It’s my favorite time of the year when the weather gets colder, and Dancing with the Stars makes its return to Disney Plus.
I have been watching this show since I was little with my mother. Now that I am living away from her, we text each other every Tuesday about each dance and how they made us feel.
This week even included a special phone call for our favorite week: Disney Night. The pros and troupe began the episode by dancing to “Be Our Guest.” I think this was a cute dance to open the night with, but I have seen better opening numbers from previous Disney Nights.
Each dance is scored by the three judges Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. All judges have paddles with numbers 1-10, which indicates the score they feel best reflects the dance. A perfect score is three 10s, an overall score of 30.
The first celebrity and pro dance of the night was by Dylan Efron and Danielle Karagach. This couple is also one of my favorites. They danced a quick step to “Life is a Highway,” earning a total score of 23. I think this was a good score that matched their performance.
Alix Earl and Val Chmerkovskiy danced a Viennese Waltz to “Once Upon a Dream,” Lana Del Rey’s version, which earned them a score of 24. This dance was stunning, and they looked great together. This week was the first time I could see Earl being a true competitor.
I thought Irwin and Caron’s Cha-Cha to “Try Everything” wasn’t as strong as their other dances. It felt boring and the song did not pair well with a Cha-Cha dance. They earned a total score of 22 and I feel that it was deserved. I am hoping they come back stronger next week.
Getting the first nine of the season, Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas danced an incredible foxtrot to “The Room Where It Happens.” They were perfectly in sync with each other and executed every step. This dance had the audience’s attention at every moment. This put them at the top of the leader board for the night.
Being a part of the show has given Leavitt a chance to find herself again after being on reality TV. She is also setting an example for her children to follow their passions.
The last dance of the night was Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik’s jazz routine to “Friend Like Me.” Their dance this week was a lot stronger than their previous ones, which made me so excited for them. I feel like they are overshadowed and aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
Every week it’s emotional and shocking when a couple goes home.
This week, Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko went home. I am glad they were the eliminated couple. Many fans, including myself, were not happy with Baldwin being on the show. Her competing wasn’t fair because she was ballroom trained. Fans don’t like it when celebrities can dance already.
Dancing with the Stars has gained so much attention in the last three years with a cast that includes celebrities most known to Generation Z. Celebrities like Scott Hoying, from Pentatonix, and TikTok star Alix Earl.
This season has been the most viewed one yet, with record breaking viewership every episode. Each star being well-known and highly competitive, every week has been a surprise with which couple is eliminated.
The couple I am hoping to win the Mirrorball this season is celebrity Robert Irwin and pro dancer Whitney Carson. From their first dance to Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” I was hooked. Carson has been my favorite since her first season as a pro in 2014.
Next week, I think Emma Slater and Andy Richter will be eliminated. Richter’s dancing abilities aren’t as strong as other contestants, but his large fan base might keep him in longer with all their votes.
