Julia Stiles and her partner, Alan Bersten, were eliminated from “Dancing with the Stars” during Disney Night, despite earning praise from the judges for their paso doble to “Satisfied” from “Hamilton.” The routine received 33 out of 40 points, leaving the actress near the bottom of the leaderboard.
Stiles said the competition had been an “incredible experience,” adding that she had discovered abilities she did not know she had. Her partner, Ezra Sosa, described working with her as an “absolute honor.” Stiles had also been dealing with rib pain from an earlier injury during rehearsals.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned immunity for next week’s dance-off after tying with Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy for the night’s top individual score. Both couples received 40 out of 40, but Shum Jr. and Johnson won the free pass by finishing one cumulative point ahead across the season.
The eight remaining couples performed routines inspired by Disney on Broadway. Guest judge Cynthia Erivo joined Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Shum Jr. and Johnson scored a perfect 40 for a jazz routine to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from “Mary Poppins,” while Dewan and Chmerkovskiy also received full marks for their quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast.”
The evening also featured two team freestyles. Team Slaytopia, led by Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik, scored 36 out of 40 for “Zoo” from “Zootopia 2.” Team Wildcats, captained by Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold, earned 40 out of 40 for “We’re All in This Together” from “High School Musical.”
Sources: Page Six.