Julia Stiles Exits 'Dancing With the Stars' After Surprising Disney Night Elimination
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The curtain has dropped for another couple on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Following last week’s shocking double elimination, former frontrunner Julia Stiles and pro partner Ezra Sosa were eliminated Monday night during “Disney Night,” taking eighth place for Season 35.
“It’s been an incredible experience. I pulled things out of myself that I didn’t realize were there,” the actress said after landing toward the bottom of the leaderboard.
Sosa called it an “absolute honor” to have been partnered with Stiles this season.
The pair experienced a heated rehearsal session last week, during which Stiles called Sosa a “cranky bitch.”
In more positive news, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned immunity in next week’s dance-off after tying with Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy for the night’s highest score — with both duos getting a 40/40.
Their total score for the whole season determined Shum Jr. and Johnson won the free pass, as they’ve earned one cumulative point more than Dewan and Chmerkovskiy.
The otherwise magical night saw the eight remaining couples perform dances inspired by Disney on Broadway, as Tony winner and “Wicked” actress Cynthia Erivo joined judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli as this week’s guest judge.
The team dances also returned, with the cast being split down the middle and each half joining forces with one of the show’s co-hosts — either Alfonso Ribeiro or Julianne Hough.
Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov kicked off the show with a quickstep to “A Star Is Born” from “Hercules,” with both choosing to embody the mythological hero.
Erivo praised the “divine” routine as “the most joyful thing” while Inaba remarked that it might be the first time a woman led a man in the show’s history. They earned a 34/40.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas then took to the ballroom to perform a jive to “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly” from “Peter Pan,” with the “Traitors” alum playing Tinker Bell and Ballas playing Captain Hook.
Tonioli praised Higgins — who told Julianne she was in “tinker hell” this week learning the jive — being “a bit saucy” throughout the routine, while other judges noted that her energy level was uneven throughout. The judges gave them a 32/40.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alum Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik performed a contemporary routine to “Easy As Life” from “Aida,” scoring a 33/40 from the judges. “You gave me chills,” Inaba told Ali, while Derek praised the actress for the “divine feminine energy” she radiates in her dancing.
Shum Jr. and Johnson took to the dance floor to perform a jazz routine to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from “Mary Poppins,” with the “Glee” alum noting that he wanted to embody everything Dick Van Dyke brought to the role of Bert in the 1964 film, which also starred Julie Andrews in the title role.
“Get this man on Broadway, stat,” Derek said of Shum Jr.’s efforts, noting that Dyke would have “loved” the dance. They earned perfect marks from the judges, getting a 40/40.
Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach performed a samba to “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid,” with the athlete channeling Prince Eric. Erivo called the routine “magic” and noted how Karagach’s dress got caught up in Frech’s prosthetic at one point mid-routine, but it miraculously came untangled. They scored a 37/40.
Stiles and Sosa took on a paso doble to “Satisfied” from “Hamilton,” with the “Save the Last Dance” actress experiencing rib pains from a prior injury during rehearsals.
Inaba praised Stiles for “digging deep” and “turning raw emotion into beautiful dancing,” Derek noting that the “10 Things I Hate About You” actress turned last week’s “setback” into a “comeback.” The judges gave them a 33/40.
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy performed a quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast,” with the “Step Up” actress — whose fiancé, Steve Kazee, showed up to rehearsals to impart some Broadway advice — playing Belle and Chmerkovskiy playing Beast, horns and all.
The pair earned rave reviews from the judges, with Tonioli calling the routine a “feast” and saying it is “right up with the best that ‘Dancing With the Stars’ has to offer.” They scored a perfect 40/40.
Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold performed a waltz to “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” with the comedian playing Flynn Rider and Arnold playing Rapunzel. Erivo praised the pair’s “commitment to storytelling,” but the judges dinged Wood’s frame throughout. They earned a 32/40.
After all the individual routines, it was finally time for the team dances.
Team Slaytopia was led by team captain Ali and Ravnik, with Higgins and Ballas, Glenn and Pashkov and Stiles and Sosa making up the rest of the crew. They, along with Ribeiro, performed a freestyle to “Zoo” from “Zootopia 2,” scoring a 36/40.
Team Wildcats was led by team captain Wood and Arnold, with Frech and Karagach, Dewan and Chmerkovskiy and Shum Jr. and Johnson filling out the ranks. They, along with Julianne, performed a freestyle to “We’re All in This Together” from “High School Musical,” scoring a 40/40.
New episodes of “DWTS” air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and Disney+, and stream on Hulu the following day.
For more of Page Six’s “Dancing With the Stars” coverage, click here.
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