(Spoiler alert: Please do not read on if you haven’t watched Monday’s episode of “Dancing With the Stars”)
“Dancing With the Stars” got its groove on Monday night when it visited the mostcolorful eras in entertainment, from the roaring ’20s to the rock-fueled ’90s.
The stars had to do extra work by performing a team dance along with their individual performances, which doubled their risk of being eliminated at night’s end.
When all was said and done, “Taxi” actress Marilu Henner was the one to get the boot after the seventh week of competition.
“There were times when I felt like I was floating. I never thought that was possible in the dance world,” Henner said during her sad (and speedy) farewell.
Earlier in the night, Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez was assigned the ’60s as her era, which is ironic considering she was born in 2000. “I’ve never been to a prom,” she admitted during rehearsals. “I think it’s cool that my first prom will be with Val. Instead of sitting by my phone the whole time, I’ll actually be dancing.”
Fresh from his trip to England, Len Goodman said the couple had lost a bit of the technique. “The quick step is about speed but not hurry,” he explained.
After sinking to the bottom of the leaderboard last week, swimmer Ryan Lochte took on the ’90s with Aerosmith’s Oscar nominated song, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
Julianne Hough said the song is “an anthem and it’s dynamic but, unfortunately, you could have been more dynamic … you have the potential and you have to get that technique going.”
Before her departure, Henner went way back for a 1920s Charleston as the the show flipped to black and white. “Gay abandon, reckless attitude, cartoonish,” Bruno Tonioli said, but commented that Henner had missed the ending. “What happened at the end? Was it the bootleg gin?”
Former NFL star Calvin Johnson Jr. showed off his athletic prowess with a ’50s jive, surprising Goodman with his improvement. “It was a polished, high-octane performance,” he said. “Loved it, oh yes — you are good.”
The sprightly jive even made Hough hungry. “All I feel like is a milkshake and a burger,” she said.
“Brady Bunch” star Maureen McCormick gave “Love a Bad Name” and “embraced the ’80s” on her own terms.
The actress literally slipped up during her routine but, before then, she was a “hell-raising, rock ‘n’ rolling dominatrix,” Tonioli said, adding: “accidents happen … work on the positives.”
“Little Women LA” reality star Terra Jolé danced to “Cheek to Cheek,” which Hough said was the first time she really saw a connection and a performance on stage. “The ’30s was the era of the Great Depression, but there was nothing depressing about that dance,” Goodman quipped.
After a perfect score last week, country singer Jana Kramer went back to the ’70s, and Carrie Ann Inaba appreciated that she took a risk. “Each week we are seeing you sparkle more and more,” and despite a few problems with musicality, “I see your star growing brighter and brighter,” she said.
Goodman wasn’t blown away, however, saying “there was too much larking about” — but he still expects to see Kramer in the final.
IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe showed off his speed with a 1940s Jitterbug, revealing that “it’s the fastest dance there is.” Goodman called him a “major contender,” while Tonioli called him “unstoppable.”
See video of Hinchcliffe’s winning performance below.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.