“Dancing With the Stars ”recap: It's a 10 for Len
Most Memorable Year night is a tear-jerker of an episode every season of Dancing With the Stars, but tonight's performances were especially moving.
The 10 remaining celebrity competitors opened their hearts and paid tribute to the most memorable year of their lives with a mix of contemporary routines, Viennese waltzes, and more ballroom styles — but it was a tender waltz performed in honor of late head judge Len Goodman that produced the most tears in the ballroom.
First, Mira Sorvino, star of cult classic Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, danced a contemporary routine to "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper, which fans will remember as the song Sorvino's Romy, Lisa Kudrow's Michele, and Alan Cumming's Sandy danced to at their reunion. But instead of Kudrow, Sorvino — who's most memorable year was the one she began her family — danced alongside her daughter Mattea, who is a contemporary dancer herself.
ABC Mira Sorvino, Gleb Savchenko
Charity Lawson took to the floor with an emotional contemporary routine that honored the year that she found love on The Bachelorette and the bumpy road she took to get there. She and partner Artem Chigvintsev began their performance on top of a metal bar structure and impressed the judges with their acrobatic skills. Carrie Ann Inaba told Charity "what you just did is what people will remember about this season" before awarding her with the very first 10 of the season. Later in the episode, princess Marvel star Xochitl Gomez also received a 10 for her quincea?era themed Viennese waltz.
ABC Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev performing on 'DWTS'
Midway through the episode, Derek and Julianne Hough, current pros, and returning DWTS alum Kym Herjavec, Anna Trebunskaya, Karina Smirnoff, Edyta Sliwinska, Tony Dovolani, Louis van Amstel, Maks Chmerkovskiy, and Mark Ballas performed a tribute to Goodman, who died in April. The group danced a waltz to "Moon River" that the late judge would've definitely given a 10.
But even after her crowd-pleasing contemporary routine, Mira Sorvino was sent home. The actress gave a tearful goodbye, saying that doing the show was a great experience.
Here's where each couple landed on the leaderboard:
Charity & Artem - Contemporary, 28 out of 30
Xochitl & Val - Viennese waltz, 28 out of 30
Jason & Daniella - Quickstep, 27 out of 30
Ariana & Pasha - Viennese Waltz, 24 out of 30
Lele & Brandon - Contemporary, 24 out of 30
Mauricio & Emma - Contemporary, 24 out of 30
Barry & Peta - Paso doble, 24 out of 30
Mira & Gleb - Contemporary, 22 out of 30
Alyson & Sasha - Viennese waltz, 21 out of 30
Harry & Rylee - Contemporary, 18 out of 30
Tune in next week... if you dare! The ballroom turns into Monster night for Halloween, where the stars will dance in a spooky Monster-a-thon.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, and streams the following day on Hulu.
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