‘DWTS’ Week 8: Harry Shum Jr. Nabs Another Perfect Score as Jenna Dewan Joins the Club

After last week’s Horror Movie Night ended with a double elimination, “Dancing With the Stars” lightened the mood with a magical Disney night that saw not one, but two perfect scores.Joined by guest judge Cynthia Erivo for a special Monday night edition of the ballroom dancing competition show, which shifted from Tuesday due to election day, Disney night saw Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson score yet another perfect score with a Dick Van Dyke-inspired jazz performance to a “Mary Poppins” classic. And they weren’t alone: Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy also scored a perfect score for their “Beauty and the Beast” quickstep, but it was Shum Jr. and Johnson that secured immunity for the next week’s Grammys night, which will see performances from Brandy and Monica, Maren Morris and Sheryl Crow. The addition of team dances this week meant the leaderboard was slightly shifted after the couples’ performances, but, when accounting for fan votes, it was eventually Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa who were sent home. Disney night kicked off with a lively opening number featuring a medley of “Circle of Life/Nants Ingonyama” from “The Lion King,” “Belle” from “Beauty and the Beast,” “Seize the Day” from “Newsies” and “The Greatest Show” from “The Greatest Showman.” After the medley, Amber Glenn and partner Pasha Pashkov kicked off the night with a quickstep to “A Star Is Born” from “Hercules.” But this time, both Glenn and Pashkov played Hercules, with Glenn taking the lead, which judge Carrie Ann Inaba pointed out might just be the first time on “Dancing with the Stars” that a woman led a man, “stepping into the power in all the right ways.” Their dance was applauded by all the judges, with Erivo saying, “the strength you both have is glorious to watch,” and their only note was a misstep by Glenn. Amber Glenn and partner Pasha Pashkov on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) Next up was Maura Higgins and partner Mark Ballas, who performed a Jive to “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from “Peter Pan.” Higgins struggled with the dance during rehearsal, and faced some criticism from the judges regarding her elasticity and energy level, with Inaba reminded Higgins to “take good care of yourself.” But the couple still earned straight 8s from the judges. Maura Higgins and partner Mark Ballas on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) After a rough last week, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik took on contemporary dance to “Easy As Life” from “Aida,” with guest artist Heather Headley performing live. Leaning into the emotions of the forbidden love ballad, the couple, the couple rebounded from the previous week, with Inaba telling Ali “you gave me chills.” Hough and Erivo gave Ali notes regarding her extensions, with Hough saying they felt “under finished,” but shared his hope for her to continue on in the competition. The performance earned Ali her first 9 of the season. Jan Ravnik and Tatyana Ali on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) Still on the high from their perfect season, Shum Jr. and Johnson performed a jazz routine to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from “Mary Poppins,” with guest artist Kyra Belle Johnson performing live. During rehearsals, the couple welcomed a child dancer from the Make a Wish program. Shum Jr.’s homage to Dick Van Dyke was extremely well-received by the judges, with Hough saying the actor would have enjoyed it. The couple scored yet another perfect score for the second week in a row. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach took the stage next perform a samba to “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid” alongside guest artist Michael James Scott. The couple had previously agreed not to complete a samba due to the difficulty of the bounce with Frech’s prosthetic, but Karagach was confident they could make it work. The judges applauded his hip movements and Erivo even called the dance “magic” as they rolled with whatever punches came with his prosthetic. Inaba also applauded Frech for taking the acting note as he melted into the role of Prince Eric. Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) After receiving a 4 last week, Stiles and Sosa aimed to rebound with a Paso Doble to “Satisfied” from “Hamilton.” During rehearsals, Stiles faced pain in her ribs, but was determined to push through. And she did. Bruno Tonioli applauded the performance as a proper Paso Doble, and Hough said there would be no 4s tonight. Stiles said it was Sosa who helped her “climb over the mountain.” Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) Dewan and Chmerkovskiy were next, performing a quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast” alongside guest artist Rodney Ingram. During rehearsals, Dewan invited her partner Steve Kazee for some advice, and was touched by seeing her dance. The dance was very well received from the judges, with Erivo calling the split jump “amazing” while Tonioli called their dance “Dancing With the Stars” at its best, earning the couple a perfect score. Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Dewan on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) Connor Wood had all confidence after Inaba crowned him the “king of contemporary” last week. So going into Disney night, when he and Rylee Arnold prepared a Waltz to “I See the Light” from “Tangled” alongside guest artist Heather Headley, he reached out to his friend Milo Manheim, who stars in the live-action “Tangled.” Hough commended Wood on his lower body movements but said he still has some work on his frame, which Tonioli seconded. Erivo applauded his commitment to the storytelling, while Tonioli called the connection between the dance pros “honest.” Inaba called upon Wood to lead the dance next time. Rylee Arnold and Connor Wood on “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC) The spots on the leaderboard were shaken up by the group dances, which sawhost Alfonso Ribeiro, Ali and Jan Ravnik, Higgins and Ballas, Glenn and Pashkov, and Stiles and Sosa perform “Zoo” from “Zootopia 2,” while host Julianne Hough, Wood and Arnold, Frech and Karagach, Dewan and Chmerkovskiy and Shum Jr. and Johnson perform “We’re All In This Together” from “High School Musical.” The “Zoo” team, named Slaytopia, scored straight 9s, while team Wildcats got yet another perfect score, shaking up the leadership. See the full leaderboard and scores below. LEADERBOARD: Week 8 Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson: 80 Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy: 80 Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach: 77 Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold: 72 Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov: 70 Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa: 69 Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik: 69 Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: 68