Guillermo Rodriguez may be dancing for the people, but this week he managed to impress the judges, too.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick and pro partner Witney Carson earned their best scores yet on Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night, picking up a 15 out of 30 for their foxtrot to Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” on Yacht Rock Night.
That’s three points better than last week’s 12—and five points above the 10 Rodriguez received for his season-opening cha cha.
Of course, Rodriguez wasn’t about to let improved technique get in the way of a sight gag. At the end of the routine, he ripped off his shirt to reveal a coconut bikini top and the words “DANCING 4 THE PEOPLE” written across his sizable belly.
“You are dancing for the people,” host Alfonso Ribeiro told him afterward. “And the people are loving it!”
For once, the judges weren’t far behind.
“Guillermo, I know you’re not dancing for the judges, but you impressed me,” Carrie Ann Inaba told him, praising his balance and the content of the routine.
“He can be also funny, but he’s also working really hard, and it’s paying off,” she added.
Derek Hough gave Rodriguez perfect marks in at least one category.
“Your charm and your showmanship is an absolute 10,” Hough said. “Undeniable.”
Hough also singled out an umbrella flip incorporated into the routine, which Rodriguez joked he had stolen from Gene Kelly.
“It was so endearing,” Hough said. “Well done.”
Bruno Tonioli joined in the praise, declaring himself “coconuts” for Rodriguez and noting that he was actually attempting to lead Carson through the dance.
The result was 5s across the board from Inaba, Hough, and Tonioli—the first time Rodriguez has cracked a 5 with any of the judges.
The incremental improvement could prove important. Rodriguez has already needed the viewer vote to rescue him in each of his first two weeks in the competition, surviving despite finishing at or tied for the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard both times.
And he knows where his strength lies.
Asked by Julianne Hough about his feelings toward the slower, more elegant foxtrot, Rodriguez acknowledged it wasn’t exactly his natural habitat.
“It’s very slow, it’s elegant,” he said. “But Witney and I, we keep it cute, we keep it funny for all of these wonderful people!”
Whether those people keep him dancing for a fourth week will be revealed at the end of Tuesday night’s show.
