Erika Jayne Gave Us the Madonna Moment We've All Been Waiting for on Dancing with the Stars
The #RHOBH songstress expressed herself like never before on #DWTS.
Erika Jayne and Madonna are two of the biggest divas we know. So the fact that their awesomeness was combined into one performance during Monday night's Dancing with the Stars was basically a dream come true.
It was the "Most Memorable Year" night on DWTS, and 1989 is the year that Erika holds near and dear to her heart. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills songstress explained before her dance that she moved to New York City on October 1, 1989. "I was a middle class kid from Atlanta, Georgia. I had big dreams, and I wanted to make them happen," she said.
But that was easier said than done for Erika during her time in the Big Apple. "There were times that were good, and there were times that sucked," she shared. "You go out for audition, audition, audition, and you hear, 'No, no, no, no, no.' You're like, 'Is there something wrong?' You're like, 'Oh, God, I need a miracle, man.'"
After doing everything from commercials to modeling and even performing in two different girl groups, Erika's management advised her to move to Los Angeles. "She went for it. That was the turning point," Erika's mom, Renee Chahoy, remembered during the DWTS segment. "I knew she was gonna claw her way to the top whatever she had to do, because that's who she is."
Erika paid homage to 1989 by dancing the cha cha to a song by one of her idols released during that year, "Express Yourself" by Madonna. "I'm a big fan of Madonna's, always have been. I've always looked to her for inspiration," she gushed before her performance. "I'm dancing for anyone that wants to take that step out on their dreams and their life. I'm dancing for you."
Werk, Erika and Gleb! Photo: abc.go.com
Erika made yet another grand entrance onto the dance floor, wearing a hat and black jacket that was reminiscent of the Material Girl's zoot suit in the iconic music video for "Express Yourself." The RHOBH songstress then quickly tore it away to reveal a a signature Erika Jayne catsuit complete with a sparkly bra and fringe. Erika's creative director, Mikey Minden, was in the audience during her DWTS performance, and we're sure he approved. As far as the actual dance was concerned, Erika certainly expressed herself all over that dance floor with professional partner Gleb Savchenko, serving up the sexiest cha cha we ever did see.
Erika and Gleb looked as fierce as ever dancing the cha cha on DWTS. Photo: abc.go.com
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli praised Erika for unapologetically being her sexy self on that dance floor. Julianne Hough even said that she was "fierce and raw just like Madonna." But judge Len Goodman thought Erika had hit "a bit of a plateau." "It's a bit same old, same old. You know, you go down this sexy route, which OK, if you wanna do that, you do that," he said. "Gleb, you've got a terrific dancer here. I'd like to just see her come out and really dance and show me. You can do it, Erika, I promise you."
Erika delivered another legendary performance on DWTS. Photo: abc.go.com
Carrie Ann also encouraged Erika to continue to dance outside of her comfort zone, and Julianne and Bruno advised her to work on her technique. "This is new, and you can see it, and that's great," Erika told co-host Erin Andrews after her dance. "And it is good to push past your comfort zone, and it is good to struggle a little bit. That's what this is all about."
Erika and Gleb sure do know how to strike a post. Photo: abc.go.com
But Erika isn't going to let Len, who has criticized her sultry dance moves before, or anyone else make her feel ashamed of her sexiness. "I am what I am," she told Erin. "I can't tone it down."
Erika received a score of 30 out of 40 points from the judges, which tied her for last place of the night with The Bachelor's Nick Viall. There was even more bad news for Erika on the way. She found herself in the bottom two with Mr. T. Thankfully, Erika made it through another elimination, and Mr. T was asked to hang up his dancing shoes.
Here's hoping that Erika's fierce performance this week helps her get back on top. We mean, it doesn't get much better than a bit of an Erika and Madonna collabo, does it?
Find out all about Erika's "intense" DWTS rehearsals, below.
