The latest episode of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ was a celebration of Taylor Swift and her musical eras. The six remaining couples danced to some of her hit songs and competed in a relay challenge for extra points. The night also featured a guest judge, Mandy Moore, who choreographed Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ in 2023. Swift herself made a cameo appearance via video to wish the dancers good luck.
The episode was full of surprises, as two couples were eliminated at the end of the night, leaving only four semi-finalists for next week’s finale. Here’s a recap of what happened on Taylor Swift’s Night on ‘Dancing With the Stars’.
Ariana Madix and Pasha Pashkov sizzled with a rumba to ‘Cruel Summer’.
The ‘Vanderpump Rules star and her partner danced a rumba to Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’ from her ‘Lover album. The judges praised their chemistry, technique, and emotion, and gave them a perfect score of 40. Madix said that the song was her favorite from Swift and that she felt a connection to it. She also revealed that she had a tattoo of the lyrics ‘Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes’ on her arm.
Charity Lawson and Alan Bersten impressed with a contemporary to ‘Willow’.
The ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ star and her partner performed a contemporary routine to Swift’s ‘Willow’ from her ‘Evermore’ album. The judges were impressed by their fluidity, storytelling, and lifts, and gave them a perfect score of 40. Lawson said that she related to the song’s message of finding love and happiness. She also shared that she had met Swift when she was 13 and that the pop star had inspired her to pursue her dreams.
Xochitl Gomez and Sasha Farber dazzled with a tango to ‘Look What You Made Me Do’.
The ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ star and her partner danced a tango to Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ from her ‘Reputation’ album. The judges complimented their intensity, precision, and attitude, and gave them a score of 38. Gomez said that she chose the song because it represented her journey of overcoming challenges and proving herself. She also said that she admired Swift’s resilience and courage.
Jason Mraz and Cheryl Burke charmed with a foxtrot to ‘Lover’.
The singer-songwriter and his partner performed a foxtrot to Swift’s ‘Lover’ from her ‘Lover’ album. The judges appreciated their elegance, grace, and connection, and gave them a score of 37. Mraz said that he picked the song because it reminded him of his wife, who was in the audience. He also said that he was a fan of Swift’s music and that he had collaborated with her on a song called ‘Half of My Heart’.
Alyson Hannigan and Val Chmerkovskiy rocked with a jive to ‘Shake It Off’.
The ‘How I Met Your Mother’ star and her partner danced a jive to Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ from her ‘1989’ album. The judges enjoyed their energy, fun, and sync, and gave them a score of 36. Hannigan said that she loved the song because it was upbeat. She also said that she was a huge Swiftie and that she had seen her live several times.
Harry Jowsey and Jenna Johnson struggled with a quickstep to ‘Blank Space’.
The ‘Too Hot to Handle’ star and his partner performed a quickstep to Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ from her ‘1989’ album. The judges criticized their posture, footwork, and timing, and gave them a score of 28. Jowsey said that he chose the song because it was catchy and catchy. He also said that he was a fan of Swift’s style and personality.
The relay dances added more drama and points to the leaderboard.
The second half of the night featured the return of the relay dances, where one judge was assigned to each round and tasked with awarding five points to the couple they thought were the best. The couples had to dance either a cha-cha, a samba, or a salsa to different Swift songs.
- Len Goodman judged Shangela and Daniel Durant’s cha to ‘Ice Ice Baby’, choosing Shangela as the winner.
- Carrie Ann Inaba judged Vinny Guadagnino and Trevor Donovan’s samba, awarding the five points to Donovan.
- Bruno Tonioli judged Heidi D’Amelio and Wayne Brady’s samba, picking Brady as the winner.
- Derek Hough judged Charli D’Amelio and Gabby Windey’s salsa, giving the extra points to D’Amelio.
The double elimination shocked the ballroom and the viewers.
The couple with the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewers’ votes were Heidi D’Amelio and Artem Chigvintsev, who were immediately sent home. Donovan and partner Emma Slater landed in the bottom two alongside Guadagnino and partner Koko Iwasaki. The judges unanimously saved Donovan, and Guadagnino was eliminated.
The double elimination left the ballroom and the viewers in shock, as some of the fan favorites and frontrunners were cut from the competition. The four semi-finalists who will compete for the mirrorball trophy next week are Ariana Madix, Charity Lawson, Xochitl Gomez, and Jason Mraz.
