Last week, it was Dedication Night on Dancing with the Stars, and it was a very emotional and heartfelt week of dances. This week, there was an additional fourth judge. Former DWTS two-time champion Kym Herjavec returned to the competition as a guest judge. Let’s see how these dances went!
*WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD*
Andy and Emma
Another great week for the Andy fans because this week he dances a Salsa to “Shake Signora” dedicated to his daughter Cornelia. This dance had a lot more content than last week and was very cute, as we’ve come to expect from him. The part with his daughter, especially, was niceand I liked how Emma had his daughter doing some salsa moves! The judges commented on his ability to connect with America and the audience, complimenting how there were more steps in this dance; however, they mentioned how they weren’t always on time. This dance was clearly full of love, which worked well for Andy. They received four sixes, which I agree with!
Robert and Whitney
This week, Robert performed a contemporary dance to “You’ll be in my Heart” dedicated to his mom, Terri. Robert talked about how his mom always made sure that his father was present in his life even though he passed away, and he wanted to dedicate the dance to her to honor everything she has done for him. This dance was clearly a step up for Robert, as he showed a new, softer side and had a lot of beautiful choreography that he executed very well. The judges complimented the emotion he showed and how you could see the love on the stage with him and his mom. Robert received three nines and an eight, and I would’ve given him a nine. I think Carrie Anne needs to work on her scoring because her scores were very off base tonight.
Elaine and Allen
Elaine and Allen danced a foxtrot to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” and dedicated it to her best friend, Lisa Anne Walter. This dance celebrated female friendship and had a lot of good content. I also liked how Allen incorporated Lisa into the dance, and the judges agreed with this. They commented on how it was a wonderful way to celebrate their friendship, and called her to work on relaxing her shoulders when she dances. She scored two eights and two sevens, and I also would’ve given her a seven.
Whitney and Mark
Whitney danced a contemporary routine to the song “Heal” with her husband Conner, to whom she dedicated the peformance. This dance very very fluid and had some cool lifts; however, there was a section that was very off beat. The concept was also very interesting to make a dance about how her husband tried to cheat on her, but to each their own. The judges complimented Conner’s dancing and Whitney’s musicality. They also complimented the ambitious choreography, but did comment on the mistake in the synchronization of the dance. Whitney received three eights and a nine, and I would’ve given her an eight. I think it is insane that Carrie Anne gave Whitney a nine after the clear mistakes she made, and she is clearly biased towards certain contestants.
Jen and Jan
Jen performed a beautiful Viennese Waltz to the song “Rescue” with her mother. During this dance, she had some very nice moments, but I think she needs to work on her flexibility and footwork. I also would’ve liked a little more direct waltz moments. The judges complimented her on how her dance shone with love and called her to continue to work on flowing through her motions. They also asked her to try to dance with more length, as it would help with the fluidity. Jen scored three sevens and an eight, and I would’ve given her a seven as well.
Dylan and Daniella
This week, Dylan and Daniella danced a contemporary to his brother’s song “Rewrite the Stars” with his five-year-old sister Olivia. This dance with his sister was so darling, and Dylan had some insane progress this week. Coming from having absolutely no dance experience, this dance was incredibly impressively executed and had some really complicated lifts and moves. The judges complimented how he is progressing every day and his storytelling ability. They also complimented Daniella’s teaching ability, which is consistently impressive every season. Dylan scored four nines, which I agree with for someone who has had zero prior training.
Jordan and Ezra
Jordan danced a Viennese waltz to the song “Daughters” with her dad, Timothy. This dance was special for Jordan because her dad put her into gymnastics. The part of the dance where Ezra was dancing behind her and her dad with an empty hand to represent his lack of a relationship with his father was so touching and powerful. This dance was beautiful and fluid, and honestly made me tear up a little bit! The judges complimented the tenderness and love in the dance, as well as the risk paying off of putting so much content between Jordan and her dad. The judges gave her four eights, although I would’ve given her a nine because I thought this was a fantastic dance.
Scott and Rylee
Scott danced a foxtrot to his own song “Parallel,” which is about his husband Mark, to whom he dedicated it to. This dance showed some good improvement and was a lot smoother than his past dances. The judges complimented the fluidity and asked him to watch his alignment in his head, and have more driving action in his standing leg in frame. They received two sevens and two eights, and I actually would’ve given him an eight because this showed improvement.
Danielle and Pascha
Danielle danced a jive to “Boy Meets World,” dedicated to one of her co-stars on the show, William Daniels, who played Mr. Feeny. This dance had a really cute concept and a lot of energy. There was a tiny mishap at the start, but she recovered very well, and there was a lot of good jive content. The judges complimented her performance, saying that it was light, lively, and lovable. They asked her to work on sharpening the edges of her dance a little bit, but other than that, they didn’t have too many criticisms. Danielle received four sevens, which I agree with.
Alix and Val
Alix danced a beautiful contemporary dance dedicated to her younger sister Izabel to the song “Sparks.” The story behind the dance was very heartfelt and vulnerable to share how her sister brought back together her fractured family after her dad cheated on her mom with another woman, who he then married. This dance had beautiful technique and flexibility, and I loved it. The judges complimented the difficulty level of technicality and how she made it look easy. They asked her to watch her arms when she turns because sometimes they can get a little bit wonky, but said that her movement was mature and the choreography was sensational. Alix received three nines and an eight, and I think is preposterous that Carrie Anne gave her an eight and Whitney a nine when she made multiple obvious mistakes, and Alix didn’t. I would’ve given her a nine because I thought this dance was well thought out and well executed.
Last week, no one was eliminated, so their scores and votes will cross over to next week, where they will be performing Wicked-themed dances to songs from the musical. Come back next week to see my thoughts!