ET breaks down everything that went down in the ballroom that the cameras didn't catch!
The ballroom was magically transformed into the Big Apple for Monday's episode of Dancing With the Stars!
The 12 remaining contestants and their pro partners brought out all the stops for week two's "New York City Night," with many delivering some jaw-dropping routines that were well-received by the judges. So well, in fact, that three couples tied for the top spot on the leaderboard: Tinashe & Brandon Armstrong, Milo Manheim & Witney Carson, and Juan Pablo di Pace & Cheryl Burke, all with 26/30 points total.
But the entertainment didn't stop there -- ET was inside the ballroom to catch all the best behind-the-scenes moments that didn't make it to TV. Here's what you missed:
1. Len Goodman is a crowd favorite... when he's not judging, that is!
As we mentioned last week, one of the reasons why those opening numbers look so flawless is due to the fact that they're often pre-taped, and Monday's performance was no exception. It was shot in two different segments in order for the camera crews to capture all the best angles from the routine, and truly showcase the high energy those of us seated in the ballroom felt as DWTS kicked off the city of lights-inspired theme night.
As everyone was getting ready for the pre-tape, judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli made their way to the center of the dance floor to take their "places" in a Taxi cab. Len was in the driver's seat, and was smiling, winking and waving to fans in the crowd as he patiently waited for the cameras to start rolling. He may get heat for being the strictest judge on the panel, but let's be honest, you gotta love Len when he's not being "grumpy."
2. A few dancers really were in a New York state of mind.
It's very rare that you'll see Val Chmerkovskiy without a smile on his face (we officially deemed him Mr. Congeniality of the ballroom last week), but his grin appeared to be a bit more permanent than usual. That's because NYC holds a special place in Val's heart, as he spent his early dancing days in Brooklyn after his family immigrated to the United States when he was just 8 years old.
We think that showed right off the bat during the opening number -- he was fittingly the first pro dancer to be featured -- and then again when he delivered an incredible Cha Cha with his partner, Nancy McKeon, to Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl."
The former Facts of Life star also has a tie to the state of New York -- she was born in Westbury, while one of her competitors, John Schneider, grew up not too far away in Mount Kisco. Interestingly enough, the crowd was also heavily filled with New York natives. When an announcer asked who was originally from the Empire State, an impressive number of people raised their hands.
3. Grocery Store Joe's crew were less than impressed with the scores he received.
Joe Amabile's fans watching at home may have spotted the Bachelor in Paradise star's girlfriend, Kendall Long, sitting next to pregnant Bachelor alum Bekah Martinez in the ballroom, but what you didn't see were the two cheering him and Jenna Johnson on from beginning to end as they performed a Foxtrot.
Meanwhile, Jenna's fiancé, Val, was sitting in the sky box, yelling, "Let's Go, Joe!" just moments before #TeamCheckUsOut started their dance. Unfortunately, the number didn't go over well with the judges, as Joe and Jenna received 17/30 points. Kendall still had a smile on her face, but once the cameras turned off, you could tell she was a bit disappointed for her beau, and it appears Bekah was too. We caught them whispering back and forth, seemingly trying to wrap their heads around the low score, one that put Joe on the bottom of the leaderboard.
Other celebrity guests in the crowd included Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, Justin Mikita, and DWTS: Juniors hosts / season 25 alums Jordan Fisher and Frankie Muniz.
4. Milo Manheim's fans are gradually taking over the ballroom.
Step aside, Bachelor Nation, because #TeamWitlo is coming through! ET has been in the ballroom every night since the season 27 premiere, and while Bachelor alums have been flooding the venue, we've also noticed that Milo's squad keeps getting bigger and bigger.
During Monday's show, you may have spotted Milo's mother, Camryn Manheim, sitting front row, right across from the judges. But what you probably didn't know from watching it on TV was that everyone in the rows surrounding her were there in support of the Zombies star. Milo's friends and family literally took over an entire section of the ballroom, and we gotta admit, it was adorable.
As soon as the show wrapped, the Disney star quickly made his way over to them to thank them for coming. Watch below:
5. Dancers are practicing moves up until the last minute.
As the weeks progress, expect the routines to become even more technically advanced. We got a glimpse of that during John Schneider's Charleston with his partner, Emma Slater, who incorporated their most complicated lift yet into their dance.
Before the show went live, #TeamSuperDuke used the downtime to rehearse the difficult move one last time, as you can see in the video below.
Luckily, it all paid off when they received their score from the judges: 23/30.
6. Alan Bersten helped Alexis Ren recover from the tutu glitch.
Wardrobe malfunctions are bound to happen, especially when you're making adaptions to your costume mid-routine. Though #TeamRenTen revealed via Instagram Stories that they had a flawless dress rehearsal for their Swan Lake-inspired Argentine Tango, the two had some trouble ripping off Alexis' tutu as planned during the live show.
When a mistake like that happens, it's natural for non-dancers to freak out and lose track of the rest of the routine, but thanks to guidance from Alan, Alexis finished the number like a pro! We saw Alan calmly helping her pick up the next set of movements, and from then on, Alexis didn't miss a beat.
7. There was some snacking...
Food and drinks are not permitted in the actual ballroom when you come to a taping, but when you're one of the stars competing and you just slayed your performance, exceptions can be made! We spotted Milo deservingly grubbing out on a snack in the sky box about midway through the show. Oh, and if you look closely at this pic, you'll also see the shiny mirrorball trophy to the left.
8. ...and lots of "flossing"!
Sharna Burgess choreographed a stunning Foxtrot to Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" for her partner, Bobby Bones, but it looks like we didn't get to see the full version she intended for the audience. The radio host ignored the routine's last move and instead attempted the viral dance craze known as flossing, which Sharna later made clear was not part of her choreography.
However, the rest of the cast and those in the ballroom couldn't stop laughing over the spontaneous update, and seemingly loved it! A few of Bobby's competitors even went up to him and started flossing while they were all center stage after the show wrapped.
And now we'll all just be waiting patiently to see if the originator of the dance, Katy Perry's Backpack Kid, approves.
9. Sharna Burgess tells ET she wasn't thrilled about Bobby Bones' decision to throw in his own moves.
We caught up with #TeamBeautyAndTheGeek shortly after the show ended, where they reacted to what really happened out there. "Right now, I'm mad at him," Sharna confessed, with Bobby agreeing that "it's absolutely true."
"She is ticked at me, and she deserves to be," he added.
At the same time, however, Bobby doesn't seem to regret how he ended the routine because it put a smile on so many people's faces. "I'm also happy that people watched, and smiled," he gushed. "My goal is to make people smile the whole show, and to be a better dancer as the show climbs. I want to get better as the show goes on, but I want people to think that at any time I could do anything that's gonna make them smile."
Sharna seems to be on board with that, but one condition. "I don't want to control him, I just want him to believe in the dancing that he does," she explained. "I love the way he celebrates and I love what he brings to the dance floor, I just want him to finish the last move."
"That's all!" she continued. "And then he can celebrate and party."
Week two of Dancing With the Stars' 27th season continues with Tuesday's "Las Vegas Night," airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on the NYC-themed dances on Twitter (@desireemurphy_), and what other behind-the-scenes ballroom scenes you'd like to see in the future!
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