“Dancing with the Stars” Recap: Sabrina Leads the Way, Bristol’s on the Bottom

ABC(LOS ANGELES) — If her performance on Dancing with the Stars Monday night is any indication, Sabrina Bryan may not have to worry about an early elimination from the competition again.

The former Disney star, who surprisingly was voted off during Week Six of the show’s fifth season, topped the leader board with a late ’50s/early ’60s-style quickstep.

Bristol Palin, who improbably reached the season-11 finals, is in danger of getting the boot on Tuesday night’s results show after receiving the lowest total score.

Here’s a rundown of what happened:

— Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani opened the broadcast with a high-energy jive set to The Isley Brothers’ classic song “Shout.”

Len Goodman declared that Rycroft had set the bar high for the rest of the competitors. Bruno Tonioli remarked that it was one of the fastest jives he’s ever seen — he meant that as a compliment — though he claimed Rycroft’s footwork was slightly off. Goodman vehemently disagreed. Total score: 23.5 out of a possible 30.

— Bristol Palin adopted a cowgirl motif for her quickstep with Mark Ballas, choosing Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman” because she said it fits her well. She donned cowboy boots and danced in front of a makeshift desert set that featured neon cacti and a blazing sun.

For the second week in a row, Palin’s mom, Sarah Palin, was in attendance to root her on.

Tonioli said there were too many mistakes in Palin’s technique. Carrie Ann Inaba focused on the positive at first, telling her she’s come a long way since she first competed on Dancing with the Stars. However, Inaba also claimed Palin blatantly broke the show’s rule regarding holds.  Total score: 18/30.

— Helio Castroneves sported a flashy pink jacket — matching partner Chelsie Hightower’s dress — for their jive to Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks.”

Goodman said Castroneves brought “style with a smile.” Tonioli agreed, calling the performance a “delicious treat of a jive.” Total score: 23/30.

— Apolo Anton Ohno joined Karina Smirnoff for a big band-flavored quickstep, as the band played Louis Prima’s “Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days.”

Tonioli praised Ohno for his incredible footwork. Inaba said he was “truly driving the dance,” which is key to winning the Mirror Ball trophy. Total score: 24.5/30.

— Sabrina Bryan and Louis Van Amstel dashed from backstage to the dance floor — it was all part of their act — for a quickstep to the 1970s Ram Jam hit “Black Betty.”

Tonioli compared Bryan to Ginger Rogers at her best. That may have been a dated reference for the 28-year-old Bryan. Inaba let out a scream and said the dance was ridiculously good. Total score: 26/30.

— Kirstie Alley channeled her inner Frenchwoman — donning a short black wig — for a jive with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. She teased a kiss with Goodman at the end, but unlike last week, when she smooched host Tom Bergeron, Alley backed off.

Goodman labeled her “flirty Kirstie,” then said her moves were neat and precise. Tonioli commented that she “played” the jive beautifully. Total score: 21/30.

— Last week’s high scorer, Emmitt Smith, partnered with Cheryl Burke for a quickstep that was a notch below his week-one effort.

Tonioli said he felt the chemistry between Smith and Burke, but added the former NFL star’s timing was a bit off. Inaba believed that the other male athletes on the show, Castroneves and Ohno, outperformed Smith. Total score: 22.5/30.

— After falling into the bottom two during the first results show of the season, Drew Lachey and Anna Trebunskaya bounced back with a rock ‘n’ roll jive to Fall Out Boy’s “Dance, Dance.”

Inaba said she was pleasantly surprised to see an edgy side from Lachey. However, the panel advised him to improve his footwork. Total score: 22.5/30.

— Joey Fatone, doing his best Charlie Chaplin impression, teamed up with Kym Johnson for a silent film-inspired quickstep. It was accompanied by a jazzy version of the Radiohead hit “Creep.”

Inaba said the routine was entertaining, but had its fair share of mistakes. Goodman built on that critique by giving Fatone a backhanded compliment: “If you can’t dance much, come out and entertain us, and you did.” Total score: 22.5/30.

— Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough turned back the clock with a jive to the sounds of “The Nicest Kids in Town,” from Hairspray.

Tonioli launched out of his chair — he does that often — and exclaimed it was exhilarating. He then turned to Goodman, who claimed the dance was “just enough,” and said, “I don’t know what you want more, but you won’t get it.” Total score: 25/30.

— Kelly Monaco and Valentin Chmerkovskiy did an elegant quickstep, with Selena Gomez’s “Who Says” providing the soundtrack.

Tonioli and Inaba both pointed out there were some flaws in the dance, with Tonioli warning Monaco that she missed a few steps. Total score: 22/30.

— Gilles Marini closed the show with a jive alongside Peta Murgatroyd.

Inaba likened Marini to John Travolta, saying that his kicks were the best of the night. Goodman complimented him on his fast movements, and Tonioli screamed, “Let the good times roll! Great!” Total score: 25.5/30.

A second celebrity will be eliminated on Tuesday night’s results show, airing on ABC at 9 p.m. Eastern time, following a “defining dances” special. Past contestant Katherine Jenkins will perform with fellow opera singer Placido Domingo. Cher Lloyd has also been announced as a musical guest.

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