As a major televised dance competition enters its critical semifinal stage, the panel of experts found themselves in a rare and heated disagreement following a standout performance.
Contestant Whitney Leavitt, paired with professional dancer Mark Ballas, opened a recent episode with a high-energy cha-cha set to a classic Prince track. The routine immediately polarized the judges’ table.
One judge was effusive in his praise, declaring the performance contained “everything you wanted from a cha-cha.” He highlighted the “incredible” execution, precision, and level of difficulty, calling it a triumph.
However, another judge offered more nuanced feedback. While acknowledging the dance was “wonderful” and “well delivered,” she expressed a notable critique. She observed that the dancer’s focus on technical execution was at times visible, suggesting it momentarily hindered the natural flow of her performance. In her view, flawless technique should seamlessly “disappear into a great dance.”
This assessment was swiftly and humorously challenged by a fellow judge. With a disbelieving smile, he exclaimed that his colleague’s take was unfounded, defending the contestant’s work as “literal perfection.” He emphasized the bold risk of performing a cha-cha at this advanced stage of the competition and praised the routine for building in quality, citing its precision, technique, and performance value as “awesome.”
The spirited debate did not hurt the pair’s scores. They earned a near-perfect total, receiving top marks from two judges and a slightly lower score from the third, making it one of the highest results of the night until it was later surpassed by a perfect score from another couple.
In a post-performance interview, Leavitt addressed unrelated speculation about her motivations for joining the show, stating she seized the opportunity when it arose for her and others. She expressed profound gratitude for the experience, noting it has been life-changing.
Despite the high scores and memorable performance, Leavitt’s journey on the competition ended with her elimination following the episode.
