The Mouse House brings down the house on Dancing With the Stars when the top eight couples celebrate “Disney Night.” This show airs on Monday, one day earlier than usual due to Tuesday night’s midterm elections coverage.
Last week’s “Horror Movie Night” ended with two stars getting slashed from the competition: Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron and Savannah Bananas baseball entertainer Jackson Olson. That leaves figure skater Amber Glenn, reality personality Maura Higgins, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Tatyana Ali, Grey’s Anatomy actor Harry Shum Jr., Paralympian Ezra Frech, Save the Last Dance actress Julia Styles, The Rookie star Jenna Dewan, and comedian Connor Wood.
As always, those celebs had mere days to learn a dance in a new style, but this week they all had to prepare an additional routine for the team round, where Team Slaytopia (Tatyana, Maura, Amber, Julia, and host Alfonso Ribeiro) faces Team Wildcats (Connor, Ezra, Jenna, Harry, and host Julianne Hough) for additional judges’ points. Those points combined with the votes of viewers at home will determine this week’s results.
But will the judging be as startling as it was on “Horror Movie Night,” when guest judge and dance expert Shirley Ballas doled out everything from fours to 10s? This week’s guest judge is Color Purple Tony winner and Wicked Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo.
Read on for our Dancing With the Stars recap to find out who makes the mouse proud, and who, if anyone, is eliminated next.
Amber Glenn and pro partner Pasha Pashkov
Performance: Quickstep to “A Star Is Born” from Hercules
Carrie Ann’s comments: “Bravo for you for stepping into your power.” There was a “misstep,” but the dance was otherwise “clean, crisp, and smooth.”
Cynthia’s comments: “That was the most joyful thing ever to start this with,” “just divine.”
Bruno’s comments: “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the strongest of them all?” “You lost a step there, otherwise it was great.”
Scores: Carrie Ann (8), Derek (9), Cynthia (8), Bruno (9) = 34 out of 40
Maura Higgins and pro partner Mark Ballas
Performance: Jive to “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from Peter Pan
Carrie Ann’s comments: “At times the energy kind of dropped.”
Derek’s comments: “I ‘tink’ you make a perfect Tinkerbell.” “Could have used more snap, crackle, pop in the legs.”
Cynthia’s comments: “When you worry, it starts to show up,” so she should allow herself to have fun.
Bruno’s comments: “A bit saucy, aren’t we tonight?” “I love the way she sells it,” she has an “instinct in how to interpret.” She just needs more “elasticity through the legs.”
Scores: Carrie Ann (8), Derek (8), Cynthia (8), Bruno (8) = 32 out of 40
Tatyana Ali and pro partner Jan Ravnik
Performance: Contemporary to “Easy As Life” from Aida, with guest artist Heather Headley performing live
Carrie Ann’s comments: “You gave me chills. You danced with depth, true emotion. I love the way you started sort of tepid.” “You told that story with class and grace and elegance.”
Derek’s comments: “I always feel so connected to you when you dance.” When she elongates her arms, she needs to reach for full extension.
Cynthia’s comments: “The emotion pours from you, and it’s really beautiful to watch,” but she needs extend more.
Bruno’s comments: “You have to have that powerful dramatic” quality in her arms to better extend her movements.
Scores: Carrie Ann (9), Derek (8), Cynthia (8), Bruno (8) = 33 out of 40
Harry Shum Jr. and pro partner Jenna Johnson
Performance: Jazz to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins, with guest artist Kyra Belle Johnson performing live
Carrie Ann’s comments: “Amazing, it was wonderful. All the nuances were fantastic.”
Derek’s comments: “Get this man on broadway STAT. You’re such a fantastic performer.” “You were perfectly in sync.”
Cynthia’s comments: “I saw Dick Van Dyke and Charlie Chaplin.” The “intricacy” “blew my mind.”
Bruno’s comments: “Practically perfect in every way.”
Scores: Carrie Ann (10), Derek (10), Cynthia (10), Bruno (10) = 40 out of 40
Ezra Frech and pro partner Daniella Karagach
Performance: Samba to “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid, with guest artist Michael James Scott performing live
Carrie Ann’s comments: “Once aagain, you make the impossible possible.” And he took the note from last week to improve his acting and connection to the song and audience.
Derek’s comments: He had excellent “hip action” even with the prosthetic, it was “perfection.”
Cynthia’s comments: “I was riding the wave with you both.” “MAgic to watch you dance.”
Bruno’s comments: “Where are those hips coming from?”
Scores: Carrie Ann (9), Derek (10), Cynthia (9), Bruno (9) = 37 out of 40
Julia Stiles and pro partner Ezra Sosa
Judges’ Leaderboard
Harry Shum Jr. — 40
Ezra Frech — 37
Amber Glenn — 34
Tatyana Ali — 33
Maura Higgins — 32
More to come …
