It was a tear-filled evening in the ballroom as the “Dancing With the Stars” contestants performed dances to honor those who mean the most to them.
Each star had the opportunity to not only dedicate their dance, but also include their honorees in the routines for the first time in the history of the show. Attendees honored their mothers, siblings, best friends and even co-stars. Two-time “Dancing With the Stars” champion Kym Johnson joined the judges’ table to give her thoughts throughout the evening.
Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough announced that the show had reached another voting milestone, surpassing 50 million votes before revealing that no couple would be sent home on the emotional evening. All votes and scores will be combined with next week’s votes before Wicked Night is eliminated.
Andy Richter paid tribute to his adopted daughter Cordelia with his salsa to Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line.” Her partner Emma Slater brought Cordelia into the routine fold, twirling alongside her father. Richter joked that his daughter climbed the steps faster than him. Carrie Ann Inaba complimented the comedian, saying she saw improvement but the musicality was still poor. Bruno Tonioli agreed but praised the duo for adding more content to salsa.
Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin brought the ballroom to tears with his contemporary dance to “You’ll Be In My Heart.” Irwin dedicated the dance to his mother and “all mothers who don’t get the recognition they deserve.” Irwin tragically lost his father Steve Irwin when he was just two years old. Her mother Terri made an appearance at the end of the routine. Derek Hough, who won season 21 with Bindi Irwin, broke down in tears as he declared that “the world needs the Irwin family.” Irwin had his best scores of the season.
Best friend Lisa Anna Walter joined Elaine Hendrix on the ballroom dance floor Tuesday night for a foxtrot to This Will Be (An Everstanding Love). The best friends met on the set of “The Parent Trap” 28 years ago and have remained attached ever since. Hendrix wanted to celebrate female friendship with his routine. The foxtrot was a true trio with Alan Bersten, including Walter in much of the routine. Ribeiro said it was a great audition for the “Abbott Elementary” star. Tonioli compared Hendrix to Ginger Rogers before giving him his best scores of the competition so far.
“Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt danced with her best friend, husband Connor. She thanked him for making sacrifices to achieve her dreams before dancing a contemporary routine to Jamal Roberts’ “Heal.” His partner Mark Ballas played the role between their love interest during the routine during which Connor showed off his own dancing abilities. The judges praised the difficulty of the routine, but each of them pointed out a mistake that caused their scores to drop.
Mother of three, Jen Affleck dedicated her dance to her mother Maria. Affleck thanked his mother for leaving Ecuador for the United States and making a sacrifice so she could have the life she has now. She and her partner Jan Ravnik performed a Viennese waltz to Lauren Daigle’s “Rescue.” Guest judge Kym Johnson wanted to see more grounding in the routine. Affleck broke down in tears in the skybox while talking about his own journey with motherhood before acknowledging the strength of all moms.
Dylan Efron paid a sweet tribute to his little sister Olivia, dancing to his brother’s song “Rewrite the Stars” from “The Greatest Showman.” Efron said his five-year-old sister changed his outlook on life and showed him a level of love he had never experienced before. He started the contemporary routine by lifting his sister up the stairs and finished it with her in his arms. “I felt this story deep in my soul,” Inaba said. “You made my evening.” Tonioli told the reality star that he was improving week after week before the judges gave him the highest scores of the season.
Olympian Jordan Chiles dedicated her Viennese Waltz to her father Timothy Chiles – the one who got her into gymnastics in the first place. After encouraging partner Ezra Sosa to take his father as his own, the trio performed a moving waltz to John Mayer’s “Daughters.” The judges praised Timothy for performing the majority of the routine and Sosa for taking the risk of father-daughter dancing. “It paid off,” Johnson said. When Ribeiro asked if Timothy had any advice for his daughter, he replied, “I love you and let’s go to the top.” »
Pentatonix member Scott Hoying danced to his original song, in tribute to his husband Mark. He and partner Rylee Arnold participated in a foxtrot to “Parallel,” which Hoying wrote about his relationship. The Grammy winner also revealed that he and his husband were expecting via surrogate. The judges gave the singer harsh feedback, asking him to perfect his lines, his head and his silhouette.
“Boy Meets World” star Danielle Fishel took a stroll down memory lane with her jive to the show’s theme song. Fishel paid tribute to William Daniels, also known as Mr. Feeney from the Disney Channel show. They have known each other for 30 years and Fishel said he has inspired her ever since. Daniels kicked off the routine at her desk before Fishel and her partner Pasha Pashkov rushed into the ballroom. The judges called the routine nostalgic and fun, but it required more technical finesse and sharper edges. However, she won her first 8 of the season.
Influencer Alix Earle dedicated her routine to her little sister Izabel, who she credits with saving her blended family. After his parents separated, Earle said Isabel, now 12, was the glue that rebuilt his relationship with his father. “This routine was very technically difficult,” Tonioli said of her contemporary dance to Coldplay’s “Sparks.” Hough praised the social media star for her maturity in her move. The dance earned Earle his first nine of the season.
RANKING: Week 5
- Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 36
- Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 35
- Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 35
- Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 33
- Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 32
- Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 30
- Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold: 30
- Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik: 29
- Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov: 29
- Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 24
“Dancing With the Stars” airs live Tuesdays on ABC and streams on Disney+ in local time zones and the next day on Hulu.
