Dancing with the Stars has left it all on the floor. To commemorate 32 years of Disney on Broadway, Dancing with the Stars put a spin on its traditional Disney Night, focusing on routines from the stage rather than the screen. Couples performed Disney Broadway classics from Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and many more.
Performing alongside the stars were performers from Disney Broadway musicals. Tony Award winner Heather Headley opened the show with “Circle of Life.” The Disney Broadway opening number was the best of this Dancing with the Stars season so far, featuring The Lion King, Newsies, The Greatest Showman, and more! Midway through the performances, Season 14 contestant Sherri Shepherd returned to the ballroom to perform “Friend Like Me,” showcasing her skills as the first female Genie in Aladdin on Broadway.
Of course, Dancing with the Stars couldn’t celebrate Disney Broadway without Tony Award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo. The guest judge did not come to play, delivering detailed feedback all night. While this was Erivo’s first appearance, it definitely won’t be her last, thanks to her budding friendship with judge Bruno Tonioli.
My favorite Dancing with the Stars Disney Broadway performance of the night was Tatyana’s contemporary routine to “Easy as Life” from Aida, with Headley singing live. Week after week, Tatyana is critiqued and scored harder than most couples. I agree with Erivo’s feedback that she wants her “to think of [herself] as longer and taller than you are, so all of those lines feel really, really extended.” Ali scored 33/40 and received her first 9 of the season from Carrie Ann Inaba, who praised her emotion and called the dance “brilliant.”
Graceful on and off the floor, Ali told Extra after the show, “Independent of what the criticisms are, independent of how you’re feeling or how your body feels or all of the changes you’re going through, you just have to go further every time.” Whether or not Ali takes the mirrorball home, she is definitely the people’s champ, with fans rallying behind her every night.
Two contestants received perfect scores on Dancing with the Stars‘s Disney Broadway Night, including Harry Shum Jr., who earned his second of the season. It was great to see Shum play to his strengths with a jazz routine to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins. Even so, I still don’t feel that his pro partner, Jenna Johnson, is playing to all of his strengths. His toe touch in the routine is just a glimpse of what he can do, and Glee fans know it.
The other perfect score went to Jenna Dewan, who said at practice that she was excited to live out her “dream” of being a Disney princess. To help her out, she invited her real-life partner, Broadway star Steve Kazee, to rehearsal.
“I’m so proud of her,” Kazee exclaimed tearfully. “I had never seen Jen dance before this. Watching her go through this process with such grace and drive has just been wonderful.”
Her quickstep on Dancing with the Stars‘ Disney Broadway week was to “Be Our Guest,” performed by Rodney Ingram, was magical. Honestly, I could have watched her dance the entire night. I think she mastered storytelling this week, and after her dress malfunction, she more than deserves a perfect score!
As always, Season 35’s Olympic and Paralympic stars continue to excel. Gold medalist figure skater Amber Glenn kicked off the competition, making history as the first woman to lead her male partner during her Hercules quickstep.
Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech embodied Prince Eric in his Dancing with the Stars Disney Broadway routine to “Under the Sea,” sung by Disney Broadway performer Michael James Scott. Receiving all 9s, the judges need to express what more they want from him. Without control below the knee, he and his partner Daniella Karagach performed a samba, something they never thought they could accomplish at the start of the competition.
The Dancing with the Stars Disney Broadway episode also brought back team dances, featuring co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro (Slaytopia) and Julianne Hough (Wildcats). In Dancing with the Stars tradition, the team captains are the two stars with the lowest scores, fan favorites Tatyana Ali and Connor Wood.
Ali led Team Slaytopia, an all-girls team featuring Amber, Julia, and Maura. While the ladies’ routine was an ultimate slay, they lost to the Wildcats. Many online are criticizing Ali’s partnership decisions, but ultimately she doesn’t choreograph the team. Wood had luck on his side when he drew “All in This Together” for his team, which included Ezra, Harry, and Jenna.
Even though the night was epic, one of the stars still had to go home. Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa were eliminated, becoming the ninth couple to leave the show. The actress performed a paso doble to “Satisfied” from Hamilton, earning 33/40 from the judges. Her elimination shows how tight the competition is. In her package before the show, Stiles revealed she was dealing with a rib injury. It’s not the outcome she wanted, but now she can go home and get the rest she deserves.
Sosa’s creativity shone through his choreography each week, using nostalgia to win over the judges and fans. In Week 5, the duo performed a routine dedicated to the iconic 2001 film Save the Last Dance. Sosa incorporated choreography from the film, including a special appearance by Sean Patrick Thomas.
Still in the Season 35 competition are Tatyana Ali, Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Maura Higgins, Harry Shum Jr., and Connor Wood. Dancing with the Stars‘ Disney Broadway week was magical, and with Grammy Week up next, the ballroom is about to get a whole lot louder.
Disney Night Solo Dance Scores
- Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov: 34/40
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas: 32/40
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik: 33/40
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson: 40/40
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach: 37/40
- Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa: 33/40
- Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy: 40/40
- Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold: 32/40
Disney Night Group Dance Scores
- Team Slaytopia: 36/40
- Team Wildcats: 40/40 (winning team)