When Adam Rippon took to the stage of Dancing With the Stars: Athletes last week for a cha-cha performance of RuPaul’s “Sissy That Walk,” the judges offered up universal praise for the skater’s form, precision and chemistry with his dance partner Jenna Johnson.
With the high expectations he set for himself following last week’s performance, Rippon took to the stage once again this week to perform a quickstep set to Aloe Blacc’s “Make Way.” The out Olympic skater worked his way through the song, keeping his footwork clean and nailing each move with Johnson.
In a clip just before the dance, Rippon expressed concern about the routine, saying that due to his busy schedule and a lack of confidence in his abilities as a dancer, he didn’t think the dance was going to go over smoothly. “I am definitely having a hard time with this one,” he said. “I don’t feel super confident in the steps I’m doing now.”
Those fears were washed away once Rippon and Johnson faced the judges’ panel. “So much content, so much speed, but so much clarity of movement,” judge Len Goodman told the pair. “Absolutely fantastic dancing all the way through, your timing is impeccable,” said judge Bruno Tonioli.
The pair received some minor criticisms from the panel, with Carrie Ann Inaba pointing out that Rippon wasn’t able to fully establish each of his turns. “Which is amazing,” she added. “That makes me excited, because there’s room for growth!”
The pair ended up receiving 37 out of 40 points, tying them for the evening’s highest score with Rippon’s fellow Olympic skater and contestant Mirai Nagasu.
Watch the full clip of Rippon and Johnson’s quickstep from Monday’s episode of Dancing with the Stars: Athletes below: