This week, Dancing with the Stars jumped right onto the dance floor. No skits! Guest judge and performer Billy Porter sang “How Will I Know” to open Whitney Houston night while the pros, ensemble dancers, and even Julianne and Alfonso. The opening number was choreographed by Ray Leeper.
The Highlights
- Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner Billy Porter joined the show as this week’s guest judge.
- The first perfect score for a duet this season is awarded!
- Taylor Swift shares a special message ahead of Taylor Swift night next week!
Harry and Rylee
What a rollercoaster! Harry and Rylee are still struggling to find their footing in the individual performances, but Harry shined as team captain during the group performances last week. Rylee tried to get him to be more fluid by training for their Viennese waltz with a ballet class. Derek said he saw “breakthrough moments” this week, but wanted to see Harry using the space more. Billy loved the connection between Harry and Rylee and wanted to see it amped up.
Score: 28/40
Jason and Daniella
“To get a 10 from Queen Paula Abdul was a career highlight,” Jason said reflecting on last week. This week, this duo chose to samba to “Higher Love.” Billy loved the connection of this duo but was distracted by Jason mouthing the words. Bruno was counting mistakes (a whopping four!), but he was impressed by the quality of the dance overall.
Score: 33/40
Alyson and Sasha
Alyson called “Greatest Love of All” “the most significant song of [her] life” and dedicated their contemporary performance to her younger self. “I definitely saw a different side of you, and I liked it,” Bruno said of this performance. Carrie Ann ann Billy praised Alyson’s storytelling with advice from Billy to “point those biscuits next time!”
Score: 33/40
Xochitl and Val
A duo that we know goes for it every week, Xochitl and Val chose to tango to one of Whitney’s most iconic songs, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Last week Xochitl sprained her ankle, so she was concerned about pulling it off. Carrie Ann called this performance “flawless,” and Derek said “That is how you do a tango. Literally!” It was praise from all of the judges! Bruno said tango is Xochitl’s superpower, “dancing at its best.”
Score: 40/40
Barry and Peta
Barry might be the most loved contestant on DWTS this season, but last week was not his best performance. He and Peta worked to get the judges’ attention with a rumba to “Didn’t We Almost Have It All.” The received a standing ovation from the audience and excitement from Derek. Carrie Ann wanted to see more hips, and Billy said this dance was too easy for Barry.
Score: 32/40
Charity and Artem
Frustrated to be in the middle of the leaderboard, Charity wanted to take the judges’ feedback from Music Video Night and bring it for their Viennese waltz to “I Will Always Love You.” Billy wanted to see more elegant arms from Charity. Derek said that he wanted to give Charity a 10 “so bad,” but he needed to see more shape and movement of energy in her performances.
Score: 36/40
Ariana and Pasha
The final single duo performance of the night was a paso doble to “Queen of the Night” from Ariana and Pasha. “You dominated that performance. You dominated,” Bruno said, sharing nothing but excitement for this dance. Carrie Ann was worried about awkward moments, but Billy called it “so clean and so sharp.”
Score: 39/40
The Dance-Off Round
The dance-off round put the couples on the dance floor together to go head to head performing the same style to the same song side-by-side. The winner of each dance-off will get three bonus points. Last week, Ariana and Pasha were at the top of the leaderboard, so they didn’t have to compete in this week’s dance-off and earned three bonus points from the judges.
Alyson and Sasha vs. Harry and Rylee
The captains of the team dances went head to head to rumba to “One Moment in Time.” While Alyson and Sasha went for grace, Harry and Rylee amped up the romance in their dance to win the judges’ hearts. “Harry I thought you were more telling the story, but Alyson you maybe danced little tiny circles around Harry,” Carrie Ann said, but Derek said he maybe preferred Harry.
Winner: Alyson and Sasha
Barry and Peta vs. Jason and Daniella
Stepping into their first salsa performances for “It’s Not Right but It’s Ok,” Jason and Barry were dancing for the judges’ attention and bonus points. “Barry, when I grow up, I want to be like you,” Derek said. Billy said both of these couples were “astounding.”
Winner: Barry and Peta
Xochitl and Val vs. Charity and Artem
The competition between these duos was fierce. Dancing the cha cha to “So Emotional,” both couples wanted to bring energy and precision to the floor. “It was like watching the battle of the divas!” Bruno said, explaining how difficult it would be to judge this. The judges were torn with this exciting match-up.
Winner: Charity and Artem
The Results
After a message from Taylor Swift about next week’s theme, the results for this week were announced. With so few couples left and so much love from the judges, the same couples were hard to pick out of the crowd. In the end, the combined judges and audience votes left Barry and Peta at the bottom and they were sent home.
Next week, Dancing with the Stars returns for Taylor Swift night with guest judge and Eras Tour choreographer Mandy Moore live on Tuesday on Disney+ and ABC at 8:00 PM ET.
