Nelly has made his way to the Dancing With the Stars season 29 finals after being awarded tens across the board on Monday night. This was the first perfect score for Nelly and his partner, Daniella Kagarach.
The start of the competition wasn't exactly smooth sailing for the pair. Their first dances ranked in the middle of the pack of competitors, but Nelly and Daniella had been saved from Dancing with the Stars elimination. In the previous two weeks, Nelly and Daniella received eights across the board. Those eights were their highest scores at that point. Over the course of the competition, Nelly has spent hours trying to perfect his DWTS moves. The increased energy and unfamiliar movements required for the ballroom dances have taken a toll on his body. Like many contestants who join Dancing With the Stars, Nelly had no prior experience in ballroom dance. However, this new score shows that his hard work is paying off.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Nelly's first perfect store. Nelly and Daniella performed the jive to "Jump' Jive An' Wail" by Brian Seltzer Orchestra. Once the pair finished, the judges gave them a standing ovation. Judge Bruno Tonioli likened Nelly's performance to a miracle. Judge Carrie Anna Inaba called the performance a "breakthrough" which came just in time. Judge Derek Hough also had nothing but good things to say about how effectively Nelly nailed the Jive's fiery footwork.
A big reason for Nelly's milestone win was likely pro dancer Daniella Kagerach. Nelly explained that he was having a tough time leading up to the performance, but Daniella pushed him harder than ever. She reportedly saw Nelly's potential, even when he didn't. The encouragement pushed the two into the next round and out of consideration for Monday night's double-elimination. The double-elimination was the first and only one of the season. Previously, Nelly and Daniella were one of the only couples who hadn't received a perfect score.
Now that Nelly's nearing perfection with his dance moves, he may be able to carry his success into his American Music Award's performance. The rapper will be performing at the 2020 ceremony on November 22. The AMA performance will be another event in Nelly's packed schedule. The multi-genre artist might have turned down the offer to join Dancing With the Stars if it wasn't for the pandemic. For this celeb, the extra hours he's putting into practicing for Dancing With the Stars (on top of rehearsals for the AMAs) will likely be beneficial.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch