With each passing week, Xochitl Gomez keeps rising in the ranks as a contestant on the 32nd season of Dancing with the Stars. During Tuesday’s Week 8 episode, dubbed Whitney Houston Night, Gomez continued to show off her impressive moves on the dance floor with dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy.
Once their dance was complete, the duo recorded the only perfect score of the evening. It was also Gomez’s first perfect score and the first perfect score earned by any contestant this season.
The song Gomez and Chmerkovskiy danced to was “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” from Houston’s 1987 self-titled album, Whitney. They were assigned to dance a tango to the pop song.
Gomez took the floor dressed in classic black dress with long sleeves and a sheer back. Chmerkovskiy, too, wore a black tuxedo jacket and pants. Not only were their outfits sleek, so was their footwork as they glided and spun with precision for the entire performance.
Carrie Ann Inaba called the tango “flawless” and said Gomez was a “black panther.” Derek Hough used the words “power,” “intention,” “strength” and “direction” to describe the dance and told Gomez and Chmerkovskiy that it was obvious they were “going for gold.”
Guest judge Billy Porter (Pose) said the dance was “magical.” Bruno Tonioli told Gomez that her superpower was tango. “The quality of movement was astonishing,” he said. “It was dancing at its best.”
Next week’s episode on November 21 will feature dances to the music of Taylor Swift.
Watch the full dance between Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy below.