Newbies in, one pro out: DWTS Dedication Week’s tears and drama

What was once an ode to a “most memorable year,” Dancing with the Stars has chosen a sharper, more cutthroat option to open up viewers’ tear ducts through Dedication Night. Each pair is expected to dedicate their dances to—and in most cases, incorporate—an individual who has truly shaped them into the person they’ve become.

Looking at last season, we were given dances filled with sobs, of both the happy and sad variety…but not a lot of memorable performances. In fact, I’m not sure I can picture a single dance from last year, but I can remember Robert Irwin bawling in his mother’s arms. 

If we all have to buck up and allow these performances to be used as a therapeutic outlet for the celebrities, then so be it, I guess? I support mental health awareness, so I guess I’m legally required to be okay with this, even though treacly sincerity makes me uncomfortable. 

Yet this week the most intense and emotional “performance” was delivered outside the ballroom’s four walls. Val was suspended by BBC Studios for a comment he made towards Carrie Ann Inaba on social media. Alfonso opened the show completely ignoring it, which frankly, is the best option.

A quick break-down of this week’s unaired events are as follows:

• Carrie Ann calls out a lift in Harry and Jenna’s Super Bowl Night performance, leading to an unsportsmanlike look from Jenna. Carrie Ann, actively doing what she is paid to do, reads out the textbook definition of a lift to ensure that not only the couple understands the critique, but also the viewers at home. (Of course, the ever insufferable Derek Hough immediately makes light of the situation, never once able to take Carrie Ann’s side, due to…I’m gonna guess a contract stipulation with Extra)
• Val takes to social media the next day, posting everyone was about to see “Fresh Prince enter the ballroom”. While he insists he meant screaming Will Smith’s famous “Keep my wife’s name out your fucking mouth!” quote, everyone with eyes takes it as slapping Carrie Ann.
• Carrie Ann catches wind of the social post, posting it on her own social media accounts.
• In response, Val is suspended from the episode and Alan Bersten is announced as replacing him for the episode.
• For no reason at all, Gleb chimes in on an Instagram Live saying that Alan isn’t up to the task.

It was a wild week outside of the ballroom, all because the Chmerkovskiy brothers have never been able to take a critique to save their lives.

Maks was just as bad in his past, often yelling at Len Goodman on live television. In fact, he went on his own podcast this week complaining about the lift call made by Carrie Ann, because even though he is no longer on the show, he can’t move on. He’s like a sorority girl who still brings alcohol to the chapter years after she’s  graduated.

Mind you, none of this was brought up in tonight’s episode, other than vague mentions of “love” and “support” by involved parties, e.g. when Jessica Chastain won her Oscar after the slap and kept bringing up how the room deserves a lot of love.

Instead, we were subjected to tears on tears on tears.

In typical DWTS fashion, no couple went home during dedication night (with votes and scores being added to next week’s results), but there were still a multitude of highs and lows.

Julia Stiles continued her career-based nostalgia with her best dance of the season, dedicating a contemporary routine filled with gorgeous lines and a new-found strength in her performances to the late Heath Ledger. The way the cast came out to surround her as she laid down a rose in his honor? Not only did I cry, but I also cheered at the score of 36 she received. Again, she is the Elaine of the year.

Tyler performed a contemporary routine himself. But even though he received a 32 and the crowd was on their feet for the pregnancy and gender announcement—Of course Derek uses the term “Girl Dad,” that reductive, smug cardboard cutout of a human—Tyler continues to dance like the high school quarterback roped into a spring talent show performance with his girlfriend, but then everyone is like, Wait, he’s sort of good?

The dance of the night, score- and impact-wise, goes to Amber and Pasha for their remarkable contemporary routine dealing with Amber’s previous mental health crisis and the help her sister gave to pull her out of the doldrums. It had a clear story that was made even more impactful with the power she put into every movement. Tremendous!

These weeks are hard to discuss seeing as there is no arc without an elimination, but with the judges creating a consistent bottom four (Tatyana, Connor, Tyler, and Jackson), it seems that a Top 6 is already clear. Now it’s time for the waiting game–can anyone climb out of the scoring hole? Or is their fate already sealed in the eyes of our lord (Len Goodman)?

Some stray sequins:

• Kym Johnson guest judging is, as always, perfection and I yearn for her to be a constant on the panel.
• Speaking of, Shirley Ballas as next week’s guest judge shall be delicious, because if these professionals don’t adhere to the brief of the dance? She’ll cut them on national television.
• Ezra’s dance was also fabulous, picking up a 37 on the scoreboard. He dedicated the dance to his mother, who left acting to take care of her son. He mentioned how she used to star in “Oscar-winning films”, then brought up Crash. That’s…not a compliment, Ezra.
• Adele and her new man Allen (from The Next Pro) danced a short tribute to Dolly Parton that was gorgeous.
• Xochi danced a short tribute to her upcoming film The Cat in the Hat that was not gorgeous.
• Ezra Sosa should be commended for his choreographing skills. He should be commended for that by me. In person. Let me take you on a date, plz.

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