Last night’s episode of Dancing with the stars lit up the ballroom with its glittering “Oscars” theme, delivering Hollywood glamour and a series of standing ovations. But choreographer Brandon Bieber says the dancers, not the sequins, brought the real drama.

“Dance transcends all language barriers; it’s like a celebration of what the human body can do,” says the Broadway dancer and co-choreographer of the upcoming Kiss of the Spider Woman starring Jennifer Lopez told Yahoo Entertainment.

The connection between Hollywood and dance is particularly meaningful to Bieber. He has worked as an associate choreographer on a number of Ryan Murphy projects, including Water well/Verdon, American horror story And Halstonhe understands how films have played a crucial role in shaping the dance styles that define pop culture.

“Dances from the 20s, 30s and 40s, a lot of what you see on Dancing with the stars — the cha-cha, rumba, mambo, quickstep — were cemented into the culture by movies,” he said.

That was evident from the performances last night that earned deserved standing ovations. Among them were Olympian Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten, actress Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong, Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

Convicted con artist Anna Delvey and actress Tori Spelling were left at the end of their tether last night after being sent home after a double elimination.

Spelling, who performed a heartfelt rumba to “This is Me” by The greatest showman with pro Pasha Pashkov, dedicated her routine to her children. “I want my children to know that you can be anything you want to be,” she said.

Delvey danced the quickstep to “Suddenly I See” by The devil wears Prada alongside pro Ezra Sosa. Technically under house arrest for her grand theft conviction, the so-called “fake heiress” was given special conditions by the court to appear on the show — ankle monitor and all. When Hough asked Delvey what she’ll take away from the experience following her elimination, Delvey joked, “Nothing.”

One of the biggest highlights of this week’s Oscars theme, Bieber said, was a reminder of how deeply these films “are ingrained in us as Americans.” Even more magical, he noted, is that the stars at Dancing with the stars are not professional dancers, which makes it exciting to watch them bring iconic movie moments to life.

“In the Golden Age of Hollywood, you had Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Shirley MacLaine, who were trained dancers. Part of the reason they became great actors was because of their dancing skills,” Bieber explained. “There’s a thrill in seeing a celebrity do something unexpected, and that’s the whole point of Dancing with the stars —watching people who are known for something else accomplish it. That’s also what we cheer for in the movies.”

As the only Oscar nominee in the competition, actor Eric Roberts became visibly emotional during a visit to the Academy Museum in Hollywood, where he and pro Britt Stewart watched a clip from the 1985 Oscars, when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Runaway train.

Reflecting on that moment, Roberts told the cameras it was “a dream come true down to the last detail.”

Reginald VelJohnson, beloved for his roles in Die Hard and the 90s sitcom Family mattersalso became nostalgic when co-host Alfonso Ribeiro poked fun at the ongoing debate over whether Die Hard is a “Christmas movie.”

VelJohnson, who finished in the bottom three last night, dedicated his performance to his regular co-star Bruce Willis, who is currently battling dementia.

When it comes to movement, Bieber said dances like the tango, rumba or mambo are ideal for beginners because they often rely more on personality than technique — but not always.

“(The tango) requires character, you action,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. “But the leg line is just as important, the way you walk and use your feet through the floor.”

The rumba and mambo, meanwhile, offer a bit more freedom. “They feel more spontaneous and we want the joy and the celebration and the social dance aspect of it,” Bieber explained. “If your hips are moving, I think you score big points.”

For Bieber, each of his performances last night were a testament not only to his talent, but also to the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.

“Dancing is so timeless,” he said. “With all the troubles and divisions in the world, seeing people come together, in unity, with all the hard work that’s gone into it — it’s just the simplest pleasure.”

Dancing with the stars will air Tuesdays on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. The October 1 episode will not air due to the vice presidential debate, but will return for consecutive days on Monday, October 7 and Tuesday, October 8.

How did the stars perform?

Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli

Anna Delvey and pro Ezra Sosa: ELIMINATED

• Dance:Quick step

• Song: “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall from The devil wears Prada

• Score: Carrie Ann 6, Derek 5, Bruno 6

• Total: 17/30 (Total for both nights: 35)

Tori Spelling and pro Pasha Pashkov: ELIMINATED

• Dance:Rumba

• Song: “This Is Me” by Keala Settle and ensemble of The greatest showman

• Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 6, Bruno 6

• Total: 19/30 (Total for both nights: 36)

Jenn Tran and pro Sasha Farber: SAFE

• Dance:Tango

• Song: “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” by Fergie, Q-Tip and GoonRock by The Great Gatsby

• Score: Carrie Ann 6, Derek 6, Bruno 7

• Total: 19/30 (Total for both nights: 38)

Eric Roberts and pro Britt Stewart: SAFE

• Dance: Waltz

• Song: “The Godfather Waltz” by Nino Rota and Carlo Savina The godfather

• Score: Carrie Ann 6, Derek 4, Bruno 5

• Total: 15/30 (Total for both nights: 30)

Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson: SAFE

• Dance: Singing

• Song: “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins from Top gun

• Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• Total: 21/30 (Total for both nights: 41)

Chandler Kinney and Pro Brandon Armstrong: SAFE

• Dance:Rumba

• Song: “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish from Barbie

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 8, Bruno 8

• Total: 24/30 (Total for both nights: 47)

Reginald VelJohnson and pro Emma Slater: SAFE

• Dance: Double step

• Song: “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven from Die Hard

• Score: Carrie Ann 6, Derek 4, Bruno 5

• Total: 15/30 (Total for both nights: 31)

Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold: SAFE

• Dance: Double step

• Song: “Superman — Main Theme” by John Williams of Superman

• Point: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• Total: 22/30 (Total for both nights: 43)

Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson: SAFE

• Dance:Rumba

• Song: “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper by A star is born

• Point: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• Total: 22/30 (Total for both nights: 43)

Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy: SAFE

• Dance: Foxtrot

• Song: “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Hudson from Dream girls

• Point: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• Total: 21/30 (Total for both nights: 40)

Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach: SAFE

• Dance: Foxtrot

• Song: “City Of Stars” by Ryan Gosling from La La Land

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• Total: 22/30 (Total for both nights: 44)

Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko: SAFE

• Dance:Quick step

• Song: “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton from 9 to 5

• Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 6, Bruno 7

• Total: 20/30 (Total for both nights: 38)

Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten: SAFE

• Dance: Salsa

• Song: “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes from Dirty dance

• Score: Carrie Ann 7, Derek 7, Bruno 7

• Total: 21/30 (Total for both nights: 39)