The ballroom turned “Wicked” as the celebrities and their dance partners took on the thrillifying tunes from the epic movie musical in Tuesday night’s episode of “Dancing With the Stars.”
Academy Award-nominated director Jon M. Chu joined the judges panel, giving contestants feedback and exclusive first looks into his upcoming film “Wicked: For Good.” The show was sponsored in part by “Wicked: For Good,” which is set to premiere in theaters this November.
Stars of the film Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and Michelle Yeoh popped in throughout the show in pre-taped segments to catch viewers up on the plot of the musical movies. “Wicked” choreographer Christopher Scott choreographed the opening number with steps included in the movie. Even Young Nessarose from the film, Cesily Collette Taylor, was in attendance in the audience.
After no couples were sent home for Dedication Night, the ballroom prepared for a heartbreaking elimination. Scott Hoying and his partner Rylee Arnold were sent home. The Pentatonix star said that he was grateful to end on a high on “Wicked” Night. ‘DWTS’ broke another voting record, receiving over 100 million votes for the combined Week 5 and 6 tally.
Hoying and Arnold opened up the show with their contemporary routine to “The Wizard and I.” In his package before his routine, Hoying said he was a superfan of the musical and joked that him dancing on “Wicked” Night was like Jordan Chiles getting a gymnastics night. Chu complimented Hoying on his Elphaba-like yearning but wanted to see cleaner transitions from the Pentatonix singer. He added that his long limbs made the movements more glaringly messy.
Alix Earle embodied Glinda this week with her jazz routine to “What Is This Feeling?” She and partner Val Chmerkovskiy brought the early days at Shiz University to life. Bruno Tonioli complimented Earle for her character work, saying she emanated the “classic musical comedy.” Derek Hough loved the homage to jazz 101 with pas de bourrée and double pirouettes. His sister Julianne commended the social media star for taking on different personas each week.
Robert Irwin brought the house down with his jazz to “Dancing Through Life.” Fiyero’s anthem in the musical showed off his dancing skills in what he called his “most ambitious dance yet.” Hough said that he needed to trade in his hiking boots for dancing shoes. Chu praised the wildlife conservationist for engaging with props, just as they do in the film, and not looking encumbered by them.
Whitney Leavitt earned the first 10s of the season with her routine to Ariana Grande’s “Popular.” After a down tick in scores last week, the “Mormon Wives” star redeemed herself with a jazzy twist on the Glinda hit. She and her partner Mark Ballas were immersed in Glinda’s dorm room in the beginning of their routine with real set pieces from the film. Both Chu and Tonioli agreed that they didn’t feel like they were judging a dance but simply enjoying a performance. Hough added he felt like they were “discovering a star before our eyes.”
Content creator Dylan Efron returned to the ballroom after receiving the highest scores of the season last week. He and his partner Daniella Karagach danced an enchanting rumba to “I’m Not That Girl.” Chu praised the reality star saying “this is the kind of masculinity in dance that we need.” Hough complimented Efron for keeping up with his powerhouse “Ferrari” of a partner. There were a couple mistakes, but Tonioli assured him it was par for the course as rumba is the hardest style for men to learn.
Showman Andy Richter captivated the audience with his jazz routine to “One Short Day.” The comedian and his partner Emma Slater incorporated the troupe dance ensemble into the routine with Richter even doing a kickline alongside them. “Even the great Oz could not have created a better illusion,” Tonioli joked. Carrie Ann Inaba and Hough complimented the comedian on his dedication to dance and growth so far as he earned his first 7s of the season.
After a disappointing set of scores for Dedication Night, Elaine Hendrix was ready to prove that nobody could bring her down on “Wicked” Night. She and her partner Alan Bersten performed a contemporary routine to “Defying Gravity,” filled with trust falls and captivating lifts. At the end of the routine, Hendrix even took flight as the Wicked Witch of the West. Her routine brought her partner, Inaba and the audience to tears. “You had the toughest number, and you killed it,” Tonioli said. Chu added that she felt the actress surrender just as Elphaba does.
Jen Affleck vulnerably asked her partner Jan Ravnik if she was a bad dancer after her scores from the previous week. Determined to make up for it, the star took on a foxtrot to “As Long as You’re Mine” from the musical. The “Mormon Wives” star said she wanted harder choreography to show off her skills, but Hough argued that it is more about the execution than the content itself. “It’s not what you do. It’s how you do it,” Tonioli added.
“Boy Meets World” star Danielle Fishel wowed the judges with her Argentine tango to “No Good Deed,” Elphaba’s Act 2 ballad. This was the first time Fishel had stepped into a moody, powerful style, and it paid off. Tonioli commended her partner Pasha Pashkov for his intricate choreography to match the dynamic music shifts in the piece. Inaba called the routine a “breakthrough” for Fishel before she scored all 9s.
Olympian Jordan Chiles ended “Wicked” Night dancing a rumba to one of the most iconic songs from the musical — “For Good.” She and her partner Ezra Sosa danced to the friendship duet, which Inaba called “perfection.” Chu specifically said he knew Chiles wanted to win this competition because he saw the same fire in her eyes he did at the Paris Olympics. Tonioli commended her routine for its fluidity and control. The Gold medalist went on to earn her first 10s of the season.
LEADERBOARD: Week 5 and 6
- Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas: 72
- Robert Irwin & Witney Carson: 71
- Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa: 71
- Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy: 70
- Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach: 68
- Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten: 66
- Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov: 65
- Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik: 61
- Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold: 58
- Andy Richter & Emma Slater: 52
“Dancing With the Stars” airs live on Tuesdays on ABC and streams on Disney+ in local time zones and the next day on Hulu.
