Carrie Ann Inaba Blogs About The Premiere of Dancing With The Stars Season 20 And The “Most-Remembered”

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba has written her first blog for Dancing With The Stars Season 20 at Parade. Below are the couples who stood out the most to her and who she thinks will be the “most-remembered” for opening this season.

1. Rumer and Val Chmerkovskiy — Their foxtrot was uniquely passionate and intense. I loved the drama and her competitive drive. She didn’t just perform the steps beautifully, she performed them with a vengeance. As the other competitors came out on stage to get ready for their final marks, you could feel that they were all suddenly, re-thinking their approach.

2. Riker Lynch and Allison Hoker — Their jive was edgy and exciting. His musicality is incredible and he moves really well. It must be in the genes. (He is a cousin of Derek and Julianne Hough). But he’s got a cool skater style going on. It’s a different type of athleticism and way of moving. We haven’t had many on the show with his vibe. He’s precise but cool, appealing to the young girls, and his energy is contagious and effective. I’m looking forward to seeing him do a ballroom dance.

3. Patti LaBelle and Artem Chignintsev — There was something very special about her performance. Sometimes less is indeed more, and I think this dance was a perfect-pitched approach for the queen of soul. She really dazzled me with her presence and her poise. She was graceful and danced as if she was floating on air. I worry about the faster dances that will be coming up for her but she’s got the right attitude—“70 years young.” She is naturally gifted with beautiful musicality and an inherent grace.

4. Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess — Everyone remembers Amy Purdy, the inspirational double-leg amputee from season 18. Her amputations due to meningitis were so different than Noah, an Iraq war veteran who lost his left arm and leg serving our country. Without the ability to lead with the left hand or the ability to bend his left leg, Sharna faces big challenges in creating choreography that will excite us as judges while showcasing Noah’s strengths. Last night was an excellent example of just that. What stood out to me was his incredible balance and strength. His focus was mesmerizing. And you could feel his passion and determination. He has a special ability to be focused with power, not force. His power is quiet and grounded which draws you in. It will be fascinating to see what’s to come during his journey in the ballroom.

Everyone else showed a lot of promise but these four stood out to me. They are going to be the most-remembered dances of our season 20 opening night.

More at Parade.

My thoughts: To each his own, but, how could Derek and Nastia not be on her list? They were show stopping in my opinion. Oh well….