Top 10 Emotional Most Memorable Year Dancing with the Stars Performances

MsMojo

Always dance with emotion. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most moving dances that took us on a journey back to the celeb’s chosen standout year.

Transcript

00:00 "Take me home."

00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most moving dances

00:11 that took us on a journey back to the celebs' chosen standout year.

00:15 We'll only focus on the couples' routines, but we couldn't go on without mentioning

00:19 that tear-inducing tribute to late head judge Len Goodman that left us all choked up.

00:35 Number 10.

00:36 Amy Purdy and Derek Hough's contemporary.

00:39 For her most memorable year, the Paralympian took us back to 1999, when she contracted

00:44 bacterial meningitis, which changed her life.

00:47 In the VT, she talks about dance's role in helping her adjust to her prosthetic legs.

00:51 "And I stood up and I started dancing with my dad."

00:55 "I can't believe that Amy is dancing before she is walking."

01:01 Her partner Derek Hough choreographed a stunning routine depicting Amy's journey, learning

01:05 to walk again and paid tribute to her father, who played a significant role in her recovery.

01:10 "I can dance and play the part if that's what you ask.

01:17 Give you all I have."

01:22 Dancing to Christina Perri's "Human," the pair didn't leave a dry eye in the studio

01:26 or among many of us watching at home.

01:28 "I'm only human.

01:29 And I crash and I break down your words in my head, knives in my heart."

01:38 She's a beautiful dancer, and the emotion behind each step radiates out of her, too.

01:43 We still can't watch it without welling up.

01:54 Can you blame us?

01:56 Number 9.

01:57 Ivana Lynch and Keo Motsepe's Viennese Waltz

02:00 Season 27 really tried to wreck us.

02:03 Alexis Ren's emotional tribute to her late mother had us bawling.

02:09 "Had I known how to save a life."

02:15 So did John Schneider, who remembered a tough year that also saw him lose a parent.

02:19 But we were also moved by Harry Potter actress Ivana Lynch, who shared how her love for the

02:24 franchise helped her through disordered eating.

02:26 "Her books and her kindness really made me want to live again."

02:31 Her Viennese Waltz to Hedwig's theme is magical and captures why the franchise resonated with

02:36 so many fans.

02:45 Her spellbinding performance is filled with drama, theatricality, and elegance, entrancing

02:50 audiences through every move.

02:52 Her passion for the world of Harry Potter shines through her eyes, casting a spell that

02:56 captivates us completely.

02:58 Simply put, it's utterly bewitching.

03:11 Number 8.

03:12 Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas' Waltz

03:14 The singer chose to honor her late father with a gorgeous waltz to Josh Groban's "To

03:18 Where You Are."

03:19 "Which is a song that completely sums up how I feel about my dad.

03:22 As soon as I heard it, burst into tears, because it's about knowing that they're there with

03:27 you.

03:28 And I'm with you all around you."

03:30 Katherine's solid technique and natural rhythm often saw her on the top end of the leaderboard.

03:35 "I feel you all around me.

03:39 Your memory so clear."

03:42 However, the emotion in this routine elevated her dance to the next level.

03:46 As she smoothly and gracefully glides around the dance floor with her partner Mark Ballas,

03:51 you can tell she's thinking of her dad every step of the way.

04:01 The emotion she carries throughout is palpable, and it's impossible to remain unmoved no matter

04:06 how many times you watch it.

04:08 We have no doubt that this dance would have made her father very proud.

04:22 Number 7.

04:23 J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff's Rumba

04:26 Dancing with the stars has seen numerous veterans pay respects to their time in service.

04:30 Like this awe-inspiring number from Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess.

04:41 But for us, it was J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff's rumba that sent our tear ducts

04:45 into overdrive.

04:47 The vet talks about his injury and finding the light during his recovery.

04:50 "I don't know why, I just chose in that moment to fight and just to try to be upbeat, try

04:57 to be positive every single moment from that day on."

05:00 He danced in remembrance of the men and women who didn't make it home with a rumba to Tim

05:04 McGraw's "If You're Reading This."

05:16 It's an honest, raw, mesmerizing routine that moved us deeply.

05:19 But what strikes us the most is the look in Martinez's eyes that puts his heart and soul

05:24 on full display.

05:25 This one gets us every time.

05:40 Number 6.

05:41 Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas' Viennese Waltz

05:44 Stirling is another celeb who chose to remember the year she had to say goodbye to a beloved

05:48 parent.

05:49 "I was so grateful for what I had."

05:56 Her dance with Mark Ballas to Mindy Gledhill's "Anchor" portrayed a poignant father-daughter

06:00 relationship through elegant choreography, magnetic storytelling, and a remarkable connection

06:05 between partners.

06:07 Stirling invites us into this personal narrative, while Ballas does everything to make her memories

06:12 soar.

06:23 It's an honest and beautiful performance brimming with intense emotions.

06:27 Can you get through the dance without choking up?

06:29 We certainly can't.

06:40 And when Lindsey revealed that the hat and scarf her partner wore during the dance belonged

06:44 to her late father?

06:45 Well, the score paddles were just blurs to our tear-soaked eyes.

07:00 Number 5.

07:01 James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess' Tango

07:03 For his most memorable year, the IndyCar driver looked back on a life-threatening accident

07:08 that took place roughly 18 months before his Dancing with the Stars journey.

07:11 "Within 18 months, he went from someone assisting him to walk to killing boredom dance."

07:18 With that context, watching him sail across the floor with Sharna to the right time by

07:22 Yves V, featuring Mike James, is even more remarkable.

07:35 The judges praised his posture, technique, and ability to add light and shade to his

07:39 performance.

07:40 However, what struck us most was the strength, control, and intensity he displayed throughout

07:44 the routine.

07:53 Each step tells a tale of tenacity, determination, and resolve, creating an emotionally charged

07:59 showstopper.

08:00 He appears truly unstoppable both on and off the dance floor, and this number stirs something

08:05 profound within us.

08:16 Number 4.

08:17 Victoria Arlen and Valentin Shmierkovski's Foxtrot

08:20 In her VT, the Paralympian shares her journey of resilience after a life-changing diagnosis.

08:25 "Have you been in it since?"

08:27 "Not really, no.

08:28 I don't like to sit now that I can stand."

08:32 Her dance pays tribute to her determination and courage in a way that's both visually

08:36 and emotionally powerful.

08:38 Starting, in a wheelchair, Arlen rises to perform a passionate and heartfelt Foxtrot

08:43 to one Republic's "I Lived" with her partner Val.

08:54 Even if you don't know her story, her dancing is impressive, but knowing the challenges

08:59 she's faced makes it even more touching.

09:01 To call it inspiring falls short.

09:03 It's unforgettable.

09:13 The routine ends with Arlen looking at the wheelchair, reflecting on her story.

09:17 Her message of perseverance and triumph over adversity echoes long after the music ends.

09:31 Number 3.

09:32 Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold's Contemporary

09:34 Although Jordan and Lindsay's dance continues to give us chills, he wasn't the only celebrity

09:39 on Dancing with the Stars honoring adoptive parents.

09:42 Like Simone Biles, Fisher dedicated his dance to his maternal grandparents, who rescued

09:47 him from a challenging home situation and whom he calls "Mom and Dad."

09:50 "My being adopted, it saved me.

09:53 It literally saved my life.

09:54 It could have been really tough for me, and it wasn't.

09:59 And I was so loved."

10:02 We don't need to tell you that the Season 25 champ is a phenomenal dancer.

10:06 But here he lays everything he has on the dance floor and more, pulling at our heartstrings

10:11 more than we thought any dance could.

10:20 He executes the elegant choreography perfectly and really bears his soul to the audience.

10:25 We were wiping away tears throughout, but the moment he embraced his parents broke us

10:29 completely.

10:39 Number 2.

10:40 Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough's Contemporary

10:43 Bindi was just a kid when she went through the unimaginable pain of losing her father,

10:47 conservationist Steve Irwin.

10:49 "It took a really long time to understand what actually happened for the rest of my

10:55 life.

10:56 I kind of feel like he's gonna come home."

10:59 Her partner Derek channeled her emotions into a routine that we would only advise watching

11:03 with a box of tissues nearby.

11:06 As always, Irwin and Hough proved to be a winning partnership.

11:16 "Oh, can you see?

11:21 You belong to me."

11:22 He brilliantly translates her deepest emotions into beautiful choreography, and she flawlessly

11:25 narrates his steps to the audience.

11:28 The dance shares her happy memories with her father and the heartbreak of losing him, breaking

11:32 our hearts a little more with every move.

11:35 We can feel how much the dance means to her, and we're sure her dad was watching, glowing

11:39 with pride.

11:50 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

11:54 Normani and Valentin Shmurkovsky's Rumba

11:57 A stirring number paying tribute to her parents for allowing her to live out her dream.

12:10 Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev's Contemporary

12:13 A tear-jerking routine about lost love and finding herself.

12:24 Charlie D'Amelio and Mark Ballas' Contemporary

12:27 A beautiful dance about coping with anxiety.

12:37 Jodie Sweetin and Keo Motsepe's Foxtrot

12:40 She honored rediscovering her spark after overcoming substance use disorder.

12:51 Lea Thompson and Artem Chigvintsev's Contemporary

12:54 A breathtaking tribute to her late father.

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13:25 Selma Blair and Sasha Farber's Waltz

13:27 Selma Blair's most memorable year was when she received her MS diagnosis.

13:35 Sadly, it also led to her early exit from the competition.

13:46 But what an exit it was.

13:48 Even before her dance with Sasha began, emotions ran high, moving not only us but also her

13:54 fellow contestants to tears.

14:02 The bravery to walk away from the competition is as valiant as the strength it takes to

14:06 participate in the first place.

14:08 Her final dance was a breathtaking waltz to What the World Needs Now is Love by Andra

14:12 Day.

14:13 We could talk about how beautifully she danced, but what will always stay with us is her parting

14:25 message.

14:26 We should all strive to put a little more love into the world.

14:39 Which most memorable year dance left you a blubbering mess?

14:42 Tell us in the comments.

15:00 [music]

15:09 (upbeat music)

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