Dancing with the Stars sailed into unfamiliar waters this week, turning the ballroom into a Yacht Rock celebration packed with smooth classics, ambitious choreography and enough rehearsal drama to make the easy-listening soundtrack seem slightly misleading.
The 13 remaining celebrities tackled songs associated with the softer side of the 1970s and 1980s, with foxtrots dominating the evening alongside jives, a samba, salsa, cha cha, quicksteps and a paso doble.
By the end of the night, Taylor Hanson and professional partner Britt Stewart had reached the end of their run.
Hanson and Stewart performed a foxtrot to The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes,” earning 18 points out of a possible 30. The performance showed progress following criticism from the previous week, but the improvement was not enough to keep the pair in the competition once judges’ scores and viewer votes were combined.
Jackson Olson and Emma Slater, Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, and Hanson and Stewart were the final three couples waiting to learn their fate, although co-host Alfonso Ribeiro emphasized that the group did not necessarily represent the night’s bottom three.
Hanson’s departure came after an evening featuring several notable performances.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson emerged with one of the night’s highest scores, collecting 24 out of 30 for an energetic jive to “You Make My Dreams (Come True).” The performance showcased Shum’s athleticism and gave the pair a significant boost after the previous week’s competition.
Amber Glenn also landed near the top with a 24-point foxtrot. Her polished ballroom performance followed a much rougher rehearsal, when an accidental elbow left her partner bleeding and briefly feeling nauseated and lightheaded. Fortunately, the pair made it through their televised routine without another mishap.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas continued their strong showing with an elegant quickstep that earned 22 points. Tatyana Ali also made an impression, scoring 21 for a quickstep that demonstrated growing confidence and sharper technique.
Jenna Dewan received 21 points for her samba, while Ezra Frech earned the same total for his foxtrot. Connor Wood followed closely with 20 points.
Julia Stiles had another challenge beyond learning choreography. She entered the week’s salsa rehearsals dealing with an injured rib, an especially inconvenient problem for a routine involving lifts, spins and tricks. Stiles pushed through the discomfort and completed the performance with Ezra Sosa, earning 19 points.
Elsewhere in the ballroom, Guillermo Rodriguez once again demonstrated that judges’ scores and audience enthusiasm do not always travel in the same direction. Rodriguez and Witney Carson earned 15 points for their foxtrot, the lowest score of the evening, but the performance still drew a standing ovation from the ballroom crowd.
Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong scored 18 for their cha cha, while Jackson Olson and Emma Slater received the same score for their paso doble. Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess finished with 17 for their jive.
Ultimately, however, Yacht Rock Night belonged as much to the elimination as the performances.
Hanson’s exit narrowed the field again and provided another reminder that technical improvement alone cannot guarantee another week on Dancing with the Stars. With judges’ scores and viewers both influencing the outcome, surviving the ballroom requires more than staying on beat.
Sometimes even smooth sailing ends with somebody leaving the yacht.
