Jenna Dewan Earns a Perfect 40 on Dancing with the Stars Disney Night

When Jenna Dewan joined Dancing with the Stars this fall, some viewers grumbled that the Step Up star had an unfair head start. On Monday night, she gave them something else to talk about. Dancing with partner Val Chmerkovskiy on Disney Night, Dewan earned a perfect 40 out of 40 from the judges, and searches for her name exploded across the US. Here, we look at how Jenna Dewan on DWTS reached this moment, what made her Dancing with the Stars Disney Night routine so special, and what comes next.

A Flawless “Be Our Guest”

Their routine was a quickstep to the Beauty and the Beast favorite “Be Our Guest,” sung live by Rodney Ingram, according to Today’s results coverage. The quickstep is one of ballroom’s fastest and most demanding styles, requiring light, bouncing footwork at high speed, which suited the playful, theatrical number.

Every judge held up a 10, from regulars Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough and Carrie Ann Inaba to guest judge Cynthia Erivo. Tonioli praised the routine as a lavish showcase of the show at its finest, as Gold Derby’s recap reported.

A tie at the top

The couple also scored a perfect mark in the night’s team dances, finishing with 80 out of 80. That left them sharing first place with actor Harry Shum Jr., who dances with pro Jenna Johnson. Because the two couples were tied, producers used cumulative scores from the whole season to decide which pair would be protected from next week’s dance-off. Shum and Johnson edged ahead by a single point, 236 to 235.

The Comeback That Made It Sweeter

Monday’s result capped an unusual few weeks for the pair. Chmerkovskiy was suspended from the show for one week in October, and fellow pro Alan Bersten stepped in to partner Dewan in his absence. Chmerkovskiy returned the following week, and the duo had already scored a strong 37 out of 40 on Horror Movie Night before Monday’s perfect score.

Disney Night was a special Monday broadcast. The show returns to its usual Tuesday slot next week.

Answering the Critics

Dewan’s casting sparked debate from the start. Before her acting career took off, she danced professionally behind pop stars such as Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson, and she became famous for starring in the 2006 dance film Step Up. Some fans argued that made her a ringer among less experienced celebrities.

Dewan pushed back early in the season, arguing that commercial and music-video dancing is very different from ballroom technique, which demands specific frames, footwork and partnering skills she had to learn from scratch. Her steady improvement week by week has helped support that point.

She has also said her teenage daughter, Everly, encouraged her to sign up for the show.

What Comes Next

With eight couples reduced to seven after Monday’s elimination, the competition is entering its toughest stretch. Dewan and Chmerkovskiy will not have immunity next week, so they will need strong scores and fan votes to stay safe in the dance-off. On current form, though, they look like serious contenders for the Mirrorball Trophy.

You can read the full night’s results, including who was eliminated, in our Disney Night elimination recap. For more TV news, see our guide to Love Island Australia’s new season. Our how Dancing with the Stars voting works guide explains the scoring system.

A Perfect Night for a Proven Dancer

Jenna Dewan’s 40 out of 40 turned a season of doubts into a statement performance, proving she can master ballroom, not just dance. As the season heads into its final weeks, she is firmly in the race. Tune in next week to see whether she and Chmerkovskiy can keep their momentum going.

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