Jimmie Allen Tangos His Way Through His ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Debut [Watch]
Jimmie Allen made his ballroom dance floor debut on Monday (Sept. 20) for Season 30 of Dancing With the Stars. The seasoned singer is used to the stage and spotlights...but not so used to the fancy footwork of ballroom dancing.
Allen admitted in an interview leading up to the big day that the strenuous practice was having a serious physical impact on him.
“I got muscles I ain't never heard of, but it’s cool," he said. "The thing is, I started stretching a lot more, so it's all groovy now.”
However, when the lights came on and the crowd began to roar, he was a well-oiled machine. Dancing in front of a smashed-up Mercedes with partner Emma Slater, the singer kicked off his first dance of the season with a tango to “The Way I Are” by Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian.
Although Allen admitted he was a bit nervous, all four judges were impressed with the singer’s dance moves.
The tango is traditionally a more structured dance, not fitting with Allen’s light-hearted, fun personality. Collectively, the judges all agreed this dance was one that pushed the singer and encouraged Allen to work on his framework, overall giving glowing reviews and affirmation that the singer has the potential to travel far in the competition.
“You’re going to go a long way. You’ve got great potential,” a normally tougher judge Len Goodman encouraged Allen. "This dance does not suit your personality. You're a cool sort of a guy.”
The reigning ACM New Male Artist of the Year received a total score of 22 out of 40, but regardless of the score, Allen is just excited for this opportunity.
“I’ve sung on television before, but to dance on national television, it was a whole different thing," he said after his performaance. "It’s a cool experience and we’re glad to be here.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on Mondays on ABC at 8PM ET.
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