Dancing With The Stars: Who Didn't Have A Magical Ending To Disney Night?
At the end of Dancing With the Stars' Disney Night Tuesday, 10 couples were still in the running to go the distance and vie for Season 34's Mirrorball trophy. But a couple of poor, unfortunate souls didn't have enough votes to go on and were eliminated.
You'll recall that after Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui and partner Brandon Armstrong were booted last week, fans protested their ouster: After all, though Lauren and comedian Andy Richter had gotten the same score, her choreography was tougher, and her performance was far more polished. But popular support for Andy's upbeat attitude and joy of entertaining couldn't be denied: When the votes were counted, Lauren was out... and she was "pissed."
But let's bibbidi bobbidi move on to this week's episode, which found the remaining 11 couples dancing to songs from Disney's incredibly extensive songbook. Keep scrolling for our recap of all 12 performances, then weigh in with your critiques in the comments!
SAFE: Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
DANCE STYLE: Jazz (to "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin)
Jen showed off some gymnastic strength with a surprising back walkover. But I have to say, I agree with Carrie Ann: I just didn't love this routine. There was just something kind of... goofy about it? The choreography felt a bit disjointed, it didn't give Jen nor Jan the opportunity to really hit a stride.
JUDGES' SCORE: 23 out of 30
SAFE: Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
DANCE STYLE: Quickstep (to "Special Spice" from Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride)
Jordan may have been embodying a princess, but the woman was no damsel in distress. Every move she made looked effortlessly precise, and she somehow connected even the most difficult steps with fluidity and ease. It's hard to say anything else about this one, because it was just so seamless I wasn't ever distracted by the sort of egregious missteps or awkward gimmicks that are easy to criticize.
JUDGES' SCORE: 24 out of 30
SAFE: Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
DANCE STYLE: Viennese Waltz (to "Once Upon a Dream" from Maleficent)
Hot off one of her strongest performances yet, Alix didn't let up. In fact, the TikTok influencer returned with the vengeance of a Disney villain. (In a good way, I'm saying she came out strong!) From the haunting choreography to the over-the-top costume, it was fun to see Alix show off her dark side. She commanded the stage from the opening sequence through the very end, when she pushed Val onto the floor in an evil act of dance! This was one of the first routines that made me forget I was watching a celebrity talent show.
JUDGES' SCORE: 24 out of 30
SAFE: Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
DANCE STYLE: Quickstep (to "Life Is a Highway" from Cars)
Dylan was both light on his feet while also serving as the anchor Daniella needed to help her swerve and glide across the floor. (Literally! Didn't it seem like most of her choreography involved sliding around on the ground?!) Though Derek dubbed our Traitors champ "Dylan McQueen the Quickstep King," there's something about the way Dylan carries himself that makes me feel like we're watching a cute, little toddler waddling around out there in his mommy's oversized shoes. He just has that kind of energy, you know?
JUDGES' SCORE: 23 out of 30
SAFE: Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
DANCE STYLE: Quickstep (to "I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" from The Jungle Book)
Danielle's love for Disney really showed during her high-energy routine — and I loved her little space buns! While Bruno called her out for falling out of rhythm, and Carrie Ann said she looked like she was being tossed around, I adored this performance. What's so wrong with a little Topanga tossing?! Though she fell short of earning her first eight, I feel like Danielle is on the precipice of greatness.
JUDGES' SCORE: 21 out of 30
SAFE: Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
DANCE STYLE: Quickstep (to "Space Mountain" from Space Mountain ride)
From their choice of song to their alien-like choreography, Elaine and Alan really took a big swing this one. The ballroom rarely showcases such quirky displays, and I loved every second of it! It was high-paced, unexpected and full of creativity, all of which earned the pair their highest score yet. Can the other contestants take note? Risks pay off, people.
JUDGES' SCORE: 24 out of 30
SAFE: Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold
DANCE STYLE: Salsa (to "Bop to the Top" from High School Musical)
As a Millennial woman with only fond memories of High School Musical, I cannot be responsible for an unbiased evaluation of Scott and Rylee's routine. These two were full of joy, nostalgia and sparkle! There were times when Scott's movements didn't look as precise as they needed to be, but he forged ahead with confidence and showmanship. Rylee, on the other hand, really bopped to the top in this one — she outdid Miss Evans herself!
JUDGES' SCORE: 21 out of 30
SAFE: Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
DANCE STYLE: Cha Cha (to "Try Everything" from Zootopia)
Robert looked like he was able to shake off that Week 3 stiffness — the man's hips were not lying! He and Witney delivered a sweet performance fit for a Disney film. While it was cute and lovely, will I be thinking about it before my head hits pillow tonight? Probably not. Was it worth the opportunity to continue on in this competition? Absolutely.
JUDGES' SCORE: 22 out of 30
SAFE: Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
DANCE STYLE: Foxtrot (to "The Room Where It Happens" from Hamilton)
OK, I'll say it: Whitney and Mark can do no wrong! The pair transported us right to Broadway with their thrilling Hamilton-themed routine. It gave me everything I want out of Dancing With the Stars: theatrical showmanship combined with impressive choreography, the kind that makes me go, "Do my body parts bend like that?" (I checked, they don't!)
JUDGES' SCORE: 25 out of 30
SAFE: Andy Richter and Emma Slater
DANCE STYLE: Viennese Waltz (to "Le Festin" from Ratatouille)
Finally, someone really went for it in the wardrobe department. (I mean, really, would it have killed Hilaria to put on a Jaba the Hutt costume?) Emma perfectly embodied the lovable little Ratatouille rat by going "full mouse" as Derek called it, while Andy cooked up something worth celebrating right alongside her. Though he looked a bit off balance at times, when Andy took that baguette slap on the butt, the man was nothing short of elegant.
JUDGES' SCORE: 18 out of 30
ELIMINATED: Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko
DANCE STYLE: Quickstep (to "Cantina Band" from Star Wars: A New Hope)
Listen, I've not seen Star Wars: A New Hope, but this performance was just not giving the Star Wars that I thought I knew. Nothing about the routine was from a galaxy far, far away. It was, instead, giving the very worldly vibes of something you might catch during a cocktail hour on an all-inclusive cruise. It is important to note, that the judges — aka the actual experts of dance — thought it was incredible.
JUDGES' SCORE: 23 out of 30
Your turn! Hit the comments and let us know what you thought of Week 4!