“DWTS” Season 35, Episode 6: A Blitz of a Super Bowl Night

Every football game has its share of hustles, flags, fumbles, and touchdowns. On Super Bowl Night, “Dancing with the Stars” delivered each of those in true fashion. The night, themed around iconic Super Bowl halftime performances, included some notable appearances by former NFL-player “DWTS” alumni, as well as by guest judge and sportscaster Joe Buck. In his words: “I know absolutely nothing about dance! Nothing!” But lucky for all of us, he may have learned a thing or two courtesy his wife, former Denver Broncos cheerleader Michelle Beisner-Buck. As far as guest judges go, Buck did his job well.

Maura Higgins and “DWTS” pro dancer Mark Ballas provided the evening’s kickoff with a solid tango to Rihanna’s “Only Girl (in the World).” Despite dealing with a recurrent “twinge” in her neck, Higgins managed to make the dance look easy—as usual. But that wasn’t the only pain point of the night. An online controversy surrounding troupe dancer Jaxon Willard erupted earlier this week, simmering beneath the episode; and things got tense when judge Carrie Ann Inaba brought out the physical rule book during her critique of Harry Shum Jr. and pro Jenna Johnson’s samba to Usher’s “Yeah!” By now, any seasoned “DWTS” fan knows that lifts are not allowed in sambas; the rule book, as read aloud by Inaba, states that a lift is “any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner.” But Johnson explained in the skybox that she’d interpreted the rule as prohibiting lifts between the pro and their celebrity. So the question is: Does “their partner” refer to the pro or celeb only, or does it include troupe dancers, which applied here when Willard and fellow troupe member Carter Williams helped Shum Jr. with a partnered flip?

We here at Dance Spirit are dying to know. But in the meantime, let’s take a look at this week’s touchdown moments:

• Jackson Olson’s unofficial boy band audition during the opening of his salsa to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” with pro Emma Slater, which he proceeded to smash.
• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov’s slinky, spicy samba to J Balvin and Willy William’s “Mi Gente,” which felt worthy of its own halftime show. As judge Bruno Tonioli pointed out, Glenn has reached the point of freedom where she can play with the movement. (And that section with the towels and the split? We’re obsessed.)
• Tyler Cameron’s classic jazz pas de bourrées, plus some crazy lifts, in his number with pro Sharna Burgess to the Black Eyed Peas’ “The Time (Dirty Bit).”
• Perhaps the best costume moment yet, when troupe members tore off Connor Wood’s black slacks to reveal neon orange samba pants underneath. That made him match pro partner Rylee Arnold in their samba to Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie,” but the jury may still be out on whether Wood’s hips told the truth, technique-wise.
• The ultimate tribute to Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles and pro Ezra Sosa’s jazz number to Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny from the Block.” It contained far more ballet and hip hop than jazz, but we are not complaining. We also love that Sosa gave Stiles a shining solo moment. (Oh, and hi, Sean Patrick Thomas!)
• Jenna Dewan and pro Val Chmerkovskiy’s absolute winner of a paso doble to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” This is the Jenna we’ve been dying to see! And that opening floor section? Love.
• A scorcher of a finish courtesy Ezra Frech and pro Daniella Karagach, whose salsa to Nelly’s “Hot in Here” basically lit the floor on fire. (Those finger turns!) In the package, the duo explained that they wanted this number to be the ultimate party, making up for years of missed social events thanks to intense track-and-field and dance training, respectively. We think they returned on that promise with interest.

And while the beloved Guillermo Rodriguez gave his best shimmies and body rolls in a salsa to Bad Bunny’s “Tití Me Preguntó,” which featured smart choreography by pro Witney Carson, it turned out to be his last dance as a competitor. “I did my best! And everybody liked it, right?” he asked in the skybox. Yes, Guillermo. Yes, we did.

With that, here are the official standings from Week 5 (with Buck guest-judging, the highest possible score jumped from 30 to 40), along with some quotes of the week:

• Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach: 36/40
• Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy: 36/40
• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov: 34/40
• Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson: 33/40
• Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa: 33/40
• Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas: 33/40
• Jackson Olson and Emma Slater: 31/40
• Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess: 30/40
• Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik: 29/40
• Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold: 25/40
• Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson: 22/40 (ELIMINATED)

“DWTS” Quotes of the Week

“I cover a lot of 6′ 3″ guys who couldn’t move like that.” —Sportscaster and “DWTS” guest judge Joe Buck, to TV personality and former tight end Tyler Cameron

“Sorry, judges, but this one is for the millennials.” —Pro Ezra Sosa on his Save the Last Dance–inspired choreography for Julia Stiles’ jazz number

“I suspect it’s kind of in my body.” —Actress Tatyana Ali on salsa dance, which she grew up doing at family gatherings and feels a personal connection to

“It’s felt like an empowering season.” —Pro Witney Carson on competing while several weeks pregnant alongside comedian and talk show personality Guillermo Rodriguez

See you for next week’s episode!