“Dancing with the Stars” returned for more competition, with week five bringing the emotional “Dedication Night” and week six springing up the ballroom with pink and green for “Wicked” night. The competition continues to heat up with only one star being eliminated over the course of two weeks, and the first nines and 10s being awarded.
“Dedication Night” brought the ballroom to tears as the 10 stars each danced a number dedicated to someone important in their life and were joined on stage by who they were dedicating the number to. Former “DWTS” pro-dancer Kym Johnson-Herjavec also joined the ballroom to provide some much-needed, insightful and constructive feedback to couples as a guest judge.
Star Robert Irwin left the ballroom in a standing ovation of tears after performing a contemporary piece dedicated to his mom. Irwin shared in his package he was only two years old when his father, conservationist Steve Irwin, passed away, so he dedicated his dance to his mother, who raised him and his sister Bindi Irwin, on her own.
Irwin’s powerful contemporary routine closed with his mother joining him on stage for a big embrace. The combination of technique and raw emotion earned the star the first three nines of the season.
Front-runner and #MomTok star Whitney Leavitt was joined this week by her husband, Conner, as she dedicated her contemporary routine to their partnership. Leavitt’s husband shared tears during rehearsal as he expressed how much it meant to him, noting he didn’t want to disappoint his wife and her professional partner, Mark Ballas.
Conner danced nearly the entire routine alongside the couple and almost outshone his wife. The dance was choreographically difficult and although it was an outstanding performance, Leavitt did make a major timing mistake. Despite the musicality mishap, the pair still earned nines and ended up with a 33 out of 40.
While Leavitt may have been overscored for her dance, star Elaine Hendrix was criminally underscored. Hendrix chose to dedicate her dance to long-time best friend and co-star Lisa Ann Walter. Walter joined Hendrix and her partner Alan Bersten for a foxtrot to “This Will Be,” which both shared was dedicated to female friendship. The three danced beautifully together, and Hendrix continues to improve each week.
Despite positive feedback from the judges, Hendrix only received a 30 out of 40, which warranted shocked reactions from her partner, Bersten and fan outrage.
One star skyrocketed to the top of the leaderboard. Dylan Efron’s contemporary to “Rewrite the Stars” by his brother Zac Efron earned him a 36 out of 40, the highest score of the night. Efron was joined on stage by his five-year-old sister Olivia, and fans watched in awe as Efron seemed to melt at the sight of her. The love he has for her shone through and he and partner Daniella Karagach found themselves at the top of the leaderboard for the first time this season.
And of course, Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World was there, as the 98-year-old actor joined co-star Danielle Fishel for her jive, which sadly put her toward the bottom of the leaderboard despite the routine beaming with nostalgia.
“Dedication Night” wrapped up with host Alfonso Riberio announcing the voting record was once again shattered, with over 50 million votes for the week of competition. He then announced no one was getting sent home.
Week six was a party in the ballroom for “Wicked” night. The pro dancers opened up the night with one of the best opening routines that featured a variation of styles from ballet and contemporary to ballroom. The pros shone in this routine that set the stage for a jam-packed evening of high-intensity choreography and incredible musical numbers.
Director of “Wicked,” Jon M. Chu, joined as a guest judge to celebrate the first movie and tease unseen moments of the upcoming movie, “Wicked: For Good.” Each star danced a routine to one of the songs on the soundtrack and performed in order of how each song appears in the movie.
The first tens of the night were awarded to Leavitt for her incredible quickstep to “Popular.” The final dance of the night, a rumba done by Olympian Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa, also earned tens for their fluid rumba, where they almost moved as one. Both couples wound up at the top of the leaderboard with a 39 out of 40 for their impressive routines.
Star Alix Earle also earned high scores for her jazz to “What is This Feeling?” Earle earned three nines and a surprising eight from guest judge Chu, despite acting as a perfect Glinda in her routine.
Redeeming herself from a week of undeserving low scores, Hendrix stole the show in the ballroom with her performance to “Defying Gravity,” complete with her flying up in the air, acting as Elphaba. She earned four nines for her performance with Bersten.
Also redeeming herself and earning four nines, Fishel rose to the top of the leaderboard for her sharp Argentine Tango to “No Good Deed,” her best routine by far.
The sixth week of competition saw another star leave the ballroom, and despite receiving three sevens and a six this week, Andy Richter was saved another day. Richter has been consistently scoring low since the competition began yet has maintained his spot in the competition due to fans' adoration for him.
Sadly, Scott Hoying was sent home this week. The Pentatonix star shared sad sentiments about loving his time and his partner, Rylee Arnold, as he said his farewells in the ballroom.
Now that the first tens have been handed out in the ballroom, competition is only going to continue to get tighter. Next week, stars will compete during the fan-favorite “Halloween Night” and will celebrate the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following week.
