Nov 4, 2026 · 1h 15m
Disney Night delivers brilliance, debate and a surprising elimination
Danielle with… Kym Johnson Herjavec (Ballroom Breakdown DWTS 3509)
The episode weighs polished performances and judging decisions against the unpredictable voting that sent Julia Stiles home despite clear improvement.
- 1Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned the night’s clearest praise with a theatrical Mary Poppins routine and perfect score.
- 2Jenna Dewan’s refined quickstep matched the judges’ perfect score, while Julia Stiles showed meaningful progress despite lingering injury.
- 3Team dances rewarded choreography, formations and ensemble chemistry, but Julia Stiles’ elimination exposed the gap between performance quality and voting.
Don't miss
Julia Stiles delivers a more forceful, emotionally intense paso doble while managing a recurring rib injury, then is eliminated despite her improvement.
The brief
Danielle Fishel and Kym Herjavec return to Ballroom Breakdown as Disney Night raises the pressure, with Broadway staging, team dances and Cynthia Erivo’s guest judging in view.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson command the night with a Mary Poppins jazz routine built on physical comedy, ambitious choreography and a unanimous perfect score.
The hosts praise Tatiana Ali’s emotional growth, Daniel Durant’s determination and Jenna Dewan’s polished quickstep while questioning uneven judging elsewhere.
Julia Stiles attacks her Hamilton paso doble despite a recurring rib injury, making her elimination feel less like a verdict on improvement than a lesson in voting.
Team Slaytopia and Team Wildcats show how formations, staging and mixed skill levels can reshape the competition, with Wildcats taking the group-dance win.
The episode’s central tension is simple: a contestant can improve visibly, deliver a stronger performance and still leave when audience votes decide the outcome.
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