1 Couple Says Goodbye<\/p>\n
1 hr 42 min ago<\/p>\n
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After it was announced Danielle and Pasha, Jordan and Ezra, Whitney and Mark, Alix and Val, Robert and Witney, Jen and Jan and Elaine and Alan were safe, three couples remained on the stage: Scott and Rylee, Andy and Emma and Dylan and Daniella.\n<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Scott and Rylee were sent home, and Scott said this experience has been “everything.”\n<\/p>\n
“Rylee is my favorite person ever,” he said. “I had so much fun. It’s Wicked Night. It’s the perfect way to go.”\n<\/p>\n
Rylee said that she “couldn’t ask for a better partner.”\n<\/p>\n
Jordan Chiles Nabs Her First 10s<\/p>\n
1 hr 51 min ago<\/p>\n
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To close out the performances, Jordan and partner Ezra performed a Rumba to \u201cFor Good\u201d surrounded by poppies.\n<\/p>\n
After the performance, Bruno called the dance “drop dead gorgeous” and said “Cynthia would be proud.”\n<\/p>\n
Carrie Ann said she didn’t “want tonight to end.”\n<\/p>\n
“My favorite night of all season,” she said. “It was perfection.”\n<\/p>\n
Derek called the routine “so stunning.”\n<\/p>\n
“When we say be more grounded, that’s what we’re talking about,” he said, adding that “now I want to see the emotions even more.”\n<\/p>\n
Jon said he previously saw Jordan at the Olympics in Paris and that she had the same look in her eyes tonight. “You want to win this thing, I can tell,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
Jordan received her first 10s of the season.\n<\/p>\n
Score: 39\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Danielle Fishel Has Her ‘Breakthrough’ Moment<\/p>\n
2 hours ago<\/p>\n
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Danielle and partner Pasha performed an Argentine Tango to \u201cNo Good Deed,” and Danielle said in her intro package that she was looking forward to embracing her “dark and moody side.”\n<\/p>\n
After their dance, Jon said that he loved seeing Danielle “rise” above any boxes people have put her in. His only note was that he wished “the intensity grew at the end, but other than that, it was amazing.”\n<\/p>\n
Bruno called Danielle a “sexy mama full of passion and drama.”\n<\/p>\n
“That was pure, real Argentine Tango,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
Carrie Ann said that tonight was Danielle’s “breakthrough” moment on the show. “That was a powerful woman in action on our dance floor,” she said.\n<\/p>\n
Derek said that Danielle was doing “professional moves.” He noted that she shouldn’t “mistake posture for constriction, but that was magnificent.”\n<\/p>\n
When Danielle received all 9s from the judges, she ecstatically jumped around.\n<\/p>\n
Score: 36\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Jen Affleck Gets Her Best Score Yet<\/p>\n
2 hr 11 min ago<\/p>\n
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Jen said in her intro package that she was excited to play Elphaba and that she could relate to her “a lot” because she felt like an outcast after moving to a mostly white school in Utah.\n<\/p>\n
“I didn’t make dance company, I didn’t make the cheer team,” she said.<\/p>\n
Jen then embodied Elphaba while performing a Foxtrot with partner Jan to \u201cAs Long as You\u2019re Mine.”\n<\/p>\n
“Jen, I really felt like you were connected to that dance,” Derek said.\n<\/p>\n
Jon said he loves Jen’s “commitment to pushing yourself,” a reference to when she said in her intro package that she wanted more complicated routines.\n<\/p>\n
“Great love and great suffering awakens the soul,” he said. “I also think it’s more than just romance, it’s perseverance.”\n<\/p>\n
Bruno said that Jen’s “flow of movement is improving a lot”: “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.”\n<\/p>\n
Carrie Ann said she saw Jen tap into a new side last week, and she likes “the direction you’re going in.”\n<\/p>\n
Score: 32\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Elaine Hendrix Defies Gravity and Gets One Judge to Cry<\/p>\n
2 hr 25 min ago<\/p>\n
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During her intro package, Elaine broke down in tears as she told her partner Alan that she was feeling the limitations of her body.\n<\/p>\n
“I have a titanium joint in my right foot,” she said. “I don’t want to let it stop me.”\n<\/p>\n
The judges were all moved by Elaine and Alan’s Contemporary performance to “Defying Gravity,” and Carrie Ann even cried.\n<\/p>\n
“I burst into tears because you were so truly in the moment,” Carrie Ann said. “It was beauty, elegant. I am so proud of you.”\n<\/p>\n
Derek said that he spoke with Elaine after the show last week, and “I know you’re pushing through some things.”\n<\/p>\n
“You really are defying the odds,” he said. “You move with such grace and wisdom, and man, you’re going to cherish that moment forever.”\n<\/p>\n
Jon called Elaine “amazing,” and Bruno said “the way you inhabited the character was completely true.”\n<\/p>\n
After receiving her score, Elaine said, “I am 54, I am injured and I just did that!”\n<\/p>\n
Score: 36\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Andy Richter Makes a ‘Miracle’ Happen<\/p>\n
2 hr 37 min ago<\/p>\n
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In his intro package, Andy said that he feels “like a better person” and “more alive” since joining the show.\n<\/p>\n
Andy and his partner Emma then transported the ballroom to the Emerald City for their Jazz performance to \u201cOne Short Day.”\n<\/p>\n
“My darling, even the great Oz himself couldn’t have created a better illusion,” Bruno said. “You were on time, it’s a miracle!”\n<\/p>\n
Carrie Ann said the performance “was really good.”\n<\/p>\n
“You’re living proof that the art form of dance is for everyone,” she said.\n<\/p>\n
Derek said the moment where Andy was hanging out with all the troupe dancers during the dance “was fantastic.”\n<\/p>\n
Jon said that he’s “loved” watching Andy “every week break open.”\n<\/p>\n
“Wicked is about being the underdog and working your butt off to get there, and you have done that,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
This week, the judges gave Andy his first 7s.\n<\/p>\n
Score: 27\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Dylan Efron Steps Out of His Comfort Zone<\/p>\n
2 hr 49 min ago<\/p>\n
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In the intro package, Dylan’s partner Daniella said he’s been making her a better dancer throughout their practices. Dylan also explained that the romance and passion of the Rumba is out of his “comfort zone.”\n<\/p>\n
After their performance to \u201cI\u2019m Not That Girl,” Jon said he noticed Dylan was “so connected in the story.”\n<\/p>\n
“I can’t believe you’ve never done this before,” he added.\n<\/p>\n
Bruno noted that Dylan’s hips “have no problem at all.”\n<\/p>\n
“In fact, sometimes you lost a little bit of control of it,” he said, noting the Rumba “is the hardest dance for men, and you did it well.”\n<\/p>\n
Carrie Ann said that Dylan and Daniella’s partnership is what makes all their dances “magic.”\n<\/p>\n
“Sometimes the foot got stuck, but otherwise wonderful to watch,” she added.\n<\/p>\n
Derek acknowledged that Dylan is “growing.”\n<\/p>\n
Score: 32\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Whitney Leavitt Gets the First 10s of the Season<\/p>\n
2 hr 57 min ago<\/p>\n
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During her intro package, Whitney said that she could relate to Glinda in that “she’s super bubbly and happy and she thinks she knows it all, but she doesn’t.”\n<\/p>\n
Whitney and partner Mark then performed a Quickstep to \u201cPopular,” with Whitney channeling Glinda. Mark also wore all pink.\n<\/p>\n
After the performance, Derek got up out of his seat and said, “What?!”\n<\/p>\n
“I feel like we are discovering a star before our eyes,” he said, noting it was “an advanced” and “jam-packed” routine.”\n<\/p>\n
Jon said it was the “perfect blend of technical prowess and fun.”\n<\/p>\n
“I was floating on air in a bubble,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
Bruno said the dance was “Glinda gone ballistic,” while Carrie Ann called the routine “unhinged in all the right ways.”\n<\/p>\n
“Even though you started as a great dancer you are getting better with each performance,” she said.\n<\/p>\n
Whitney ended up getting the first 10s of the season.\n<\/p>\n
Score: 39\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Robert Irwin Gets His Best Score Yet<\/p>\n
3 hr 7 min ago<\/p>\n
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Ahead of his performance, Robert revealed that he is such a big Wicked fan that he rented out a theater to watch the film for his 21st birthday.\n<\/p>\n
Robert and partner Witney then performed a Jazz routine to \u201cDancing Through Life,” with Robert channeling Prince Fiyero and Rylee channeling Glinda.\n<\/p>\n
After the dance, Carrie Ann told Robert that “Dancing Through Life” “needs to be your theme song.”\n<\/p>\n
“That was so ambitious,” she said. “You really took the challenge. You nailed it.”\n<\/p>\n
Derek told Robert that he needs to swap his hiking boots for Broadway shoes. “You were meant to be a performer,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
Jon said that he’s been having so much fun watching Robert at home but seeing him dance in person was “even better.”\n<\/p>\n
Bruno called the performance a “joyful, theatrical treat.”\n<\/p>\n
While awaiting his score, Robert said, “I wouldn’t be able to do this without Witney. She’s my new big sister. I got another one.”\n<\/p>\n
Score: 36\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Alix Earle Channels Glinda<\/p>\n
3 hr 16 min ago<\/p>\n
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Alix and partner Val performed a Jazz routine to \u201cWhat Is This Feeling?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
In her intro package, Alix said she “did theater when I was younger,” but because of her lack of singing talent, “I always got cast as a tree.”\n<\/p>\n
“One time I was a printing machine,” she said. “[Now] I get to live out my musical theater dreams.”\n<\/p>\n
During the routine, Alix did Ariana’s famous Glinda hair flip. She and Val also recreated the book sequence from the film.\n<\/p>\n
Bruno said he thought the routine was “delicious.”\n<\/p>\n
“It was right back to the classic musical comedy,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
While Carrie Ann said it wasn’t Alix’s “most difficult dance,” she said “it was your best dance.” She said she could picture Alix’s younger sister Izabel watching her.\n<\/p>\n
Derek said “tonight is all about storytelling, and the way you told that story was fantastic.”\n<\/p>\n
Jon seconded that and said it was “so fun” to watch the dance.\n<\/p>\n
Score: 35\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Scott Hoying Sweeps One Judge Away to Oz<\/p>\n
3 hr 27 min ago<\/p>\n
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Scott and partner Rylee performed a Contemporary routine to \u201cThe Wizard And I.”\n<\/p>\n
In his intro package ahead of the performance, Scott said he’s “seen Wicked on Broadway maybe 20 times” and that the Wicked film is “on replay” in his home.\n<\/p>\n
“I’ve known Ariana for years, and I got to sing with Cynthia before,” he said.\n<\/p>\n
After the performance, guest judge Jon asked, “Is this the best season of Dancing with the Stars ever?!”\n<\/p>\n
“To learn a new style of dance and go out there is incredible,” he said. “I wish some of the transitions were a little cleaner, but you swept me away to Oz.”\n<\/p>\n
Bruno noted that Scott “was so enthusiastic that he missed some of the passes” and gave him advice to “control it a little bit more, my love.” Carrie Ann also gave Scott constructive criticism about his arms but said it “was an amazing way to start the show.”\n<\/p>\n
Derek agreed with Jon’s note about transitions and told Scott to ” think of the dance as one continuous thought and not separate sentences.”\n<\/p>\n
Score: 28\/40\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
An Opening Fit for Broadway<\/p>\n
3 hr 37 min ago<\/p>\n
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In a video message, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo introduced the opening number choreographed by Wicked’s Christopher Scott to a medley \u201cNo One Mourns the Wicked \/ Defying Gravity \/ For Good \/ Thank Goodness \/ Dancing Through Life \/ What Is This Feeling?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
During the “Dancing Through Life” portion of the performance, Derek Hough took center stage. For “What Is This Feeling?” hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro took on the roles of Glinda and Elphaba, respectively.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A Special Guest Joins the Judges’ Panel<\/p>\n
4 hr 2 min ago<\/p>\n
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Wicked and Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu will join Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough<\/a> on the judges’ panel to provide his expert insights.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Dancing Through the Lineup<\/p>\n 4 hr 2 min ago<\/p>\n Copy The Link To This Blog Post<\/p>\n Scott Hoying and partner Rylee Arnold will perform a Contemporary routine to \u201cThe Wizard And I.”\n<\/p>\n Alix Earle<\/a> and partner Val Chmerkovskiy will perform a Jazz routine to \u201cWhat Is This Feeling?\u201d\n<\/p>\n Robert Irwin<\/a> and partner Witney Carson will perform a Jazz routine to \u201cDancing Through Life.”\n<\/p>\n Whitney Leavitt<\/a> and partner Mark Ballas will perform a Quickstep to \u201cPopular.”\n<\/p>\n