Dancing With the Stars’ Jenna Johnson shares her honest take on the most underrated dedication Night performance

Dancing With the Stars’ Dedication Night on October 14 featured routines dedicated to loved ones. Jenna Johnson identified Elaine Hendrix’s foxtrot as the most underrated performance of the evening.

Hendrix, 54, performed to This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole in honor of her best friend and Parent Trap costar Lisa Ann Walter, 62.

Alan Bersten, Hendrix’s professional partner, incorporated Walter into the choreography. Despite the intricate performance, the routine received a score of 30 out of 40, placing it lower than expected on the leaderboard.

Dancing With the Stars’ Jenna Johnson identifies Elaine Hendrix’s Foxtrot as Dedication Night’s most underrated performance

Jenna Johnson on Elaine Hendrix’s Foxtrot

During the October 16 episode of the Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast, Johnson discussed Hendrix’s performance.

She explained that she felt Hendrix’s routine was one of her best dances, expressing being a little shocked at the "scoring." Johnson added,

“I love the notes that [the judges] gave her … but I thought she deserved at least all eights, maybe even a nine.”

Hendrix’s foxtrot showcased both technical precision and the incorporation of Walter into the routine, though it did not place at the top of the leaderboard.

Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach receive the top score

Johnson also highlighted Dylan Efron, 33, and Daniella Karagach’s contemporary dance, which earned the highest score of the season with 36 points.

Efron dedicated the routine to his younger sister, Olivia, who appeared in the ballroom during the performance. Johnson stated,

“I think he deserved all of those nines.”

Efron told Us Weekly that the high score was unexpected but emphasized that the focus was on performance rather than points. He explained that the "scores" are always secondary and that the goal each week is to perform fully and leave everything on the dance floor.

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa react to no elimination

Additionally, Dedication Night included a twist with no elimination, which surprised the contestants. Jordan Chiles, 24, and Ezra Sosa, 24, shared their reactions exclusively with Us Weekly. Chiles said,

“I think this was the first time I was like, ‘We’re in elimination and what is happening?’ Only because we rehearsed it. We rehearsed everything going on.”

Chiles described the mood in the ballroom following the no-elimination announcement, explaining that everyone’s reactions were unexpectedly intense and that she personally felt frustrated.

She noted that the atmosphere made the situation feel more “serious” than anticipated. Sosa added that the twist did not feel fair to the contestants and referred to it as a form of “mind games,” emphasizing the confusion it caused during the live show.

During Dedication Night, Chiles performed a Viennese waltz dedicated to her father, Timothy, dancing to John Mayer’s song Daughters. Each judge awarded eight points, resulting in a total score of 32.

She clarified that the main focus of the performance was the emotional experience shared between the dancers and their loved ones, highlighting the “dedication” element as central to the routine and the overall theme of the evening. Sosa added,

“You know, having an amazing partner is what it’s all about. Our connection is crazy and I just really, really love it so much. I don’t think people understand, look what happens behind the doors is what happens behind doors. It’s the same person that you see on camera [and] off camera.”

Stay tuned for more updates.