Last night’s episode of Dancing With the Stars lit up the ballroom with its glitzy “Oscars” theme, delivering Hollywood glamour and a string of standing ovations. But choreographer Brandon Bieber says the dancers, not the sequins, brought the real drama.
“Dance crosses all language barriers; it’s like a celebration of what the human body is capable of,” the Broadway dancer and co-choreographer of the upcoming Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Jennifer Lopez told Yahoo Entertainment.
The connection between Hollywood and dance is particularly meaningful for Bieber. Having worked as associate choreographer on a range of Ryan Murphy projects like Fosse/Verdon, American Horror Story and Halston, he understands how movies have played a pivotal role in shaping the dance styles that define pop culture.
“Dances from the ’20s and ’30s and ’40s, a lot of what you see on Dancing With the Stars — the cha-cha, rumba, mambo, quickstep — became cemented in culture through movies,” he said.
That was evident in performances last night that earned well-deserved standing ovations. Among them were Olympian Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten, actress Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong, Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy.
Convicted grifter Anna Delvey and actress Tori Spelling faced the end of the road last night when they were sent home in a double elimination.
Spelling, who performed a heartfelt rumba to “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman with pro Pasha Pashkov, dedicated her routine to her children. “I want my kids to know you can be anything you want to be,” she said.
Delvey danced the quickstep to “Suddenly I See” from The Devil Wears Prada alongside pro Ezra Sosa. Technically under home confinement for her grand larceny conviction, the so-called fake heiress received special terms from the court to appear on the show — ankle monitor and all. When Hough asked Delvey what she’s taking away from the experience after her elimination, Delvey quipped, “Nothing.”
One of the biggest highlights from this week’s “Oscars” theme, according to Bieber, was a reminder of how deeply these films are “ingrained in us as Americans.” Even more magical, he noted, is that the stars on Dancing With the Stars aren’t professional dancers, which makes it exciting to watch them bring iconic movie moments to life.
“In the Golden Age of Hollywood, you had Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Shirley MacLaine, who were trained dancers. Part of why they became big actors was because of their dance ability,” Bieber said. “There’s a thrill in seeing a celebrity do something unexpected, which is the whole point of Dancing With the Stars — watching people known for something else pull it off. It’s what we cheer for in the movies too.”
As the only Oscar nominee in the competition, actor Eric Roberts became visibly emotional during a visit to the Academy Museum in Hollywood, where he and pro Britt Stewart watched a clip from the 1985 Academy Awards, when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Runaway Train.
Reflecting on that moment, Roberts told the cameras it was “a dream come true to the nth degree.”
Reginald VelJohnson, beloved for his roles in Die Hard and the ’90s sitcom Family Matters, also turned nostalgic when co-host Alfonso Ribeiro poked fun at the ongoing debate over whether Die Hard is a “Christmas movie.”
VelJohnson, who landed in the bottom three last night, dedicated his performance to his longtime co-star Bruce Willis, who is currently living with dementia.
When it comes to movement, Bieber said dances like the tango, rumba and mambo are ideal for beginners because they often rely more on personality than technique — though not always.
“[The tango] requires character, you act,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. “But leg line is equally as important, the way you’re walking and using your feet through the floor.”
The rumba and mambo, meanwhile, allow for a little more freedom. “Those feel more spontaneous, and we want the joy, the celebration and the social dance aspect of it,” Bieber said. “If your hips are moving, to me, you’re gonna score a lot of points.”
For Bieber, all of the performances last night highlighted not just skill but the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.
“Dancing is so timeless,” he said. “With all the problems and division in the world, seeing people come together, in unity, with all the hard work that’s put into it — it’s just the simplest of pleasures.”
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The Oct. 1 episode will not air because of the vice presidential debate, but DWTS will return for back-to-back shows on Monday, Oct. 7, and Tuesday, Oct. 8.
How Did the Stars Perform?
Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli
Anna Delvey and pro Ezra Sosa: ELIMINATED
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Dance: Quickstep
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Song: “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall from The Devil Wears Prada
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Score: Carrie Ann 6, Derek 5, Bruno 6
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Total: 17/30 (Total for both nights: 35)
Tori Spelling and pro Pasha Pashkov: ELIMINATED
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Dance: Rumba
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Song: “This Is Me” by Keala Settle and ensemble from The Greatest Showman
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Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 6, Bruno 6
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Total: 19/30 (Total for both nights: 36)
Jenn Tran and pro Sasha Farber: SAFE
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Dance: Tango
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Song: “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” by Fergie, Q-Tip and GoonRock from The Great Gatsby
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Score: Carrie Ann 6, Derek 6, Bruno 7
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Total: 19/30 (Total for both nights: 38)
Eric Roberts and pro Britt Stewart: SAFE
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Dance: Waltz
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Song: “The Godfather Waltz” by Nino Rota and Carlo Savina from The Godfather
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Score: Carrie Ann 6, Derek 4, Bruno 5
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Total: 15/30 (Total for both nights: 30)
Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson: SAFE
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Dance: Jive
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Song: “Danger Zone” by by Kenny Loggins from Top Gun
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Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7
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Total: 21/30 (Total for both nights: 41)
Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong: SAFE
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Dance: Rumba
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Song: “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish from Barbie
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Score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 8, Bruno 8
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Total: 24/30 (Total for both nights: 47)
Reginald VelJohnson and pro Emma Slater: SAFE
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Dance: Paso doble
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Song: “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven from Die Hard
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Score: Carrie Ann 6, derek 4, Bruno 5
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Total: 15/30 (Total for both nights: 31)
Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold: SAFE
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Dance: Paso doble
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Song: “Superman — Main Theme” by John Williams from Superman
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Score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7
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Total: 22/30 (Total for both nights: 43)
Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson: SAFE
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Dance: Rumba
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Song: “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from A Star Is Born
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Score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7
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Total: 22/30 (Total for both nights: 43)
Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy: SAFE
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Dance: Foxtrot
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Song: “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Hudson from Dreamgirls
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Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7
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Total: 21/30 (Total for both nights: 40)
Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach: SAFE
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Dance: Foxtrot
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Song: “City of Stars” by Ryan Gosling from La La Land
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Score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7
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Total: 22/30 (Total for both nights: 44)
Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko: SAFE
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Dance: Quickstep
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Song: “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton from 9 to 5
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Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 6, Bruno 7
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Total: 20/30 (Total for both nights: 38)
Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten: SAFE
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Dance: Salsa
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Song: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes from Dirty Dancing
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Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7
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Total: 21/30 (Total for both nights: 39)
