What you need to know
- Twelve duos hit the dance floor on the October 6 episode of Dancing with the stars.
- All the couples danced to Mariah Carey songs.
- At the end of the night, the contestant with the lowest combined judges’ scores and viewer votes was eliminated.
Another week of rehearsals ended, which meant it was time for the other 12 Dancing with the stars contestants will take to the ballroom again on October 6. For this week’s episode, all the duos danced to Mariah Carey’s hits.
Throughout the live show, judge Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli weighed in on the routines, then scored the couples accordingly. At the end of the evening, the couple with the lowest combined score from judges and viewer votes was eliminated from the competition.
Below, check out all the scores and comments throughout the night, and scroll down to see who went home.
Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong — 21/30
First, Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong danced a jazz to “Emotions,” hoping to earn their first 7s from the judges. “What a great way to start the show, it was so much fun,” Hough said. “Your personality is boiling.” He also complimented the jazz steps and her “commitment” to dancing.
Tonioli called it a “superb performance” and noted how in sync Miller and Armstrong were. Meanwhile, Inaba said Miller was “clean” and “polite” and confirmed it was her best dance of the season so far.
Miller received three 7s from all judges for a score of 21/30.
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach — 24/30
Next, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach did a rumba to “Anytime You Need a Friend.” Tonioli was full of praise for Frech’s “charisma,” telling him: “You are truly a beautiful, dark Latin lover. The perfect setting for your wife, which is actually the role the man should play in the rumba, complements the beauty of the lady, and you did it so well.”
Inaba couldn’t help but blush from how hot it was after Frech’s dance, adding, “What you did was spectacular. How many different landings did you hit and land each time? Power. Beauty. And grace.”
Hough called the routine “seriously sophisticated” and “fantastic.” With three 8s from the judges, Frech received 24/30, his best score of the season so far.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson — 24/30
After tying for the top spot last week, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson returned with a tango to “It’s Like That,” for which he appeared in the music video.
Inaba was practically speechless. “It was masterful. It was magnificent. So sharp, so controlled, so dynamic,” she said, noting that Shum Jr. and Frech are both “top-notch” dancers. Hough called the dance “crisp, powerful and precise,” while also praising Shum Jr. for “taking risks” with his dances.
“A searing tango from a man on a mission. Sharp as a knife. So intense it gave me whiplash,” exclaimed Tonioli. With three 8s from the judges, Shum Jr. earned a 24/30.
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy — 24/30
Jenna Dewan then hit the floor, dancing a rumba to “My All” with Val Chmerkovskiy. Hough stood up to give Dewan a standing ovation. “All I have to say is…there it is,” he said. “The fundamental steps, the figures, are so beautifully done. The quality of the movement, every element was so breathtaking.”
Tonioli told Dewan that she showed “the light and shadow of artistry” with the rumba. “It’s a question of balance,” he stressed. “And now you have it.” Inaba praised Dewan’s “transformation” and stressed that this is what DWTS that’s all. “Starting with a solo is exactly the kind of courage I was waiting for. Your vulnerability, your beauty, it was spectacular and breathtaking,” she added.
The routine earned Dewan and Chmerkovskiy three 8s for their highest score to date, 24/30.
Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess — 21/30
After receiving a 5 for their jive last week, Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess had a lot to prove with their foxtrot to “Beautiful.” Tonioli said the dance was “elegant, intelligent” and a “real foxtrot” that was “full of content”. He also took care to note the improvement in this performance compared to last week.
“I’m absolutely sure your mom is so proud of you right now,” Inaba told Cameron. “It was a man dancing with a woman in all her beauty. You were so supportive. You were a different person this week.”
Hough warned Cameron that he still needed to work on his figure, but said: “I love watching you and I hope to see more of you.” Cameron achieved his best score to date with a 21/30.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas — 25/30
For their Mariah Carey dance, Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas did a waltz to “If It’s Over.” Inaba became “emotional” while watching Higgins’ dance. “It was so good,” she said. “The artistry and the emotion, you transported me to another world and I feel like right now the world needs that kind of beauty.”
Hough called it a “classical waltz” without “gimmicks or tricks”, which was “a beautiful, pure ballroom dance”. He also took care to note that these kinds of dances are his “favorite thing to see.” Tonioli said Higgins’ musicality was “out of this world.”
Higgins won Inaba’s first 9 of the season, as well as Hough and Tonioli’s 8, for a total of 25/30.
Gullerimo Rodriguez and Witney Carson — 13/30
Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson danced a samba to “Obsessed” and, although he was the fan-favorite contestant, he constantly fell to the bottom of the rankings, so he still had something to prove to the judges.
“It wasn’t really samba, but it was 100% Guillermo. Like everyone else, I’m obsessed with you. But samba? I don’t know…” Hough admitted. “But it was still a lot of fun. We love you.”
Tonioli said he could understand why Rodriguez was “becoming a national obsession” and revealed that the dance was “beyond criticism”. Inaba wondered what was going on with Rodriguez because she felt like he was “dimming (his) light” in samba. “I never want you to dim your light because you are special and you have a natural gift that we need,” she urged.
Rodriguez scored 4s from Hough and Inaba, but a 5 from Tonioli, for a 13/30.
Jackson Olson and Emma Slater — 21/30
The next performance was a waltz to “Without You” by Jackson Olson and Emma Slater. “Tonight you were actually on the music, with the music. I can see you almost for the first time,” Tonioli said.
Inaba said it made her “happy” to see Olson “tap into the love of dance,” noting that he “directed her passion toward the love of movement.” Hough told Olson “there was so much good” in her dancing, but gave some notes on how all contestants can improve their dancing framework.
With three 7s from the judges, Olson improved on his scores from last week and earned a 21/30.
Tatiana Ali and Jan Ravnik — 20/30
This week, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik danced a jazz to “Fantasy.” Ravnik even challenged his partner by putting some weight lifts into their routine for the first time.
“You’re such a good storyteller,” Inaba said, although she told Ali she could “hit the moves a little harder” and “put a little more energy into every move” for jazz.
Hough was delighted to see how much Ali “flourished” during her journey and said she was “so charismatic” and “brilliant”, but also pointed out the same criticisms as Inaba and told Ali to work on her transitions.
With 7s from Hough and Tonioli and a 6 from Inaba, Ali and Ravnik got a 20/30 for their dance.
Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold — 19/30
For this week’s dance, Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold did a rumba to “Touch My Body.” Hough told Wood he was becoming a leading man, but admitted he thought he was “playing it safe” in certain moves and criticized some of the technical elements of the dance.
“Shocking and I loved it,” Tonioli said. “It’s all about expressing yourself and not holding back. You have to go for it and you did it.” However, he agreed with Hough that Wood needed to work on foot placement and more.
“You’re going to have to try to find the balance because I feel like sometimes (adding spice) throws you off a little bit,” Inaba added. Wood got two 6s, but a 7 from Tonioli, so he finished with 19/30.
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa — 21/30
After struggling a bit last week, Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa returned to the dance floor with a Viennese waltz to “Vision of Love”.
Tonioli compared Stiles to Tinker Bell and told her not to make the dance “hoppy”, but noted that the “elegance and grace was there”. Inaba called it a “groundbreaking” performance for Stiles. “So much for that, you’re in the game, my friend,” she confirmed.
Hough called the performance “elegant” and praised Stiles for the beauty of his arms, but told him to “breathe” in his dancing to move forward. Stiles scored three 7s for 21/30, his highest scores to date.
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov — 23/30
The final dance of the evening was a rumba to “Hero” by Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov. Inaba called Glenn “powerful and divine” in her moves. However, she told her to “pull back just a hair” and “breathe a little more” when she dances.
Hough couldn’t get over the flexible turn Glenn did at the end of his dance, but told him, “The shoulders, I felt them come up a little bit in that dance. But overall, it was beautiful.” All three judges also agreed that it was a spectacular evening for all the contestants.
With 8s from Hough and Tonioli and a 7 from Inaba, Glenn ends the week with a 23/30.
WHO…
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