Did you know who Helio Castroneves was before he won “Dancing with the Stars” during season 5? Who thought an Indy 500 driver would be able to captivate an audience and have a fan base?
Teamed with Julianne Hough, he charmed. Julianne Hough won’t be returning, although we expect her to show up during training, so his new partner Chelsie Hightower is the right height, but does she have the right chemistry? Does she have the experience to win? Her highest placement was with Ty Murray during season 8 when they made the semi-finals and finished fourth. During season 12, she was paired with Romeo for a fifth place finish. Roshon Fegan and Hightower finished sixth last season.
Hightower has had some judgement errors like the infamous dog house choreography with Michael Bolton.
Castroneves and Hough started season 5 with a 25 (8, 9, 8) for the foxtrot to “Bewitched” by Steve Lawrence. Castroneves was suave and had the high score for the men in a two-night (women first, then men) first-dance premiere. The only team that did better was Cheetah girl Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas with a 26 for their cha cha cha (9, 8, 9).
Week 2, Castroneves showed his Latin roots by earning a 27 (9, 9, 9) for a mambo to Santana’s “Para los Rumberos.” That was the high score of the night. Bryan and Ballas were one point behind after received a 26 (9, 8, 9) for their quickstep to “They’re Red Hot” by Robert Johnson.
Week 3 was a different story. The quick moving jive wasn’t Castroneves’ dance and they earned a 24 (8, 8, 8) dancing to “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde. The high score that night was 27 in what was a three-way tie for first between Bryan and Ballas, Mel B. and Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani.
Week 4, Bryan and Ballas reigned supreme with a perfect score of 30/30 for their paso doble (to “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)) but Castroneves and Hough were tied for second with Jennie Garth and Derek Hough (paso doble) and Cameron Mathison and Edyta Sliwinska. Garth and Hough split the judges (8, 10, 9) with the paso doble to “Because We Can” by Fatboy Slim. Mathison and Sliwinska received all nines for their paso doble to the theme from the movie “Superman” by John Williams. Castroneves and Hough also received all nines for their Viennese waltz to “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls.
By week 6, Castroneves was able to gain the respect of head judge Len Goodman with his cha cha cha. Goodman gave him a 10 while the other judges oddly game him and Hough nines for their routine to “Get Up Offa That Thing” by James Brown. Castroneves wasn’t the high score during that week (Mel B. and Chmerkovskiy received a perfect 30) or week 7 when he and Hough were tied for third with Osmond and Roberts. Mel B. and Chmerkovskiy again had the lead with Garth and Derek Hough in third.
Week 8 and 9 were a different story. Mel B. and Chmerkovskiy was behind by one point after their tango to “Personal Jesus” by Depech Mode and mambo to “Mambo Jambo” by Perez Prado, receiing a 27 (9, 9, 9) and a 29 (9, 10, 10) respectively. Castroneves performed a paso doble to “Amparito Roca” by Unidad de Musica de la Guardia Real for a 27 (9, 9, 9) and their quickstep received a perfect 30.
Castroneves had definite chemistry with Hough, but we’ll have to see if Chelsie Hightower can push Castroneves to be competitive and take advantage of his natural charm. He’s a solid dancers with stamina and he knows how to strategize and pace himself.
Cher and Christina Aguilera in a short scene.
Paso doble: Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough.