Disney Night on Dancing with the Stars Brings Perfect Scores and Double Routines
The hit competition series aired an off-schedule Monday episode featuring Broadway-themed routines and an emotional elimination.
Dancing with the Stars shifted its normal schedule to air on Monday night on ABC and Disney+ to accommodate upcoming election coverage. Week eight of the competition celebrated the magic of Disney on Broadway, with eight remaining couples performing two distinct routines: an individual unlearned dance set to a Broadway musical song and a group team dance for bonus points.
Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo joined the judging panel as a guest judge alongside regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, while Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough hosted the evening. The night also featured special appearances by Broadway stars and performances from stage productions such as Aladdin.
The competition reached a high point when two couples earned perfect scores of 40 out of 40 on their individual routines. Harry Shum Jr. and partner Jenna Johnson delivered a jazz routine to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins, earning praise from Derek Hough, who stated, "Get this man on Broadway, stat!" Similarly, Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy received glowing reviews and top marks for their quickstep to "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast, with Bruno Tonioli calling the performance a feast.
Other couples also delivered memorable performances across various styles. Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach impressed the judges with a samba to "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid, scoring 37 out of 40, with Cynthia Erivo describing the experience as riding a wave of magic. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov opened the show with a quickstep to "Hercules" that earned 34 points, while Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik scored 33 points for a contemporary routine to music from Aida.
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa performed a paso doble to "Satisfied" from Hamilton, scoring 33 points and drawing praise from the judges for pushing through physical pain to deliver a strong comeback. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas scored 32 points for a Peter Pan-themed jive, and Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold matched that score with a romantic waltz to music from Tangled.
In the second round of competition, the contestants divided into two team dances. Team Slay-topia, consisting of Amber, Julia, Maura, Tatyana, and their pro partners alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, danced to "Zoo" from Zootopia and earned 36 points. Meanwhile, Team Wildcats featured Connor, Harry, Ezra, Jenna, and their pro partners alongside Julianne Hough performing to "We're All in This Together" from High School Musical, securing a perfect score of 40 points.
At the conclusion of the evening, cumulative scores from the individual and team dances placed Harry Shum Jr. at the top of the leaderboard with 80 points, granting him and Jenna Johnson immunity and bonus points for the upcoming dance-offs. At the other end of the results, Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa were eliminated from the competition.
Reflecting on her journey, Julia shared that the experience had been incredible, while her partner Ezra expressed honor in witnessing her growth. The show will return to its normal Tuesday night slot next week for Grammy Night, featuring special guest performers and high-stakes dance-offs as the remaining couples vie for a spot in the semi-finals.