Amber Glenn has performed in front of huge crowds, represented the United States at the Olympics, and won a gold medal. But one of her most emotional performances happened on a different stage, with someone special by her side. On Dancing with the Stars, Glenn finally got the chance to perform with her sister, Brooke. Her sister had supported her for years, but had always watched her performances from the audience.
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During Dedication Night, Glenn and her professional partner, Pasha Pashkov, performed a contemporary dance to Sia’s Breathe Me. The dance showed Glenn’s past mental health struggles and how her sister helped her during those difficult times. Brooke also joined them on the dance floor. This made the performance more than just another DWTS dance.
“I was so in the moment, and getting to share that stage with my sister. Yeah. I never got to do that. She’s come to skating events for 20 years. She I’m never on the ice with her. But now getting, doing this, I got to bring her into it,” Glenn told Entertainment Tonight.
After all, Glenn has spent years competing and performing in front of thousands of people but never alongside her sister. That’s why the performance meant more to her, because Dancing with the Stars gave Glenn something figure skating could not. Brooke felt the same way, having spent years watching her sister compete, supporting her and celebrating her success.
More so, for Amber Glenn, Dancing with the Stars gave her a new way to tell her story, her battle with mental health alongside her history. Because the routine wasn’t just about the difficult times she had faced, it was also a tribute to her sister. So, instead of dedicating a dance to her sister from a distance, Glenn brought her into the performance.
“Getting those type of scores is great, but what I really appreciated were the comments and the feedback that was given, was seeing how the judges really connected to the story that we were telling and the experience that I went through.”
After the dance, the sisters hugged as the judges praised their work.
“I wouldn’t be here without my sister,” Glenn said, reported by José Sánchez Córdova on The Dallas Morning News.
The judges also felt the emotions behind the performance. Bruno Tonioli called the routine an “emotional tour de force” and said, “I could hardly breathe.”
Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough also praised Glenn for sharing such a personal story through dance. Guest judge Kym Johnson spoke about the performance’s emotions and the support Glenn received from her sister.
“The raw emotion in that, the athleticism, the vulnerability,” Johnson said. “Sometimes in life you just need someone to lift you up and what a beautiful way to say thank you to your sister.”
The judges’ reactions showed that Glenn’s story reached them beyond the technical side of the dance. Her movements helped her share those feelings with the audience.
Glenn and Pashkov shine on DWTS Dedication Night
Pasha Pashkov also played an important role in bringing Glenn’s story to life. During the routine, he represented the depression and darkness she had faced. Brooke’s presence showed the love and support that helped Amber Glenn during those difficult times.
Pashkov also had an emotional evening. He was asked about the sudden change in attention after he was named the winner of the S*****t Dancing with the Stars Pro title.
“Good. Uh, very awkward when I was standing there. No, real proud. Right, right, right after those scores and this dance, and it was like a full 180,” Pashkov replied.
For Glenn and Pashkov, the routine also showed that their partnership was about more than learning dance steps and earning high scores. They used their performance to tell a story that mattered to Glenn and gave her sister a special place in it.
The performance also helped Glenn and Pashkov in the competition. They scored 38 out of 40 on Dedication Night, earning the evening’s highest score. Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, along with Jenna Dewan and her substitute partner Alan Bersten, followed with 37 points each followed the duo.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, plus Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa scored 36 points, while Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas earned 35. Four other couples received 32 points. The judges did not eliminate any couple on Dedication Night. All 10 remaining pairs moved on to the next week.
Glenn and Pashkov’s high score put them in a strong position, but they still had work to do. They needed to keep delivering strong dance performances and win viewers’ votes to stay in the competition.
Amber Glenn has achieved a lot in figure skating, but Dedication Night gave her something special. Dancing with the Stars helped her share her story with more people and perform with her sister, Brooke.