Dancing With the Stars Delivers Its First 9 of the Season on Mariah Carey Night — Before Another Couple Is Sent Home

Mariah Carey Night brought everything from an emotional tribute to a late mother to steamy rumbas, a spectacular split-kick and the first 9 of the season. But after Maura Higgins surged to the top of the leaderboard, one couple’s ballroom journey came to an abrupt end — despite delivering what the judges had just called their best dance yet.

Week 4 of Dancing with the Stars turned the ballroom into a celebration of Mariah Carey, with the remaining celebrities performing routines set entirely to songs from the superstar’s catalog.

The evening opened with the professional dancers and troupe performing to “Heartbreaker,” before hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough welcomed the remaining couples.

With Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart eliminated the previous week, following earlier exits for Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten, Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman, and Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills, another celebrity knew their time in the ballroom was about to end.

But before the elimination came one of the strongest nights of dancing yet.

Maura Higgins Earned the First 9 of the Season

Coming into Week 4 near the top of the competition, Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas faced the challenge of maintaining the momentum they had built.

Their answer was an elegant waltz to “If It’s Over.”

The routine immediately impressed the judges.

Carrie Ann Inaba admitted she became emotional because the performance was so good, saying the pair had transported her into another world.

Derek Hough praised the absence of unnecessary tricks, describing it as classic, pure ballroom dancing.

Bruno Tonioli was equally enthusiastic, declaring Maura’s musicality “out of this world.”

The result was a 25 out of 30, including the first 9 awarded during the season.

It put Maura and Mark at the top of the night.

Harry Shum Jr. Had a Surprising Connection to His Mariah Song

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson tackled a tango to “It’s Like That,” featuring Jermaine Dupri and Fatman Scoop.

But Harry wasn’t hearing the song for the first time.

He revealed that he had actually appeared in its music video.

His old moves weren’t necessarily useful for a ballroom tango, however, and Jenna pushed him toward a much sharper performance despite his demanding filming schedule on Grey’s Anatomy.

It worked.

Carrie Ann described the routine as “masterful and beautiful,” while Derek called Harry “sharp, powerful, precise.”

Bruno labeled it a “red hot tango from a man on a mission.”

Harry and Jenna scored 24 out of 30.

Jenna Dewan Finally Had Her Breakthrough

The pressure was particularly high for Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy after Jenna admitted she had been frustrated by the previous week’s scores.

Their rumba to “My All” changed the conversation.

Derek rose to his feet after the performance and told Jenna that this was the first time he felt he had truly seen her in the competition.

Bruno praised the artistry, while Carrie Ann highlighted the transformation she saw in the performance.

The couple earned 24 out of 30, keeping the night’s run of impressive scores alive.

Amber Glenn Delivered a Move Derek Thinks Could Go Viral

Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn entered the week still processing the fact that she’d received the season’s first 8 during the previous show.

Her next challenge was a rumba with Pasha Pashkov to “Hero.”

The performance ended with an eye-catching split-kick, immediately catching Derek’s attention.

He predicted viewers might soon be attempting the move themselves on social media.

Carrie Ann called Amber powerful but wanted to see slightly more connection with her partner, while Bruno praised her ability to maintain the flow of the dance.

Amber and Pasha received 23 out of 30.

Tyler Cameron’s Tribute to His Mother Changed the Mood

One of the night’s most emotional moments came from Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess.

Tyler became emotional while discussing his mother, who died from a brain aneurysm in 2020.

He explained that Dancing with the Stars had been a show she dreamed of seeing him compete on.

That memory became part of his motivation for the couple’s foxtrot to “Beautiful,” Carey’s collaboration with Miguel.

The judges noticed a dramatic improvement.

Bruno praised Tyler’s elegance and told him he should be proud of how far he had come.

Carrie Ann told Tyler that his mother would be proud of him.

Derek, visibly emotional after hearing Tyler’s story, also offered technical advice for improving his ballroom frame.

Tyler and Sharna scored 21 out of 30.

Connor Wood Turned Up the Heat

Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold took on a rumba to “Touch My Body,” resulting in one of the night’s cheekiest routines.

Connor threw himself into the choreography, including body rolls performed on the floor.

Bruno called the routine “very, very frisky” and joked about what Connor’s mother might think.

While all three judges recognized his growing confidence, they also identified technical areas that still needed work, including his hands, legs and foot placement.

The pair earned 19 out of 30.

Tatyana Ali Lived Out a High School Dream

For Tatyana Ali, dancing to Mariah Carey carried special meaning.

She described it as a “high school dream come true.”

Her partner Jan Ravnik had an even more direct connection to Carey, revealing that he had previously toured with her.

Together they performed jazz to “Fantasy,” complete with ambitious tricks.

Carrie Ann praised Tatyana’s storytelling but wanted her to attack the jazz movements more forcefully.

Derek told her she was “blossoming,” while Bruno agreed that she had even more to give.

Their score was 20 out of 30.

Julia Stiles Continued Her Progress

Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa faced a fast Viennese waltz to “Vision of Love.”

Julia entered rehearsals determined not to overthink the challenge and instead enjoy appearing on a show she loves.

That approach appeared to pay off.

Bruno compared her to Tinker Bell and praised her elegance and grace, although he cautioned against making the waltz too “hoppy.”

Carrie Ann called it a breakthrough, while Derek complimented Julia’s arms and encouraged her to breathe through the movement.

The couple scored 21 out of 30.

Ezra Frech Reached a Personal Best

Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach performed their rumba to “Anytime You Need a Friend.”

The pair explained beforehand that the song reflected the friendship they had developed during the competition.

Their slow, sensual routine earned a huge response from the ballroom.

Bruno praised Ezra’s charisma, Carrie Ann called the performance spectacular and Derek described the dance as sophisticated.

The result was 24 out of 30, Ezra’s highest score of the season.

He described himself as being on “cloud nine.”

Jackson Olson Celebrated His Birthday With an Improved Waltz

Jackson Olson and Emma Slater entered the week hoping to finally push their scores upward.

Their waltz to “Without You” happened to fall on Jackson’s birthday.

Bruno felt Jackson had finally learned to “own” the music, while Carrie Ann was pleased to see him embracing his love of dancing.

Derek also recognized improvement in his arm movements while offering advice about his shoulder positioning.

Jackson and Emma finished with 21 out of 30.

Guillermo Rodriguez Had a Difficult Night

For Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, Week 4 proved much tougher.

Guillermo was balancing rehearsals with a trip to New York to film Jimmy Kimmel Live! from Brooklyn.

He and Witney performed a samba to “Obsessed,” leaning heavily into the song’s diva attitude.

The performance entertained the ballroom, but the judges struggled with its technical execution.

Derek admitted it wasn’t quite a samba, although he said it was unmistakably Guillermo.

Bruno joked about Guillermo becoming a “national obsession,” while Carrie Ann questioned where his usual joy had gone.

Their score of 13 out of 30 left them at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Ciara Miller Delivered Her Best Dance — and Still Went Home

The cruelest twist of the night belonged to Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong.

Ciara had entered Week 4 disappointed after repeatedly receiving 6s from the judges.

Determined to improve, she chose “Emotions” and explained that the song reflected the many emotions she had experienced during the year.

Brandon built their jazz routine around a classroom romance, beginning the performance with desks on the ballroom floor.

The judges responded positively.

Derek praised her jazz technique.

Bruno complimented the storytelling and synchronization.

Carrie Ann went even further, calling it Ciara’s best dance so far.

The couple earned 21 out of 30.

But their improvement wasn’t enough to save them.

After the judges’ scores were combined with viewer votes, Ciara and Brandon were eliminated.

Ciara told the hosts there was nobody she would rather have experienced the competition with than Brandon and described her time on the show as a “moment of a lifetime.”

Brandon admitted he was “super bummed,” particularly because he had watched Ciara improve every week.

It brought an emotional conclusion to a night dominated by breakthroughs.

Maura Higgins walked away with the season’s first 9 and the night’s highest score, several contestants delivered their strongest performances yet, and Tyler Cameron moved the judges with a deeply personal tribute. But Mariah Carey Night also delivered a painful reminder of how unpredictable the ballroom can be: Ciara Miller produced her best dance of the competition on the very night she was sent home.