Hello everyone! I am so excited to be back writing about my favorite show ever, Dancing With the Stars! Since I am starting my reviews during week four, let’s do a recap of what has happened so far. SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Week one of the show was split into two episodes, with the men performing one night and the women performing the next to the theme “No. 1 Songs By Birth Year.” There was also a double elimination with Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader both going home. The week after was “Viral Hits Night,” and Giada De Laurentiis was eliminated. Week three’s theme was “Yacht Rock Night” (one of my least favorite themes), and Taylor Hansen was sent home.Â
Now that we are all caught up, here are my thoughts on week four of Dancing With the Stars, “Mariah Carey Night.”Â
The competition this year is very level with one another, so it is hard to determine which dance was my favorite because I think multiple people did well. My favorite dance of the night was Harry Shum Jr.’s tango to “It’s Like That” with his partner Jenna Johnson. I think that Harry is one of, if not the best performer this season. All of his dances have been entertaining and lively, and this one was no different. He adds his own unique style to each dance, which makes it more inviting and fun to watch. His tango was sharp and fierce, and he showed his versatility through his strong facial expressions. I am excited to see how he continues to show up and show out in the future, and I hope to see him go far in the competition. Also, having his Glee co-star (and DWTS season 17 winner) Amber Riley sing the song he danced to was the perfect addition.Â
A dance that surprised me was Maura Higgins’ Waltz to “If It’s Over” with her partner Mark Ballas. Now, Maura was a contestant who came in with no prior dance experience and honestly made me a little nervous during her first package (small clips of practice time that are shown prior to each couple’s dances) because of how much she was struggling. She completely blew me away the first week, and she blew me away again this time. Her posture, movements, arms, and coordination in this Waltz were absolutely lovely, and she truly killed it on the dance floor. The reason why her dance shocked me is because of her scores; they received one 9 from Carrie Ann Annaba, which surprised me because I did not think it was quite 9 material yet. Nonetheless, I am hesitant to see her perform a Latin-style dance because her Cha-Cha in week three was her weakest performance so far.Â
One performance that disappointed me was Connor Wood’s Rumba to “Touch My Body” with his partner Rylee Arnold. There were many Rumbas performed during week four, and I have to say that Connor’s was the worst in my opinion. His hip rotations were stiff and clunky, he lacked arm extensions, and overall there was no suave and flow to his movements. I was honestly a bit shocked that he was not eliminated, but I am looking forward to a new dance style for him that he can better excel at.Â
At the end of the episode, Ciara Miller and her partner Brandon Armstrong were sent home. This came as a surprise to me because I really thought it was finally Guillermo Rodriguez’s time to go. Brandon always gets booted too early from the competition, and I hope that he can make it far sometime soon. You can watch Dancing With the Stars every Tuesday on Disney+, ABC, and the next day on Hulu at 8 pm PST. And come back every Monday for my thoughts and opinions about each week’s episode!Â