The beloved reality competition "Dancing With The Stars" aired the fourth episode of Season 31 on Monday night, and it is getting more exciting with each passing week. The season began with 16 couples and now has 12 remaining.
This season contains a vast slew of stars, including TikToker Charli D'Amelio with partner Mark Ballas; comedian Wayne Brady with Witney Carson; recent Bachelorette star Gabby Windey with Val Chmerkovskiy and many more passionate performers.
For the season premiere, the stars were asked to pick a song they love to dance to, resulting in a repertoire spanning from Whitney Houston, Bad Bunny and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The top score of the week was awarded to Charli and Mark, who performed a Cha-cha-cha to Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage," resulting in a 32 out of 40. The first couple to go was "Sex and the City" actor Jason Lewis, who also performed a Cha-cha-cha, but was met with a score of 18.
Dedicated to the King himself, the second episode of the season was Elvis night, featuring songs from all eras of the rock star's career. The top score was once again a 32, but it was awarded to three different couples. Charli and Mark again walked away at the top of the leaderboard, along with Wayne and Witney and Gabby and Val. The second star to be eliminated was Real Housewife Teresa Giudice, whose jive to "All Shook Up" was met with a 23 out of 40.
The third week celebrated 60 years of 007, featuring songs from nearly all James Bond movies. Continuing their streak, Charli and Mark walked away with the top score of 33, tying again with Wayne and Gabby. Week 3 meant saying goodbye to "Charlie's Angels" star Cheryl Ladd, whose 24-scoring rumba was not enough to keep her in the competition.
Putting a new spin on the classic theme of Disney night to support the show's new streaming service, this past Monday featured songs from all across the Disney+ catalog. All three of the past top scorers maintained their spots on the leaderboard with the top score of 36. The most recent star to be eliminated was Good Morning America anchor Sam Champion, who earned a score of 25.
In between the top scores and eliminations have been many magnificent and touching moments. During Bond week, actor Selma Blair, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, performed her rumba completely blindfolded. It was a decision that, while not favored by the judges, still pulled at viewers' heartstrings everywhere.
Daniel Durant, the star of the Oscar-winning film "Coda," has been an inspiration to watch as he dances incredibly well, despite being born deaf. His partner, Britt Stewart, has been picking up some sign language as the season has progressed, and watching their relationship and communication style develop has been truly amazing.
For Disney+ night, drag star Shangela danced to "Dig A Little Deeper" from the Disney classic "The Princess and the Frog," and was accompanied by the movie's original cast member Jenifer Lewis singing the song live. Hearing the story of their relationship added a whole new dynamic to the dance and warmed hearts all across the nation.
All of these incredible moments have made Season 31 a memorable one for "Dancing With The Stars," and there are still 12 weeks to go. Next week will be a double-feature, with the return of the fan-favorite themes Most Memorable Year and Prom Night.
