Lights, Camera, Action!
Tuesday, September 24 was Oscars Night on Dancing With The Stars! Each couple danced a routine inspired by an Oscar winning or Oscar nominated movie. Excitement was high this week, but so was the tension, knowing there would be a double elimination at the end of the night.
Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber danced first with their The Great Gatsby inspired Tango. Tran’s routine began with an audio malfunction, where Tran and viewers couldn’t hear the music. Despite this rough start, Tran pushed through and got herself a 19 out of 30.
Eric Roberts then danced a Waltz with his partner Britt Stewart inspired by The Godfather. Roberts did show improvement from the premiere, but there were still some mistakes. The routine earned the couple 15 points, tying them for last place this week. Fans were shocked when judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave Roberts a “6,” which was the same score she had just given Tran – who gave a much better performance.
Danny Amendola danced next with Witney Carson to a Top Gun inspired Jive. To viewers’ surprise, Amendola was really good! Amendola hit every kick and looked like he was really enjoying himself. The dance earned the couple a 21 out of 30.
Anna Delvey and her partner Ezra Sosa then danced a Quickstep to “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall. When Delvey dances, she doesn’t tend to show much emotion. The dance earned 17 points. Delvey seemed to get a better reaction from the audience members this week, but it was very clear that fans still didn’t appreciate her casting on the show when it came to the fan voting.
Chandler Kinney found herself atop the leaderboard for a second week in a row with her Barbie inspired Rumba to “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish. Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong danced a gorgeous Rumba, so much so that judge Derek Hough shared that he had more notes for Armstrong than Kinney. The routine earned the couple 24 points.
Reginald VelJohnson and his partner Emma Slater were next on the dancefloor with their Paso Doble inspired by Die Hard – a movie VelJohnson was in. Although VelJohnson has quickly become a fan favorite after the premiere, that doesn’t change the fact that he doesn’t move much during his dances. The routine earned them a 15, tying them for last place this week, and Inaba once again gave out an undeserving “6.”
Stephen Nedoroscik then danced a Superman inspired Paso Doble with his partner Rylee Arnold. The Superman theme was perfect for Nedoroscik since people quickly compared him to Clark Kent and Superman during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nedoroscik didn’t let his fans down and gave an exciting performance that earned the couple a 22.
Just like last week, Joey Graziadei surprised fans with how well he can dance. Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson danced to “Shallow” by Lady Gaga, giving us a beautiful Rumba inspired by A Star Is Born. The routine earned 22 out of 30 points.
Phaedra Parks and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy were next on the floor with their Dreamgirls inspired Foxtrot. Parks showed improvement from last week, and earned 21 points.
Tori Spelling was next with her partner Pasha Pashkov for a Rumba to “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman. The song felt perfect for Spelling since she’s opened up in her pre-recorded packages about her struggles to love and accept herself over the years. The dance earned a score of 19.
Dwight Howard was next with his partner Daniella Karagach. The couple danced a La La Land inspired Foxtrot to “City of Stars” by Ryan Gosling. In their pre-recorded package, Karagach shared that this is their first dance in frame, and she was worried about the height difference. Karagach had nothing to worry about since the dance earned the couple a 22 out of 30.
Next on the dancefloor was Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko with their Quickstep to “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton. Just like last week, Nader and Savchenko really tried to play into their “showmance.” Nader found herself towards the middle of the leaderboard after the dance earned her 20 points.
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten performed the final, and one of the most fun, dances of the night when they danced a Dirty Dancing inspired Salsa. When fans on social media found out the couple would be dancing to the Dirty Dancing classic, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” fans really wanted Maher to be the one to pick up Bersten. The routine did feature Maher picking up Bersten for a few lifts, but the iconic Dirty Dancing lift was done by Bersten instead picking up Maher. The enjoyable routine earned 21 points.
It was now time for the first elimination of the season – and it was a double elimination! It was announced that 14 million votes were casted for this episode, the most votes of any DWTS episode in history! Co-hosts Alfonso Riberio and Julianne Hough announced which couples were safe, which left VelJohnson and Slater, Spelling and Pashkov, and Delvey and Sosa as the bottom three couples. After some suspense, it was announced that VelJohnson and Slater were safe, and that Spelling and Pashkov and Delvey and Sosa would be the ones going home. Hough then asked Delvey what she would take away from the competition, where Delvey replied, “nothing.” (Um – maybe it’s good Delvey got eliminated first…)
Due to the vice presidential debate on October 1, DWTS would instead hold a two night event on Monday, October 7 and Tuesday, October 8. The theme for Monday, October 7 was Soul Train night and the theme for Tuesday, October 8 was Hair Metal Night.
With a two night event, things were sure to be shooken up in the ballroom!