‘Dancing With the Stars’: Justina Machado’s Samba Drives Fans Wild

One Day at a Time star Justina Machado brought the heat to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom Monday night, as she and pro dance partner Sasha Farber danced a brilliant Samba to Sergio Mendes’ “Magalenha.” Machado has consistently impressed viewers at home and the judges, and her performance this week continued that streak. She received a 27/30 from the judges for her performance with Farber.

In the introduction to the dance, Machado reflected on her love of Latin music and how important West Side Story was for her as an inspiration. It was the first time she saw a Puerto Rican in a major movie and instantly became a fan of Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her role in the film. Today, Moreno plays Machado’s mother on One Day at a Time, and she even sent in a video wishing her the best of luck on DWTS. “I knew I wanted to become a performer when I was younger. I wanted to dance, and I wanted to sing, and I wanted to be an actress,” Machado said. “I just wanted to be like Rita Moreno. So, Rita, I’m dancing the samba for you.”

After the dance, the judges praised her performance. Carrie Ann Inaba noticed a stumble but praised Machado for not letting it hold her back. Derek Hough noted that Machado needed to “articulate” her feet a little more but said she was “so fun to watch.” As for Bruno Tonioli, he could barely hold back his excitement, telling her she makes “every hour feel like happy hour.”

​

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in early October, Machado said she was never a big DWTS fan before and was surprised by how much hard work it was. “The payoffs are always the Monday shows, they’re just so much fun,” she said. “Even though we’re there all day, just to see the hard work that comes together at the end of the week is the best. I can only describe my experience as a roller coaster!”

​

One fan disagreed with Inaba, insisting there was no stumble. Another person simply called it “just a great dance,” while another fan said it was cool to see Moreno cheering her on.

​

Another fan believed Machado pulled off a perfect dance and should have earned a 30/30. So far, there has only been one 30/30 during the entire season. Last week, Nev Schulman and Jenna Johnson got a perfect score for their Paso double to “Swan Lake Remix.”

​

“One day a week I feel joy and happiness. It’s because of you. Thanks,” one fan wrote. “Girrrrlll you tore the dance floor up!!! You look stunning!!! You are the most exciting and entertaining contestant on the show. That performance was a 10 all day long,” another chimed in.

​

One Twitter user praised Machado for bringing “such joy to every dance.” Another fan wrote that they “just have to smile when I watch Justina dance. She and Sasha make it look so easy! Samba, sister!”

​

Watching Machado dance “makes me wanna cry happy tears,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Yasss Justina!! What an awesome samba!! I’m re-watching that one for sure!!”