -- Justin and I started dance lessons this week, and we. are. loving it.
I'm digging the current season of DWTS (but like, why is Sean Spicer here?), and I have some favorites I'm rooting for, namely Kel Mitchell and Hannah Beast. Because I didn't have the mental energy to recap this season but I'm still super jazzed on dance at the moment, I'm taking this opportunity to share some of my favorite dances from seasons past. I'm not saying these were the best ones of all time because I didn't start watching until season 16, and I've skipped a few seasons here and there. These are just some personal highlights. So don't get mad when I don't include that dumb cowboy dance Drew Lachey did in season two. It's not that good.
Nyle DiMarco and Peta Murgatroyd - Freestyle - "The Sound of Silence" - Season 22
I'm starting with my boy Nyle DiMarco, who is also one of my favorite ANTM contestants of all time. Nyle is deaf, and he does a lot of great work advocating for the hearing impaired community. But can you imagine how much more difficult dancing would be without being able to hear the music? Throughout the season, he talked about how he could feel the beat in the floor and what it was like to learn movements with his partner, Peta, without ever hearing the song that helped bring the routine together. In the finals, Nyle and Peta embraced Nyle's experience and used the concept of silence to tell a beautiful story in their freestyle. Nyle went on to win season 22, and you can see why.
Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff with Witney Carson - Trio Dance (Jazz) - "Yeah!" - Season 17
The trio dances were introduced in season 14 and usually take place in the quarter- or semifinal round. I love the trio dances. The choreography gets really creative, and it's fun to see two of the pros dancing together. These dances are almost always good, but for some reason, Corbin Bleu's jazz routine has always stuck with me. This dude can move, y'all. Also, I've always liked Karina as a dancer on this show. I miss her. This dance earned Corbin and Karina a perfect score, and he later finished second in season 17.
Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Argentine Tango - "Montserrat" - Season 18
So, like, did we ever determine if Meryl and Maks were banging during this season? Because it really seemed like it. Their chemistry was obvious, and they were both really coy when asked about it. I vote yes they did. Anyway, Meryl is a beautiful dancer, which is no surprise since she's a beautiful figure skater. It seemed pretty obvious all season that she would win, but she and Maks were still really fun to watch, even if we could guess the outcome. The Argentine tango is another dance I love because I love the drama, y'all. I could have picked several of Meryl and Maks's dances for this, but I just love this routine.
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough - Freestyle - "Footprints in the Sand" - Season 21
If you don't want to be Bindi Irwin's best friend, then are you even human? Bindi Irwin is the most delightful contestant to ever grace the DWTS ballroom floor, and I will fight you about it. In addition to being maybe the nicest person on the planet, Bindi is also a really good dancer. She and Derek seemed like they became BFFs during this season, and I loved watching that. She had several standout performances, but I have to point out her tribute to her father, the late Steve Irwin, in this contemporary dance. That picture of her with Steve? Yeah, I cried. So what?
Amber Riley and Derek Hough - Rumba - "If I Could Turn Back Time" - Season 17
OK, so I do not have a sailor or a men-in-uniform fantasy, but I thought this dance was so hot for some reason. I really can't pinpoint what it is, but the fact that I still remember this number and that a sexy dance could be done to this karaoke-ass song says a lot. I love the rumba. I wrote a poem about the rumba once. This could have been the routine that inspired me. Who can say? Anyway, check out Amber, the eventual winner of season 17, and a very shirtless Derek.
(Sorry for the length of the video — it’s the only one I could find, so enjoy their rehearsals too.)
Rumer Willis and Valentin Chmerkovskiy with Artem Chigvintsev - Trio Dance (Paso Doble) - "Scott & Fran's Paso Doble" - Season 20
So, Rumer Willis is a really good dancer. She is tied with Meryl Davis and Jennifer Grey for the most perfect scores in a season with six. I love how powerful this dance is. Rumer looks totally in command and kills this performance. As I said earlier, I love the drama, and the paso doble is always dramatic. This will make you want to grab two really hot people and dance-battle with them ASAP.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson - Jazz - "It's Not Unusual" - Season 19
This is the Alfonso/Witney dance most often cited in "memorable performances" pieces, and there's a reason. Yes, it's the dance where they do "the Carlton," but it's also just an all-around fantastic performance. This dance earned Alfonso and Witney their first perfect score of the season, and it was only week 4. Alfonso was a front runner from the get-go, earning 9s across the board in week 1, which is basically unheard of on this show. It was no surprise that he went on to win the season. See also: his trio challenge, a paso doble to "Turn Down for What."
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough - Freestyle - “Beneath Your Beautiful” - Season 16
Give me this emotional contemporary stunner over a giant production of a freestyle any day. What’s not to love about this? It tells a story. Their bodies create the most gorgeous shapes. The lifts though. That crazy Matrix-style body suspension. Can you see why Kellie and Derek took home the mirrorball trophy after this one?
Amber Riley and Derek Hough; Corbin Blue and Karina Smirnoff; Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke; and Brant Dougherty and Peta Murgatroyd - Team Freestyle - "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" - Season 17
I live for the Halloween episode in the fall seasons. Do you remember that super weird song "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)"? Well in 2013, it was a thing. And somehow Team FoxingAwesome did a really baller dance to it. They earned a perfect score, and this team was stacked. Team FoxingAwesome had the first, second and third place finishers on it, and it shows. Just try not to be obsessed with this after you see it. It’s not possible.
Since I started this show late in the game, tell me what I missed from earlier seasons! Which dances have stuck with you?