Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa nearly performed a different routine before committing to a Save the Last Dance tribute on Dancing With the Stars.
Sosa told Entertainment Weekly that “we didn’t even think the judges were going to like this routine.” Their priority was giving longtime fans a recognizable throwback rather than following their original plan.
For the Oct. 13 episode, the pair performed jazz to Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny from the Block [Track Masters Remix],” featuring Jadakiss and Styles P. The show’s first Super Bowl Night featured music associated with past halftime performers.
The 2001 film cast Stiles as Sara Johnson, an aspiring ballerina who moves to Chicago after her mother’s death. Her character’s final audition for Juilliard supplied one of the references in the new performance.
Tonioli Called It Her Best Dance, and Hough Gave Her a Hug
Sosa incorporated a solo passage that allowed Stiles to revisit the film’s combination of hip-hop and ballet. Bruno Tonioli praised her interpretation and characterization as well as the dancing, calling it “your best one so far,” according to TV Insider.
Derek Hough brought Stiles over for a hug after the performance, TheWrap reported. Carrie Ann Inaba praised the confidence and grit she brought to the floor, while Hough told her, “I feel like we all were waiting for that and you did not disappoint!”
Inaba, Hough and Tonioli each awarded an eight. Guest judge Joe Buck, the Monday Night Football broadcaster, gave her a nine, bringing the total to 33 out of 40, according to USA TODAY.
The regular panel’s combined 24 points also exceeded the 21 out of 30 that Stiles and Sosa received for their Viennese waltz to “Vision of Love” during the previous week’s Mariah Carey Night, as recorded by Deseret News.
Sean Patrick Thomas Recreated Derek’s Jacket Pose
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Stiles’ former costar Sean Patrick Thomas joined the tribute from the audience. During her solo, he appeared behind Sosa holding his jacket in the same pose his character, Derek, struck while watching Sara’s audition in the movie, For The Win reported.
Thomas also praised Stiles in a video shared by the show’s official Instagram account. He said he was delighted to be there and that she had brought their experience of making the movie back into the ballroom.
His support began before the competition. During the Sept. 2 cast announcement on Good Morning America, Thomas and fellow Save the Last Dance cast member Kerry Washington surprised Stiles with recorded messages.
Washington recalled her abilities on the set and warned the other contestants to watch out. Thomas jokingly used Sara’s fictional acceptance into Juilliard as evidence that Stiles could handle the new challenge.
Stiles Said the Movie Made Her Self-Conscious About Dance Classes
During a Sept. 21 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Stiles explained that she had largely kept her dancing at home after the film. She said feeling watched had discouraged her from attending classes, and joining the competition was partly an attempt to recover her enjoyment and confidence, according to Parade.
“I’m not a professional dancer. I’m an actress who played pretend in a movie,” she told Hudson. Stiles said a double performed substantial portions of the ballet, including pointe work, while she performed the hip-hop and club sequences herself.
In the new EW interview, Stiles said she now feels more comfortable in her own skin when looking back at her younger self.
Stiles and Sosa advanced to the next round. Guillermo Rodriguez and partner Witney Carson were eliminated at the end of Super Bowl Night.