“Dancing With the Stars” paid tribute to Mariah Carey and her 19 No. 1 hits Tuesday night in the ballroom.
The stars made some of the judges emotional with several breakthroughs. Jenna Dewan expressed her “vulnerable” side with a rumba to “My All.” Connor Wood turned on the sex appeal with his dance to “Touch My Body.” And Guillermo Rodriguez lit up the ballroom with his “shamba” to “Obsessed.”
Carey herself sent in a video, cheering on the contestants before they took the stage.
Carrie Ann Inaba said that she was stunned by the level of competition on the floor. The night of competition did end with a tough elimination. Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong received the lowest amount of combined votes and judges’ scores and were sent home.
Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong performed a jazz to “Emotions.” The routine took the “Summer House” star back to high school. Derek Hough complimented the reality star for incorporating core jazz steps (even incorporating a pirouette). Carrie Ann Inaba told “The Traitors” alum that this week was her best dance before she earned her highest scores of the competition.
Jenna Dewan was confused how her energy was seen as a critique in the previous week, but she wanted to bring her all to her dance for Week 4. She and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy performed a rumba to “My All.” The rumba was a much more relaxed routine, which forced “The Rookie” star to strip back.
“All I have to say is there she is,” Hough said after her performance.
Bruno Tonioli complimented the actress, saying that paring back gave her more attack in powerful moments. Inaba said that she appreciated that she was “vulnerable” tonight and that we could see her in totality, which made the actress teary.
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach also performed a rumba Tuesday to “Anytime You Need a Friend.” The paralympian wowed with a promenade turn on his prosthetic leg. Tonioli joked that he may have more ladies in his DMs after the sultry performance, but his partner joked she did not have time to respond to any more on his behalf. The judges praised him for nailing the tempo and transitions.
“It was seriously sophisticated,” Hough said.
Harry Shum Jr. and his partner jumped to the top of the leaderboard last week and kept the momentum going for Week 4. He performed a tango to “It’s Like That,” accompanied by his “Glee” co-star and former “DWTS” mirrorball champion Amber Riley. The actor was actually in the music video for this song, but the duo put a different spin on it with the tango. Tonioli called the routine a “red hot tango from a man on a mission, sharp as a knife.” Hough also complimented the actor for taking chances in his dances each week whether they worked or not.
Tyler Cameron improved from his scores last week with his foxtrot to “#Beautiful.” “It’s like you were a different person this week” Inaba said. He gave his fiancé a rose after he completed his routine, which Tonioli said was sexy “even with his clothes on.” Julianne Hough said she felt some magic in the ballroom.
Maura Higgins and her partner Mark Ballas wowed again Tuesday. “The Traitors” alum thrived in frame in her earlier routines and did it again with her waltz to “If It’s Over.” Hough called it “pure ballroom dancing.” Her partner even praised her for exploring this untapped skill she’s always had. Tonioli called the routine “exquisite” with “royal poise.” Inaba gave the duo the first nine of the season after
“It was so good. The artistry, emotion. It’s like you transported me to another world,” she said. “I feel like right now the world needs that kind of beauty. I thought you were excellent, excellent, excellent.”
Guillermo Rodriguez brought his inner diva to the ballroom after a quick trip to New York for “Kimmel.” His partner Witney Carson joked it was the “battle of the bellies” with their samba routine. The dance included the comedian dropping to the floor and crawling, though Hough noted the routine was light on actual samba content. Inaba later told Rodriguez she felt his “light was dimming,” urging him, “I don’t ever want you to dim your light.” The fans kept him around for another week, despite receiving the lowest scores of the night.
Jackson Olson delivered an emotional waltz that had him wiping away tears after the performance. While the judges found the routine a little bumpy, Tonioli said he could finally “see” the Savannah Bananas training coming through, praising him for dancing with more energy and passion.
Dancing to Mariah Carey was a high school dream for Tatyana Ali. She and her partner Jan Ravnik danced a fun jazz routine to “Fantasy,” but the judges wanted her to push the performance even further. Inaba called for more “attack,” while Hough asked for smoother transitions. Tonioli dubbed the routine “cheeky, naughty but nice,” comparing it to an MTV compilation from the 1980s, but encouraged Ali to “push harder.”
Comedian Connor Wood and his partner Rylee Arnold fully embraced the sexiness of their rumba. The steamy routine sent the ballroom into a frenzy, with Inaba joking, “I see you trying to get them votes.” Hough praised Wood for his newfound confidence but asked for fuller extension in his hands and straighter legs. He was up for elimination again but came out unscathed.
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa tackled a fast-paced Viennese waltz to Carey’s “Vision of Love.” Sosa acknowledged that the routine’s speed would be a challenge, with the pair focusing on getting their timing in sync. Inaba called their performance a breakthrough, complimenting the movie star for her beautiful lines and expressions. Hough wanted the actress to breathe more through her movement.
Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn and her partner Pasha Pashkov closed out the night’s competition with a rumba to “My Hero.” The duo focused on building trust in their partnership as they took on the more intimate routine. This week’s dance showcased Glenn’s impressive extensions and the pair’s growing connection. Hough joked that people may hurt themselves trying to attempt the Olympian’s impressive extensions this week.
Next week’s episode will celebrate iconic Super Bowl halftime moments as the celebrities dance to their favorites from over the years. See below for the Week 4 leaderboard.
LEADERBOARD: Week 4
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: 25
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy: 24
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach: 24
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson: 24
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov: 23
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess: 21
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong: 21
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater: 21
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa: 21
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik: 20
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold: 19
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson: 13
The post ‘DWTS’ Week 4: Maura Higgins’ ‘Exquisite’ Waltz Earns Top Score on Mariah Carey Night appeared first on TheWrap.
