‘Dancing With The Stars’ Recap: Bindi Irwin Stays On Top; Chaka Khan Eliminated

Dancing with the Stars returned Monday with a “Hometown Glory” themed night in which the celebrity dancers drew inspiration from where they grew up.

Dancing With The Stars Recap

Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess: Backstreet Boy Nick Carter’s second turn on the dance floor saw him taking on a jive with pro partner Sharna Burgess. Drawing inspiration from a teacher from his hometown of Tampa, Florida, Nick gave another capable performance. Despite his dedication, the judges found that the boy-bander had some sloppy footwork and needs to get out of his head a bit more during his performances. Scores: 7+7+7=21

Paula Deen and Louis van Amstel: Paula Deena and Louis Van Amstel danced a Rumba set to the tune of “Midnight Train to Georgia” Monday night. The celebrity chef, who hails from Savannah, Georgia, gave the Latin dance her all. Though the judges agree Paula needs to keep working on her technique, they were duly impressed with her sensual performance. Scores: 7+6+6=19

Hayes Grier and Emma Slater: North Carolina born and raised Hayes Grier danced a motocross-themed foxtrot with Emma Slater on Hometown Glory Night. Once again the 15-year-old impressed the judges with his potential. If he works on the fluidity of his moves, they believe he really could be a contender in the competition. Scores: 8+7+7=22

Chaka Khan and Keo Motsepe: Chaka Khan and Keo Motsepe took to the dance floor to Frank Sinatra’s “Chicago” for their foxtrot. There was definitely a slight improvement where Chaka Khan’s dancing was concerned, but she still struggled to remember the steps in Keo’s choreography. Scores: 5+5+5=15

Andy Grammer and Allison Holker: This week, singer-songwriter Andy Grammer danced a jive to Billy Joel’s “Only the Good Die Young” – a shoutout to his New York roots. It was another high-energy dance choreographed by Allison, and Andy struggled to keep up and lost the beat a few times during their dance. Even with the hiccups, it made for an entertaining routine. Scores: 7+7+7=21

Kim Zolciak and Tony Dovolani: Kim Zolciak, coming off last week in which she had the worst scores of the bunch, took on a quickstep with pro Tony Dovolani. Kim showed a significant improvement with the difficult ballroom dance, and left the judges impressed with her ability to wage a comeback in the competition. Scores: 7+6+6=19

Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold: For their second time hitting the dance floor together, Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold performed a jazz routine. With a front porch set, the routine showed off Alek’s strength as he picked Lindsay up in a number of choreographed lifts. Though the routine was a bit short on dancing, the judges praised the performance. Scores: 8+7+8=23

Alexa PenaVega and Marks Ballas: Working in Alexa PenaVega’s Columbian roots and Florida upbringing, Ballas choreographed a sexy Salsa set to C+C Music Factory’s “Robi Rob’s Boriqua Anthem.” Once again the dynamic duo proved that they’re one of the couples to beat in the dancing competition with their energy and chemistry. Scores: 8+8+8=24

Victor Espinoza and Karina Smirnoff: Dancing to “La Bamba,” Victor Espinoza brought his enthusiasm to perform a jive with pro partner Karina Smirnoff. Unfortunately for Victor, all of his enthusiasm didn’t make up for his lack of dancing ability. The judges were entertained, but not enough to give him top marks. Scores: 6+5+6=17

Tamar Braxton and Val Chmerkovskiy: Tamar Braxton chose Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” for her cha cha this week with Val Chmerkovskiy. Tamar is a natural on the dance floor and had no trouble picking up the hip movements in the Latin dance. The judges think that she needs to work on dancing with a partner. Scores: 8+8+8=24

Gary Busey and Anna Trebunskaya: This week, Gary Busey had to tackle a foxtrot with Anna Trebunskaya. Set to the Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” the simple routine allowed Busey to turn out a decent overall performance. The judges agree that it was an improvement from last week and loved his energy. Scores: 6+6+6=18

Carlos PenaVega and Whitney Carson: Carlos PenaVega, who grew up in the Midwest with a dad who loved country music, danced a Foxtrot to Blake Shelton’s “Home” with pro partner Whitney Carson. It was an elegant and classy take on the ballroom dancing that wowed the judges, who are already amazed with Carlos’ versatility as a dancer. Scores: 8+8+8=24

Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough: Bindi Irwin revealed that her parents instilled in her a love of heavy metal, so she and Derek Hough danced a tango to AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Nigh Long.” Again, Bindi brought the energy and the dancing skills, wowing the judges enough for them to give out their first 9 of the season. Scores: 9+8+8=25

Results: The bottom two based off of last week’s performances were Chaka and Keo, and Gary and Anna. In the end, it’s Chaka who is the first to go home this season.