Derek Hough tossed Shirley Ballas’ miniature dance shoes onto the ballroom floor during the November 2 episode of Dancing With the Stars. Julia Stiles and her partner, Ezra Sosa, had just danced a paso doble to “Satisfied” from Hamilton.
Ballas had brought the props to the judges’ table for Horror Movie Night on October 27. She used them to demonstrate footwork, including how Maura Higgins could position her feet to complete a pivot while dancing with Ballas’ son, Mark.
Stiles had received a 4 out of 10 from Ballas that night. Hough, who trained with Ballas in England as a boy, had given the same performance a 7.
For the Broadway-themed Disney Night, the eight remaining couples each prepared an individual routine and a team dance. Wicked star Cynthia Erivo joined the regular panel to judge both rounds.
Hough Promises Stiles There Will Be ‘No 4s’
Hough acknowledged that the previous week’s performance had been a setback. He told Stiles she had delivered a comeback on Monday, drawing a cheer from Sosa and a thank-you from Stiles.
Hough pointed out that Ballas had left her shoes behind. “But listen, there’ll be no 4s, okay?” he told the couple. Host Alfonso Ribeiro joined in as the shoes landed. “Get those tiny shoes out of here!” he called, according to Parade.
Stiles had rehearsed through a flare-up of an old rib injury. Erivo praised how well she had concealed the pain during the dance and gave her an 8. Hough and Carrie Ann Inaba also gave 8s, and Bruno Tonioli’s 9 brought the couple’s score to 33 out of 40.
Why Ballas Scored Stiles’ Argentine Tango So Low
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On Horror Movie Night, Ballas had wanted sharper legwork and better posture from Stiles in an Argentine tango inspired by The Omen. The routine earned 26 out of 40 from the full panel. Stiles said afterward that she intended to learn from the critique.
Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik also received a 4 from Ballas for their paso doble. At the other end of her scorecard, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned a 10 from her for a Saw-inspired contemporary dance. It was the first routine of the season to receive a perfect score from the panel.
Ballas, the head judge on Britain’s Strictly Come Dancing, said contestants there often welcomed a 4 or a 5. She wanted to leave room on the scale for dancers to improve. “A 4 for me is a great score,” she told Good Morning America after Horror Movie Night.
Hough and Ballas Disagree About Who Should Get the Final Say
The day after Horror Movie Night, Hough joked that an American contestant could spend five weeks getting over a 5. He also agreed with Ballas that the judges needed to give their scores more weight. The two spoke on Extra.
The judges’ save was another matter. Under the former DWTS rule, the panel could choose which of the bottom two couples stayed. Hough said he was glad to give up the responsibility of telling a contestant they were going home. Ballas liked having a dance-off on Strictly because it gave the judges a chance to keep the stronger dancer.
Stiles and Sosa Leave the Competition After Their Team Dance
Stiles and Sosa returned to the floor with Team Slaytopia to dance to “Zoo” from Zootopia 2. Four 9s added 36 points to their score, leaving them with 69 out of 80 for the night. Shum and Johnson finished with a perfect 80, as did their Team Wildcats teammates Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, according to TV Insider.
When the judges’ scores and viewer votes were combined, Stiles and Sosa were eliminated. Seven couples advanced to the November 10 episode on ABC and Disney+.
In her farewell, Stiles said the competition had brought out abilities she hadn’t realized she had. She said she would miss seeing Sosa every day.