Julia Stiles made her appearance on the popular show “Dancing with the Stars,” which raised the question of whether she would incorporate elements from the movie “Save The Last Dance” into her performance. The answer came in Week 5 when Stiles and her former co-star paid tribute to the 2001 film.
During the live show themed around the Super Bowl, Stiles and her partner, Ezra Sosa, delivered a hip-hop ballet routine to Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny from the Block.” The performance was a clear homage to the movie where Stiles portrayed Sara Johnson, a ballet dancer aspiring to join Juilliard who falls in love with a hip-hop dancer played by Sean Patrick Thomas.
Midway through the routine, Sosa gave Stiles a solo moment to showcase the iconic choreography from the film. The camera captured Thomas on the sidelines, recreating another memorable moment from the movie by nodding along to the performance. Stiles expressed her satisfaction to co-host Julianne Hough after the routine, receiving an enthusiastic response from the audience.
The performance not only impressed the judges, earning the duo their first 8s and 9s of the season, but also secured their safety from elimination. Social media was abuzz with fans and celebrities reacting to the nostalgic moment, including praise from Jennifer Lopez and Snooki.
However, some fans pointed out perceived favoritism towards Stiles and Sosa, highlighting instances where other contestants faced stricter critiques for their performances. Despite the mixed reactions, Stiles’ recreation of “Save The Last Dance” moments on the show garnered widespread attention and acclaim.