As expected, DWTS’ Dedication Night brought out the waterworks and all the feels!
Tuesday’s episode of Dancing with the Stars, which aired on Oct. 22, featured the 10 remaining couples honoring the loved ones in their lives.
From moms to moms-to-be to beloved actors who have passed on, Dedication Night fired on all cylinders, and by the end of the episode, we walked away better for it.
Consider this millennial’s heart healed!
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, and Jenna Dewan with pro Alan Bersten (click here to read more about the DWTS drama involving Val Chmerkovskiy and Carrie Ann Inaba) remained at the top of the leaderboard.
Ezra and Jenna each honored the sacrifice and love shown by their respective mothers, while Olympian Amber Glenn danced alongside her sister, Brooke, who helped her fight through some of her darkest moments.
While all the dances pulled on the heartstrings, three performances in particular had me reaching for the tissues.
Tatyana Ali honored her Fresh Prince of Bel-Air TV father, James Avery, and even included her TV brother Carlton, aka Alfonso Ribeiro, in her and Jan Ravnik’s Viennese waltz.
Tyler Cameron honored his mother, who passed away from a brain aneurysm in 2020.
His contemporary with Sharna Burgess also served as Tyler and his fiancée Tate Madden’s pregnancy announcement AND gender reveal.
It’s a girl!!
The final dance of the night paid homage to Heath Ledger and his role in the classic 10 Things I Hate About You.
At the end of Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa’s contemporary, Julia ushered out some of her fellow Save the Last Dance co-stars, who joined in the emotional tribute to their late co-star.
The bottom four ended the night in a four-way tie between Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold, Jackson Olson and Emma Slater, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik, and Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess with 32 points.
However, like last season, no couples went home at the conclusion of Dedication Night.
The judges’ scores will roll over to next week’s Horror Movie Night, where two couples will be eliminated.
Kym Johnson Returns to the Ballroom
Speaking of judges, former DWTS pro Kym Johnson joined the judging panel for Dedication Night.
Kym is one of the DWTS greats for many reasons, but her ability to offer constructive, helpful feedback while remaining poised the entire time is a major feat.
Especially when juxtaposed against the uptick in audience backlash over inconsistent scoring and alleged favoritism this season.
Kym’s appearance couldn’t have been better timed.
To me, Tuesday night’s episode was a reminder of the DNA of this show: making people feel.
Dance is art for a reason, and that was on full display during Dedication Night.
Keep scrolling for a Dedication Night scoring breakdown for all 10 couples!
Scoring Breakdown
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
Dance: Contemporary
Dedication: Ezra’s mom
Derek Hough: 9
Kym Johnson: 10
Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 37/40
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
Tatyana also recorded vocals for the performance.
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Dedication: James Avery
Derek Hough: 8
Kym Johnson: 8
Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
Bruno Tonioli: 8
Total: 32/40
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
Dance: Paso Doble
Dedication: Ireland
Derek Hough: 9
Kym Johnson: 9
Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 35/40
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The performance earned Jackson his best score of the season!
Dance: Quickstep
Dedication: Jackson’s mom
Derek Hough: 8
Kym Johnson: 8
Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
Bruno Tonioli: 8
Total: 32/40
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
Dance: Contemporary
Dedication: Amber’s sister, Brooke
Derek Hough: 9
Kym Johnson: 10
Carrie Ann Inaba: 10
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 38/40
Jenna Dewan & Alan Bersten
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Dedication: Jenna’s mom, Nancy
Derek Hough: 9
Kym Johnson: 9
Carrie Ann Inaba: 10
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 37/40
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
Dance: Foxtrot
Dedication: Harry’s wife, Shelby
Derek Hough: 9
Kym Johnson: 9
Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 36/40
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
Connor also earned some major praise for being one of the night’s most improved dancers.
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Dedication: Connor’s dad
Derek Hough: 8
Kym Johnson: 8
Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
Bruno Tonioli: 8
Total: 32/40
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
Dance: Contemporary
Dedication: Tyler’s late mother
Derek Hough: 8
Kym Johnson: 8
Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
Bruno Tonioli: 8
Total: 32/40
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
Dance: Contemporary to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”
Dedication: Heath Ledger
Derek Hough: 9
Kym Johnson: 9
Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 36/40
Coming Up Next
We’re officially only five weeks away from the finale, which airs Nov. 24!
Since everyone was saved following Dedication Night, all 10 couples will return to the ballroom for Horror Movie Night on Oct. 27.
And with a double elimination looming, things are about to get scary in more ways than one.
