“DWTS” Season 35, Episode 4: Who Rocked Yacht Rock Night

“Yacht Rock Night”? Yep, you heard that right. This week’s episode of “Dancing with the Stars” featured an abundance of foxtrots and smooth, classic hits from musicians and groups like The Doobie Brothers, Toto, and Daryl Hall & John Oates. Plus, plenty of costumes with bright, tropical florals and nautical accents. Oh, and mocktails in the skybox. 

While last night hit some exciting high notes, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. We’ve officially seen our first onscreen injury—two, in fact: a dizzying bloody nose for Pasha Pashkov after partner Amber Glenn accidentally hit him in rehearsal, and painful rib troubles for Julia Stiles after workshopping an assisted flip with pro Ezra Sosa. (Don’t worry, both Pashkov and Stiles recovered in time to absolutely nail their performances.) But for many, the biggest downer for the “DWTS” cruise ship came with this week’s elimination. More on that below.

It’s usually around this time when we begin to see the celebs start to become more comfortable trusting their bodies and performing onstage. That was certainly the case this week. Whether during judges’ critiques, interviews in the skybox, or pre-recorded packages, several of the celebs described wanting to let go and have more fun with their dancing. For us dancers, it’s a good reminder not to lose connection with what got us moving in the first place—and to calm down, breathe, and let the movement speak for itself, as judge Carrie Ann Inaba reminded Jenna Dewan after her samba with pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

With having fun as the overarching theme, here are a few standout moments from Episode 4:

1. Stunning partnered promenades by Pashkov and Glenn, who added an ice-skating flair to their foxtrot to Toto’s “Hold the Line”; and by Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, who flipped the usual gender roles in their foxtrot to “Just the Two of Us,” by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr. (Hey, Ezra, you have a beautiful arabesque!)
2. Tatyana Ali officially instating herself as this season’s dark horse after eating up her quickstep with Jan Ravnik to Hall & Oates’ “Maneater”
3. Fabulous hat-ography and overall excellence from Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, who performed a jaunty jive to Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams (Come True)”
4. Lightness and cleanliness from Maura Higgins, whose top line in the frame earned her a comparison to Audrey Hepburn by judge Bruno Tonioli (quickstep to George Benson’s “Turn Your Love Around” with pro Mark Ballas)
5. Guillermo Rodriguez “keepin’ it cute” by performing for the viewers, not the judges, with pro Witney Carson…and ripping open his shirt at the end to expose a coconut bra and “Dancing 4 the people” written across his stomach (foxtrot, “Escape [The Pina Colada Song],” by Rupert Holmes)

But once the episode’s ship returned to dock, the night’s tone took a turn with the elimination of Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart. This came as a surprise to us here at Dance Spirit, especially after Hanson showed such promising growth in his foxtrot with Stewart to The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes.” In 2024, he and his brothers (the band Hanson) sang a cover of the song to commemorate the track’s induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame, so the personal connection makes the elimination sting a bit more. But Stewart’s unmistakable sadness, masked gracefully and professionally onscreen, really made this one hurt. (We love you, Britt.) Based on social media comments alone, it’s probably safe to say that the Hanson fans won’t be tuning in next week.

With that, here is the official score sheet from Week 2, along with some quotes of the week:

• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov: 24/30
• Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson: 24/30
• Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas: 22/30
• Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach: 21/30
• Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy: 21/30
• Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik: 21/30
• Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold: 20/30
• Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa: 19/30
• Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong: 18/30
• Jackson Olson and Emma Slater: 18/30
• Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart: 18/30 (ELIMINATED)
• Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess: 17/30
• Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson: 15/30

“DWTS” Quotes of the Week

“You awakened the Spice Girl within!” —Judge Bruno Tonioli to actress Julia Stiles, on her spicy comeback with pro Ezra Sosa in their salsa to Hall & Oates “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”

“I woke up this week like, ‘Get me into rehearsal!’ ” —TV personality Maura Higgins describing a feeling that so many of us dancers can relate to

“When you’re feelin’ it, we’re feelin’ it.” —Judge Derek Hough to reality star Ciara Miller, encouraging her to keep tapping into her natural groove

“I want to nail this routine technically, not to just look good as a dude with one leg dancing. I want to look good as a dancer.” —Ezra Frech on his foxtrot with pro Daniella Karagach

See you for next week’s episode!