This week’s “Wicked” night on “Dancing with the Stars” was full of performances featuring green and pink costumes and powerful storytelling to songs from the movies “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good.”
Tuesday’s episode also featured two couples receiving the first 10s awarded from the judges this season. These two partnerships — Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, and Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa — tied for the top spot on the leaderboard, receiving a total score of 39 out of 40.
The scores were out of 40 this week since the three regular judges — Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli — were joined at the judges table by “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu.
Another feature of “Wicked” night was a number of video messages from the movies’ casts, including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, that were shown throughout the episode. There was also an exclusive clip from “Wicked: For Good,” which will be released in theaters next month, shown during the episode as well.
A look at the top two dances from ‘Wicked’ night
Utah influencer and “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Leavitt and her partner, Ballas, performed a quickstep to Grande’s “Popular.” The pair had been at the top of the leaderboard for most of the season but fell to fourth place during last week’s Dedication Night.
The pair’s quickstep earned them a return to the top of the leaderboard, with the judges complimenting the technicality of the dance as well as the performance value. Tonioli even yelled: “That was insane! Insanely good!” while Inaba called the dance “unhinged, but in all the right ways.”
During the last performance of the night, Leavitt and Ballas’ high score was tied by Olympic gymnast Chiles and her Utah native partner, Sosa. The two of them danced a rumba to “For Good,” by Erivo and Grande.
Tonioli called Sosa and Chiles’ performance “wickedly good and drop dead gorgeous” and Inaba called it “perfection.” Hough praised the dance but gave the only critique, saying it could have used a little more emotion.
Who was eliminated?
This week marked the halfway mark through the “Dancing with the Stars” season, and after no one was sent home in last week’s episode, there was one elimination during this episode.
After receiving the second lowest score of the night and consistently landing around the middle of the leaderboard all season, Pentatonix member Scott Hoying and his Utah native partner Rylee Arnold were sent home.
For “Wicked” night, the pair performed a contemporary dance to “The Wizard and I” by Erivo, featuring Michelle Yeoh.
Before the dance, Hoying shared that he is a huge “Wicked” fan and has seen the musical on Broadway over 20 times.
The contemporary dance earned the pair a total score of 28 out of 40.
How did everyone else do?
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
Wildlife conversationist Robert Irwin and his partner, Utah native Witney Carson, performed a jazz routine to “Dancing Through Life” by Bailey, featuring Grande, Erivo, Ethan Slater and Marissa Bode.
The dance received praise from all four judges, with Inaba telling Irwin that the dance was ambitious but he nailed it. Hough told Irwin to “change out your hiking boots for Broadway shoes” because “you are a performer.”
Score: 36/40
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
After feeling like they were underscored last week, actress Elaine Hendrix and her partner, Alan Bersten, worked hard this week to earn a higher score. They performed a contemporary dance to “Defying Gravity” by Erivo, featuring Grande.
Their contemporary performance wowed the judges, with Inaba saying “that was something special” and describing it with words like “passionate,” “beauty” and “elegance.”
Score: 36/40
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
“Boy Meets World” actress Danielle Fishel and her partner, Pasha Pashkov, danced a tango to “No Good Deed” by Erivo. Last week, Fishel was told that all her dances so far have been very similar, so this week, she worked to do something different and tap into something darker and more intense.
Inaba said that this dance was Fishel’s breakthrough and Tonioli complimented the pair on the drama, the passion and the style.
Score: 36/40
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
Alix Earle, a social media personality, and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, performed a jazz routine to Grande and Erivo’s “What Is This Feeling?”
Inaba told Earle that this dance was her best dance yet and complimented her on being very animated. Hough added that the pair had great storytelling during the performance.
Score: 35/40
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
Last week, reality TV star Dylan Efron and his partner, Daniella Karagach, earned the highest score of the season so far, meaning they had a lot to live up to coming into “Wicked” night. The pair performed a rumba to “I’m Not That Girl” by Erivo.
Efron had shared that the hip movements that are a part of Latin dances are out of his comfort zone, but his hip movements were something that was complimented by the judges. Hough shared that Efron has been growing and progressing throughout the show.
Score: 32/40
Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
Utah influencer and “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck and her partner, Jan Ravnik, danced a foxtrot to Erivo and Bailey’s “As Long as You’re Mine.”
Chu complimented Affleck on how hard she has been pushing herself to improve. Tonioli and Inaba both complimented her progress, with Inaba saying, “I like the direction you’re going in.”
Score: 32/40
Andy Richter and Emma Slater
Comedian and actor Andy Richter and his partner, Emma Slater, have finished at the bottom of leaderboard each week this season, surviving through the competition on audience votes. The pair performed a jazz routine to “One Short Day” by Erivo, Grande, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.
Tonioli told the pair, “We were all bewitched,” and complimented Richter for being on time, saying it “was a miracle.” Inaba told Richter that he is proof that dance is for everyone.
Score: 27/40