This season of Dancing With the Stars has been full of surprises, and it's time to talk about how well Melora Hardin is doing on the show. During the two-night Disney Week, Melora and her dance partner Artem Chigvintsev were the new frontrunners. Participating in Disney Week proved that their hard work paid off, and the duo's success can only improve. Melora is thriving amid DWTS season 30's fierce competition, with an eye on the Mirrorball Trophy. She will do whatever it takes to make sure that she has a positive experience on the show.
Over the past few weeks, Melora has expressed how excited she is to be on DWTS. She was enrolled in dance lessons as a child but is always seen as an actress. Television fans recognize Melora from her roles as Jan Levinson in The Office and Jacqueline Carlyle in The Bold Type. In the previous week, viewers saw Melora open up about her struggle to nail down the choreography, especially as a 54-year-old woman. So far, she's the only contestant from this season who has been honest about how difficult the DWTS journey can be.
Melora doesn't let her emotions get the best of her, and has continued to impress audiences on DWTS each week. For Disney Heroes Night, Melora and Artem did a quickstep dance to "I Wan'na Be Like You" from the movie, The Jungle Book. Melora dedicated the dance to her husband, Gildart Jackson. Gildart joined Melora and Artem on Disneyland's Jungle Cruise ride to add excitement to the performance. They even taught Gildart a few dance moves, including this week's "Mickey Challenge" combination.
On the dance floor, Melora dressed as Baloo, while Artem played Bagheera. The performance received rave reviews from the judges. Bruno Tonioli called the dance "the best quickstep of the season." Carrie Ann Inaba praised Melora for bringing something unexpected to every performance. Len Goodman, who is often critical, said it was Melora's "best dance so far." He complimented the actress on her technique and personality, giving her advice to "Never doubt yourself. You are a dancer." Derek Hough named Melora and Artem's dance the "best one of the night."
The judges gave Melora and Artem the highest score of the night, which was 36 points. The winning dance was more advanced than the dances of other competitors, featuring jumps and choreography that stood out. Melora and Artem didn't win the extra two bonus points available for the best version of the "Mickey Challenge." However, the pair still remained in 1st place.
The Disney Villains Night was next, and Melora did a jazz routine with Artem to "Mother Knows Best" from Tangled. She embodied the character of Mother Gothel and even danced to a recording of herself singing the song. She showed everyone that she really is a triple threat. The panel of judges was equally as impressed, and Derek gave the pair their first 10 of the season, with three 9's to follow. Melora and Artem remained the top scorers with 37 points.
Since Artem won the last season of DWTS, there may be a second Mirrorball Trophy in his future, this time with Melora. She definitely has what it takes to snatch the grand prize at the end. All she needs are millions of votes from DWTS fans and high scores from the judges. No matter what is thrown her way, Melora always delivers and pours her heart into the competition.
Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.