After welcoming his third child over the weekend, country hitmaker Jimmie Allen returned to the dance floor alongside his Dancing with the Stars pro partner Emma Slater for Grease night.
“I love Grease, I’ve seen it hundreds of time,” Allen said ahead of his performance.
The pair prepared to take the stage for a foxtrot set to the song “Sandy,” originally performed by John Travolta in the 1978 film.
“That was the part that you realized you loved it,” Allen said, referencing the part of the movie where “Sandy” is played during at the drive-in movie. “Sandy abandons Danny at the drive-in, and he’s feeling it. It makes a really great turning point in the movie and another chance to see how much loving someone can mean to you.”
Prior to their dance, fans saw a flashback of the moments leading up to the birth of daughter, Zara James.
“I know last week I said she was 2 centimeters pregnant, I meant to say she was 2 centimeters dilated….” Allen said as DWTS played a clip of Allen on what looked like a video chat in Nashville.
“I got the baby’s on the way call, so I just landed in Nashville about to head to the hospital to check on my wife and get ready to meet my new daughter,” Allen said.
Moments later, a video of the proud father flashed across the screen.
“So, baby Zara is here, her and mommy are both doing great. 7lbs, 10oz. Yeah, it’s been a good day,” he gushed.
With his wife, Alexis, by his side he shared, “Mommy’s good, baby’s good, so yeah, thank y’all for your congratulations and your well wishes. This is the real superstar right here. We’ll see y’all later.”
Back in the ballroom, Allen and Slater took the stage surround by classic cars, appearing to be at a drive-in movie theater. Sporting an elephant trunk wig and the class T-Birds jacket, Allen made his way around the stage with confidence as he mouthed the lyrics to “Sandy.”
“First let me say, from all of us, congratulations to the proud daddy,” Bruno Tonioli told Jimmie. “And Emma, you doubted him, but it was such a smooth ride. Actually, you were very, very good on dynamic, side by side. You have great storytelling and that little slip I can actually see it, is that confetti that somebody left…”
“I think you made Baby Zara proud,” Carrie Ann Inaba added. “There’s just something about you when you dance, the musicality, as Bruno said, the storytelling. What I do want to point out, because this season the competition is very fierce, is sometimes when you’re out of hold, you’re so much bigger than when you are in hold. I loved to see more of a balance, so it doesn’t feel so different with each style of dancing. Great job!”
Len Goodman also referenced his slip up, joking, “I don’t think that was confetti, I think it may’ve been grease!”
“There’s a flare about your dancing, I don’t always think the technique’s overly great. You lose your hold and posture a little bit, but you come out with enthusiasm and I think that’s such a great trait. Well done,” he added.
Derek Hough was also quick to compliment Allen and Slater.
“Great performance, content, storytelling, choreography. That was a concept seen through from the beginning to the end,” Derek Hough said. “That was a complete package. Well done brother.”
Earning two eights and two nines, Team Jemma scored a 34 out of 40 and advanced to the next round of the competition.
Dancing with the Stars returns next Monday (Oct. 25) on ABC with a Halloween-themed episode, paying tribute to horror films.
