Dancing with the Stars is back and better than ever, with its most competitive season yet. Season 34 of the show has been smashing records, receiving more viewers and audience votes than ever before. Week six aired on Tuesday night, featuring its Wicked-themed dances. Every song of the night was from the Wicked movie, which allowed viewers to see a whole new side of the contestants. With jazz being the most common style selected, the night focused more on storytelling and theatricality, making it more exciting than ever to watch! In case you missed it, the following piece details some of the key moments from the ballroom.
Starting with the night’s highest scorer, Whitney Leavitt. The Secret Lives Of Mormon Housewives star received a 39/40 for her quickstep to “Popular” with pro Mark Ballas. The dance left the judges star-struck, and the pair received the first tens of the season. The quickstep requires fast feet, attention to detail, and fluidity in movement, and yet these were the very skills for which Leavitt was praised.
Tied for the top of the leaderboard was Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles. Chiles danced a rumba to “For Good”. Chiles was praised for her quality of movement, and the judges said that she made the dance look easy. Not only were these the first tens given to Chiles, but they were also the first tens received by pro Ezra Sosa during his many years on the show.
Social media personality and wildlife advocate Robert Irwin embodied Fiyero perfectly during his jazz piece to “Dancing Through Life”. Irwin has been consistently scoring towards the top of the leaderboard, and this week was no exception. Irwin and his partner, Witney Carson, danced a theatrical jazz piece to “Dancing Through Life”. Irwin has been consistently shocking the ballroom with his incredible moves, and wicked night was no exception. The judges praised Robert for the joy he brought to the stage, and he was even referred to as a natural performer. Irwin received a total score of 36/40 for his piece.
Another notable dance from Wicked Night was social media star Alix Earle’s jazz piece with her partner Val Chmerkovsky. The pair received a 35/40 from the judges for their jazz piece to “What is this Feeling?” The dance stuck out for its incredible storytelling, and the judges praised Earle for her physicality and facial expressions.
A surprisingly incredible performance came from actor Elaine Hendrix, in her contemporary piece to “Defying Gravity” with partner Alan Bernstein, and the piece left the entire ballroom in tears. Hendrix has been struggling with technique and has been lower on the leaderboard because of this. This week, however, the judges were brought to tears by her piece that scored a 36/40.
Unfortunately, tonight ended in an elimination, and tonight it was the end of the road for Pentatonix star Scott Hoying and his partner Rylee Arnold. Despite his best efforts, Hoying has been consistently placing towards the bottom of the leaderboard, and the judges have critiqued him for having little stage presence.
In summary, the competition in the ballroom is ramping up! Between the first tens of the season and surprising eliminations, it’s clear that this season of Dancing with the Stars is not to be missed!
