“Dancing With the Stars” brings funk, boogie and a gutsy backflip to the ballroom with a “Soul Train”-themed episode.

Beep Beep! On Monday evening, Dancing with the stars honored a groundbreaking variety show that revolutionized music, dance and style across generations: Soul train.

For over 35 years Soul train earned its place as one of the longest-running nationally broadcast television shows in American history, catapulting R&B, soul and hip-hop into the mainstream.

At its peak, Soul train was “the beating heart of black culture,” choreographer Randy Connor told Yahoo Entertainment.

“Soul train “Gave a deep insight into American pop culture and gave us a realistic understanding of our roots,” said Connor, whose credits include the music videos for Salt n' Pepa's 1993 hits “None of Your Business” and “Whatta Man” – En Vogue – as well Britney Spears' debut single “…Baby One More Time” from 1998.

Created by Don Cornelius, Soul train offered musicians, dancers and choreographers a stage on which they could shine. His iconic “Soul Train” line — full of popping, locking and groove — became a cultural sensation at a time when few television shows celebrated Black art on a grand scale. Moves like the Funky Chicken, the Bump, the Snake Step and the Roger Rabbit, Connor explained, changed the landscape of American dance.

“Back then, hip-hop was just entering the mainstream,” Connor said. “Soul train laid the foundation for where we are today in music, be it pop, R&B or even Afrobeats.”

The spirit of Soul train showed up in performances Dancing with the starswhere the couples paid tribute to their heritage.

Standout moments included the Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha- Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha to Run-DMC's “It's Tricky,” which earned them the highest score of the night – an outstanding 36.

“Your musicality was there, your rhythm was there and your passion was there,” guest judge Rosie Perez said of Kinney’s performance. “The only criticism I want to direct at you, young girl, is: let your sexuality explode!”

Phaedra Parks and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy opened the evening with an energetic quickstep to Aretha Franklin's “Think,” with Perez praising it Real Housewives of Atlanta Star talent.

“You can teach people how to dance, but you can’t teach people how to boogie and you know how to boogie,” Perez said.

Meanwhile, Joey Graziadei impressed the judges with a dynamic jive to the Isley Brothers' “Shout” and wowed with a flawless backflip. Perez was particularly impressed with his performance, saying, “Her sex appeal is incredible” as he and his partner Jenna Johnson received top nines of the season from both her and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik were tied at 30, each demonstrating their athleticism with their exercises. Maher's foxtrot to “Lady Marmalade” by LaBelle with pro Alan Bersten earned praise from Inaba, who exclaimed: “Say goodbye to rugby, girl, because dancing is coming your way!”

Eric Roberts had a particularly heartfelt moment when he dedicated his foxtrot to Al Green's “Let's Stay Together” to his wife Eliza and brought her on stage for a tender kiss at the end of the piece.

“I’m so proud that I’m still there for my wife,” he told the jury.

Sparks flew between model Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko during their steamy rumba to Marvin Gaye's “Sexual Healing.” The chemistry between them was so good that judge Derek Hough joked, “That dance got me pregnant,” to the audience's delight.

Of the Soul train Connor said the energy of the show was exactly what he expected.

In his heart, Soul train is “a celebration that frees the mind and body,” he said.

“It all starts with music,” Connor explained, “and from that comes the freedom to express yourself.”

The spirit of expression was evident in performances such as Jenn Tran's Viennese Waltz or Alicia Keys' “Fallin'” with partner Sasha Farber. Judge Bruno Tonioli said her performance was “the raunchiest, sexiest and hottest Viennese waltz I have ever seen.”

However, not all participants performed smoothly.

Former NBA star Dwight Howard and his partner Daniella Karagach landed in the bottom three after their under-rehearsed cha-cha-cha to “Let's Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire. Inaba didn't mince words, telling them: “That was hard to watch.” Tonioli added: “You need to work on your technique.”

Danny Amendola and partner Witney Carson scored an admirable 30 points for their foxtrot to “Dancing Machine” by the Jackson 5, while Reginald VelJohnson and Emma Slater received the night's lowest score of 21 for their foxtrot to “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash received. Despite the low score, Inaba praised VelJohnson's spirit.

“There's something so sweet and innocent when you dance,” she told the Die Hard Actor. “I wish I could give you 10s and 10s just for going out and showing us this beautiful joy.”

Connor told Yahoo Entertainment that dancing is about much more than just nailing the perfect dance – it's about enjoying the joy, energy and freedom that comes with it Soul train embodied for generations.

“Dancing is not just about mastering the steps,” he explained. “You have to let the music pass through you to celebrate your individuality. Soul train That’s what taught us, and it’s a legacy that lives on every time someone steps on the dance floor.”

Dancing with the stars returns for its “Heavy Metal” episode Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with two couples sent home in a double elimination.

How did the stars fare?

Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Rosie Perez (guest), Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli

Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong

• Dance: Cha Cha

• song: “It’s Tricky” by Run-DMC

• Score: Carrie Ann 9, Rosie 9, Derek 9, Bruno 9

• In total: 36/40

Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson

• Dance: Jive

• song: “Shout” by the Isley Brothers

• Score: Carrie Ann 9, Rosie 9, Derek 8, Bruno 8

• In total: 34/40

Jenn Tran and pro Sasha Farber

• Dance: Viennese waltz

• song: “Fallin'” by Alicia Keys

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Rosie 8, Derek 7, Bruno 8

• In total: 31/40

Ilona Maher and professional Alan Bersten

• Dance: Foxtrot

• song: “Lady Marmalade” by LaBelle

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Rosie 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• In total: 30/40

Danny Amendola and professional Witney Carson

• Dance: Foxtrot

• song: “Dancing Machine” by Jackson 5

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Rosie 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• In total: 30/40

Stephen Nedoroscik and professional Rylee Arnold

• Dance: Quickstep

• Song: Song: “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Rosie 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• In total: 30/40

Phaedra Parks and Pro Val Chmerkovskiy

• Dance: Quickstep

• Song: “Think” by Aretha Franklin

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Rosie 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• In total: 30/40

Brooks Nader and professional Gleb Savchenko

• Dance: Rumba

• song: Song: “Seuxal Healing” by Marvin Gaye

• Score: Carrie Ann 7, Rosie 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• In total: 28/40

Eric Roberts and professional Britt Stewart

• Dance: Foxtrot

• song: “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green

• Score: Carrie Ann 7, Rosie 6, Derek 5, Bruno 6

• In total: 24/40

Dwight Howard and professional Daniella Karagach

• Dance: Cha Cha

• song: “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind and Fire

• Score: Carrie Ann 6, Rosie 6, Derek 5, Bruno 6

• In total: 23/40

Reginald VelJohnson and professional Emma Slater

• Dance: Foxtrot

• song: “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash

• Score: Carrie Ann 6, Rosie 5, Derek 5, Bruno 5

• In total: 21/40