‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34, Episode 5

The most emotional night of the competition, Dedication Night, has arrived on “Dancing With the Stars” — and this time, the show is doing things a bit differently.

Each remaining couple chose a special person in their life to not only dedicate their Week 5 dance to, but also to incorporate into their routine.

Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were joined by guest judge Kym Johnson, a two-time Mirrorball champion as a pro.

Andy Richter kicked off the night with a salsa to “Jump in the Line,” which he dedicated to his 5-year-old stepdaughter, Cornelia.

Cornelia wore a dress to match his partner, Emma Slater, and joined them on the dance floor for the fun and heartfelt routine. They earned a 24 out of 40 for the night.

The crowd had its tissues ready as Robert Irwin took the floor with Witney Carson.

They danced a contemporary routine to “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins, which he dedicated to his mother, Terri Irwin.

After the emotional performance, Hough said through tears, “The world needs the Irwin family.” They scored a 35 out of 40.

Elaine Hendrix paid tribute to her best friend from “The Parent Trap,” Lisa Ann Walter, with a foxtrot to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole.

She and partner Alan Bersten included plenty of impressive trio work in their dance, earning a 30 out of 40.

Whitney Leavitt followed with a contemporary routine dedicated to her husband, Connor. She and partner Mark Ballas scored a 33 out of 40 for their touching performance.

Jen Affleck took the floor with a heartfelt Viennese waltz dedicated to her mother. She and partner Jan Ravnik danced to “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, earning a 29 out of 40.

Next up was Dylan Efron, who dedicated his contemporary dance to his younger sister, Olivia.

His emotional performance with partner Daniella Karagach to “Rewrite the Stars” from “The Greatest Showman” — originally performed by his brother, Zac Efron — left no dry eyes in the crowd.

They received four nines from the judges, totaling 36 out of 40, the highest score of the season so far.

Following Dylan and Daniella was Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles with her partner, Ezra Sosa. She dedicated their Viennese waltz to her father, dancing to “Daughters” by John Mayer.

The pair earned a 32 out of 40 for their stunning routine.

Scott Hoying was next with a foxtrot dedicated to his husband, Mark. In the pre-dance package, the couple revealed that their surrogate is pregnant, making the performance even more touching.

He and partner Rylee Arnold danced to his own song, “Parallel,” and scored a 30 out of 40.

Danielle Fishel paid tribute to William Daniels — better known as Mr. Feeny from “Boy Meets World.” She and partner Pasha Pashkov performed a jive to the “Boy Meets World” theme song and scored a 29 out of 40.

The final star to grace the ballroom was social media influencer Alix Earle. She dedicated her contemporary dance to her little sister, Izabel, crediting her for helping bring their family back together.

Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy danced to “Sparks” by Coldplay and earned a 35 out of 40.

The emotional night, unfortunately, ended with an elimination — or so everyone thought.

Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro joined the celebs on stage to announce the safe couples.

To no one’s surprise, they revealed that no one would be going home. After all, how could anyone be eliminated after a night like that?

Next week, the stars and their pro partners will return to the ballroom for Wicked Night.

— Sarah Gavlak

Sarah Gavlak is a fourth-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, please email sng5393@psu.edu.