International Gymnast Magazine Online

Scoring a perfect 10 from one judge, Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson and partner Mark Ballas danced the cha cha to the evening’s second-highest total on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” Monday.

“It’s my first 10 ever, and it is amazing,” said Johnson, the 2007 world all-around champion and 2008 Olympic gold medalist on balance beam.

One of seven remaining couples in the competition, Johnson and Ballas finished with 28 out of 30 points from the three judges.  

Johnson said this week’s performance was particularly stressful, since rehearsal times were limited by her travel to New York and her home state of Iowa to accept awards. Because of the travel, Johnson and Ballas had less time than usual to rehearse the cha cha and a 1960s-themed group number, both of which they performed on Monday’s show.

“It was more pressure than I ever imagined, and I thought I was going to lose my mind,” Johnson said with a laugh. “But I was so excited to get out there. It was a really fun dance, and it’s been my favorite so far. I’m really happy to have it down.”

Referring to Johnson as “my cheeky little devil,” judge Bruno Tonioli awarded the couple their first 10 of the season. He praised Johnson’s technique, and likened her performance quality to two legendary Hollywood dancers.

“What I’m starting to see tonight is like watching a young Debbie Reynolds or Mitzi Gaynor, all flamboyant and vibrant,” Tonioli said.

The other two judges — Carrie Ann Inaba and Len Goodman — awarded 9 points to Johnson and Ballas.

“The cha cha is a difficult dance because it’s sharp and it’s crisp, but at the same time you’ve got to blend rhythm into that,” Goodman said. “I thought you did that exactly.”

Ballas, who danced to the title two seasons ago with figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, also praised his 17-year-old partner.

“I’m really proud of Shawn,” Ballas said. “I keep telling her to just go out and have fun, and so we did. She did a great job.”

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