Julia Stiles entered Dancing With the Stars’ Yacht Rock Night carrying both disappointment and physical pain after one of the hardest weeks of her Season 35 journey.
During the previous episode, Stiles and professional partner Ezra Sosa received just 16 out of 30 for their tango to Teddy Swims’ “The Door.” The actress later admitted she was deeply disappointed in herself, telling Sosa that it simply hadn’t been her best dance.
The criticism affected her more than she expected. Stiles explained that acting normally gives her the protection of scripts, directors, editors and multiple takes, while DWTS requires her to perform live as herself with nowhere to hide when something goes wrong.
That vulnerability eventually brought her to tears during rehearsal.
And just when Stiles was trying to recover mentally from the disappointing scores, another problem appeared. While rehearsing her Yacht Rock Night salsa with Sosa, she hurt her rib and said they had apparently “popped” it.
The timing couldn’t have been much worse. Their salsa to Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” included demanding movements and planned tricks, leaving Stiles worried that they might have to remove some elements from the routine.
Still, she decided to perform.
When Julia and Ezra finally stepped onto the ballroom floor, the mood surrounding their partnership changed dramatically. Instead of seeing the tense performer who had struggled the previous week, the judges saw Stiles relaxing and beginning to enjoy herself again.
Bruno Tonioli praised her for finally letting herself loosen up, while Carrie Ann Inaba noticed that Stiles had given herself permission to let go. Derek Hough delivered perhaps the clearest message of all, telling her that she was “back.”
The scores reflected the improvement.
Stiles and Sosa earned 19 out of 30, their highest score of the season at that point and a three-point jump from the 16 they had received the previous week.
For Stiles, however, the biggest breakthrough may not have been the extra points. After a week of tears, disappointment and a painful rib injury, she rediscovered some of the enjoyment that had been disappearing under the pressure of the competition.
One week earlier, criticism from the judges had left Julia questioning herself. On Yacht Rock Night, those same judges were telling her they could finally see the change they had been asking for — turning one of her most difficult rehearsal weeks into her strongest DWTS performance yet.
