Why Wanya Morris And Lindsay Arnold Are Dancing To A Song With No Music On ‘DWTS’

Wanya Morris and Lindsay Arnold might pull off a Dancing with the Stars first during tonight’s episode of the show. The song they have chosen to perform to has no music, and it’s one that most people would have a very difficult time dancing to. However, Wanya and Lindsay think they’re up for the challenge.

According to ABC News, Wanya Morris and Lindsay Arnold have chosen to perform to the “Star-Spangled Banner”on tonight’s show. However, the version of the patriotic song that they’ll be waltzing to isn’t one loaded with booming brass and punctuated with percussion blasts. As Buddy TV reports, the couple will glide across the DWTS ballroom to the a cappella version of the national anthem performed by Wanya’s group, Boyz II Men.

It’s “My Most Memorable Year” week on Dancing with the Stars, and Wanya Morris has chosen to relive a special moment in his life that’s very timely. The summer Olympics will be starting soon, and Wanya is going to pay homage to the games by recalling Boyz II Men’s performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

“It was a feat that four black guys from Philadelphia would never have been able to forecast in a million years,” Wanya said.

According to Jet magazine, there were media reports that the U.S. Olympic Committee had turned down Boyz II Men’s soulful, music-less version of the “Star-Spangled Banner” because it was “too black” and “too fancy.” However, the committee denied this, as did the group’s manager. You can check their performance out below (it begins at the 2:30 mark).

Here’s a fun fact about dancing to the national anthem. According to Lowering the Bar, in Michigan, it was illegal to dance to the “Star-Spangled Banner” in a public place until this law was removed from the books last year.

The “Star-Spangled Banner” from the 1996 Olympics will be the second Boyz II Men song that Wanya Morris and Linsday Arnold have danced to on DWTS. During the Season 22 premiere, they performed a cha-cha to “Motown Philly” that scored them a spot at the top of the leaderboard. Wanya has already found himself there twice, but both times he and Lindsay have had to share the No. 1 spot with other couples. And while Wanya Morris is definitely one of this season’s frontrunners, he’s not resting on his laurels.

Both of Wanya’s dances thus far have been fast-paced, but he’s going to have to slow things down considerably for tonight’s waltz. According to the singer, it’s been tough transitioning from the Latin-flavored cha-cha and salsa to the smooth and elegant waltz.

“With waltz, it’s more, you know, I have to watch my hands… A lot of things are different,” Wanya said.

However, Lindsay Arnold is optimistic about how America will respond to Wanya Morris toning down his infectious energy for a more graceful dance.

“We’re doing a waltz, so we’re kind of going in a completely opposite direction of what we’ve seen from Wanya, and I think that’ll be really good for America to see another side of him,” Lindsay told ABC News Radio.

As The Inquisitr previously reported, former Dancing with the Stars competitor Joey Fatone is good friends with Wanya, and he’s actually the reason the Boyz II Men star decided to join the show. During a recent appearance on Good Morning America, The former ‘NSYNC member explained why he believes competing on DWTS is a positive thing for members of music groups like Wanya and himself.

“It’s great with Wanya because just like with ‘NSYNC, nobody really sees your personality. They see you as a group. So with the three of them in Boyz II Men, you never see this side of Wanya.”

Will showing off his patriotic side pay off for Wanya Morris? Or will he struggle with his homage to the stars and stripes? You can find out when Dancing with the Stars airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

[Image via Lindsay Arnold/Instagram]