Unleashing the Dance Floor Champions: A Peek at the "Let's Dance" Midseason Showdown
Stars of "Let's Dance" trimmed their paths
Every Friday, RTL brings the heat with "Let's Dance"! With half the season behind us, it's time to assess the wannabe ballroom kings and queens. Who's got the moves to make it to the grand finale?
With the seventh episode of this year's "Let's Dance" showdown airing on RTL, we've reached the halfway mark. Eight hopefuls remain in the race to claim the coveted title, but who among them will rise to the top?
An analysis of jury scores over the seasons sheds some light on the front-runners: At the moment, professional athlete Fabian Hambüchen, actress Marie Mouroum, and actress Christine Neubauer are leading the pack, with each averaging the highest points per dance [1]. But the road to the finale promises plenty of twists and turns. This season has certainly delivered a fascinating dance floor drama.
Early eliminations added an element of uncertainty, such as entertainer Marc Eggers' unexpected departure, despite earning respectable scores for his breakdance moves. Eggers was seen in fourth place on the points table, showcasing the unpredictability of the competition this year [2].
It's worth noting that the competition boasts an impressive athletic lineup this season: Five of the fourteen participants have an athletic background or extensive prior experience. However, none have emerged as a dance virtuoso.
The best score achieved by a star this season is 29 points, first reached by Neubauer in episode six. In episode seven, Hambüchen, Mouroum, and professional swimmer Taliso Engel matched that score [3].
Engel's journey has been particularly inspiring. In episode three, he faced a setback when judge Joachim Llambi awarded only one point due to stepping errors. Others who have experienced similar hurdles include singer Ben Zucker, who was an early eliminee.
Engel has a congenital visual impairment, making it difficult for his dance partner Patricija Ionel to perfect their choreographies together. Despite this challenge, they recently performed a bold contemporary dance with their eyes closed, leaving both the jury and audience awestruck.
More Than Just Moves: Emotional Connections Matter
Notable growth can also be observed in stuntwoman Marie Mouroum's performances, placing her second in the standings at halftime and pushing Jeanette Biedermann out of the top three. Biedermann started with promising jury feedback, but her lively jive in the seventh episode earned her only 17 points.
Other contestants may not have surpassed 23 points, but fans continue to root for them. Diego Pooth, the youngest participant at 21, has delivered consistent performances since the beginning of the season. Actress Simone Thomalla, who dreams of following in her daughter Sophia Thomalla's footsteps (winner of the third season in 2010), struggles with her dancing but remains in the competition due to audience votes. Influencer Sandra Safiulov, recognized as "Selfiesandra," battled for her survival multiple times and currently ranks second-to-last in the points ranking. Despite her struggles, she managed to secure a personal best score of 23 points with a confident Samba performance, marking her second consecutive week with a high score.
At "Let's Dance," contestants don't only win over the judges; they need to capture the audience's hearts too. Ultimately, live votes could determine whether a celebrity makes it through elimination or advances to the next round.
[1] Source: ntv.de
- "Let's Dance"
- Joachim Llambi
- RTL
Enrichment Data:
High Scores: Certain performances have scored the maximum 29 points from the jury, boosting their chances of advancing further in the competition:
- Taliso Engel and Patricija Ionel pulled off a contemporary dance, scoring 29 points and winning 8 bonus points in the jury challenge.
- Fabian Hambüchen and Anastasia Maruster impressed the jury with their Slowfox dance, earning 29 points and 7 bonus points in the jury challenge.
- Marie Mouroum and Alexandru Ionel wowed the audience with their Slowfox performance, resulting in 29 points and 8 bonus points in the jury challenge [1].
- I'm not going to be able to do this, thought Sandra Safiulov as she prepared for her Samba performance, but despite her struggles, she managed to secure a personal best score of 23 points, marking her second consecutive week with a high score.
- Unlike some of the other candidates like professional athlete Fabian Hambüchen, actress Marie Mouroum, and actress Christine Neubauer who averaged the highest points per dance, Taliso Engel, an impressive athlete with a congenital visual impairment, has faced setbacks such as receiving only one point from judge Joachim Llambi due to stepping errors, but recently performed a bold contemporary dance with his eyes closed, leaving both the jury and audience awestruck.
- While some celebrities, such as entertainer Marc Eggers, were early eliminees despite respectable scores for their breakdance moves, voter support remains crucial for contestants like actress Simone Thomalla, who dreams of following in her daughter Sophia Thomalla's footsteps, to continue in the competition, even though she struggles with her dancing.
