DWTS’ Val Chmerkovskiy Reveals Why His & Jenna Dewan’s Week 4 Dance May Be Their Toughest Yet

ABC

“Dancing With the Stars” season 35 is nearing its fourth week, with the 12 remaining contestants and their professional partners taking on dance styles to songs by legendary singer Mariah Carey on Tuesday night, October 6.

While many of the celebrities are finding their footing and getting comfortable on the ballroom floor, pro Val Chmerkovskiy recently revealed why he and his celeb partner, actress Jenna Dewan, could be facing their most “challenging” week yet.

Val Chmerkovskiy Shares Why His & Jenna Dewan’s Week 4 Rumba Could Be Their Most Challenging Routine

Viewers who have been tuning in week after week to “Dancing With the Stars” are well aware that actress Jenna Dewan and her pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy have been taking on the ballroom floor with high-energy routines. During their first three weeks, the pair have tackled the tango, jive, and samba with ease, with “The Rookie” star proving that she can more than keep up with Chmerkovskiy when it comes to fast-paced choreography.

However, speaking with Derek Hough for Extra about Week 4’s “Mariah Carey Night,” Chmerkovskiy revealed why the night may be the pair’s most challenging yet. He and Dewan will perform a much slower-paced routine, a rumba to Carey’s ballad “My All.”

“So, we’re doing the rumba. Very beautiful dance, obviously very challenging,” Chmerkovskiy said. “I think people hear slow and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s easy.’ It’s harder to be slow because that means you need to be more in control.” Hough then noted that slow dances could “expose more things because there is more space to see off balance” or notice other mistakes.

Chmerkovskiy shared that “there hasn’t been an opportunity” for fans to witness Dewan take on a slower dance style, so this could allow viewers to see the actress “be more gentle, more soft.”

Dewan Believes the DWTS Judges May Be Tougher on Her Because of Her Dance Background

There’s no question that Dewan has emerged as one of the strongest dancers on this season of DWTS. The actress has a pretty impressive dance background, having worked as a backup dancer for the likes of Janet Jackson before transitioning into acting.

However, Dewan has acknowledged that her dance experience could lead the judges to hold her to a higher standard when she steps onto the ballroom floor. Speaking to E! News after their Week 3 “Yacht Rock Night” routine, Dewan shared, “I mean, I think probably innately, yes, there’s a certain sense of expectation for somebody who has a dance background from coming onto the show, and there probably is something they’re looking for and clearly something we are still needing to work on to give, or to maybe give less on.”

After their Week 3 performance, a samba to Toto’s “Africa,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba felt that Dewan was “pushing too hard” and needed to “relax.” In fact, Hough stated that he couldn’t wait to see the pair do a much slower routine. Despite their comments, the pair scored a 21/30 and advanced to the next round.

Hopefully, the couple can wow the viewers and judges with a spectacular rumba during “Mariah Carey Night” and prove they are capable of delivering a more controlled routine, as they did with a high-energy dance.