Dancing With the Stars: Zendaya & Kellie Pickler Are Tops, Andy Dick's Mad Hatter Is a Trip

Less Than Perfect star's Alice in Wonderland-themed jazz number proves bizarrely compelling

By Natalie Finn Mar 26, 2013 2:22 AMTags

Dancing With the Stars hasn't been that great to Disney princesses over the years (Anyone remember Sabrina Bryan?), but maybe Zendaya will buck the trend.

The Shake It Up star topped the leaderboard yet again this week, the 16-year-old performing a wise-beyond-her-years jive with partner Val Chmerkovskiy—who just may become the first Chmerkovskiy to win this whole thing.

"A star is born, big-time!" raved Bruno Tonioli.

"For someone, tonight is going to be the last chance to dance," said head judge Len Goodman. "But I'll tell you this—not you. You'll be back next week, you were fantastic."

She certainly should be.

But Bruno also predicted a return trip for Dorothy Hamill, who after showing so much grace and promise last week is languishing at the bottom of the leaderboard tonight. 

To be fair, the 56-year-old ice-skating icon is nursing not just a sore ankle but also a cyst in her lower back that's touching a nerve. So...it's impressive that she could jive at all! 

Kellie Pickler, meanwhile, tied for first place with Zendaya after she aced a Fosse-meets-Cirque du Soleil-inspired jazz number, magnificently choreographed (as usual) by Derek Hough.

"If you just tuned in, we're playing Find the Body Fat," host Tom Bergeron quipped.

"You are a dancer," Carrie Ann Inaba complimented the country singer. "That was friggin' amazing."

And, finally, what is there to say about Andy Dick?

The former Less Than Perfect funnyman was bizarrely compelling tonight, looking right at home in Mad Hatter garb for his Alice in Wonderland-inspired jazz number with first-year pro Sharna Burgess.

He acted his butt off and was rewarded with a 20—better than last week, anyway—for his efforts (and enough to land him squarely in the middle of the pack).

The first elimination of the season is tomorrow night. Here's how Monday's leaderboard stacked up:

Kellie Pickler & Derek Hough: 26
Zendaya & Val Chmerkovskiy: 26
Aly Raisman & Mark Ballas: 24
Jacoby Jones & Karina Smirnoff: 23
Andy Dick & Sharna Burgess: 20
Ingo Rademacher & Kym Johnson: 20 
Sean Lowe & Peta Murgatroyd: 20
Lisa Vanderpump & Gleb Savchenko: 18
Victor Ortiz & Lindsay Arnold: 18
Wynonna Judd & Tony Dovolani: 18
D.L. Hughley & Cheryl Burke: 16
Dorothy Hamill & Tristan MacManus: 15 

Who do you think deserves to go home tomorrow?

See all the stars who've hoisted the mirror-ball trophy