'Dancing With The Stars' week 4: Dance-by-dance recap

LOS ANGELES -- From finding true love, to the birth of a child, to a war time experience that changed everything in an instant, the celebrities on "Dancing With The Stars" reflected on the most memorable year in each of their lives. The two-hour show would be hard to watch without grabbing a box of tissues! This week, there was no "messing about" (as Len Goodman would say) and they gave us our first result about three minutes into the show.

Nastia Liukin and Derek Hough are safe! They dance first...and it is spectacular. They were followed by several top-notch performances.

Here's a recap of the "memorable" dances, from highest score to lowest:

WILLOW SHIELDS - 39 out of 40

Our young actress knocks her Contemporary routine out of the park! Mark Ballas' choreography is phenomenal. The dance pays tribute to her experiences in 2011, when she booked her first big role in that little movie you may have heard of, "The Hunger Games." The movie taught her that it didn't matter if you were the youngest, you can still do anything you put your mind to, which, for her, applies to dancing. Len admits he doesn't know what "The Hunger Games" is but this dance was fantastic. Carrie Ann Inaba called it pitch perfect, and Bruno Tonioli told Willow she was fierce and fearless. Julianne Hough said she would've made her "district" proud. Three "10s" in week four, which is pretty amazing.

NASTIA LIUKIN - 36 out of 40

It's no surprise that Nastia's memorable year would be 2008, when the former gymnast brought home the gold from the Beijing Olympics. She danced the Argentine Tango to the same song she used while at the games, "Variations on Dark Eyes" by Lara St. John. This dance was perfect for Nastia. At least in Bruno's eyes! He awarded them a "10" and called the two dancers "masters." Julianne gave them a "9," and thought they nailed the dance. Carrie Ann awarded a "9" as well. Len gave the lowest score, an "8," and thought it was a good dance but not a proper Argentine Tango. (And to answer that, the audience booed and Carrie Ann called him grumpy.)

RUMER WILLIS - 35 out of 40

Rumer is one of many stars who chose 2014 as her most memorable. She cited changes in her life, all of them positive and she gave great credit to her little sister, Tallulah. Yeah, sister power! Rumer talked about the tabloid and Internet bullying she faced growing up because of her famous parents, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. We've all experienced an awkward phase in our lives, but most of us don't have to grow up and face it while in the spotlight. It was her younger sister's visit to rehab, and owning that experience, that had Rumer realize that it's okay to just put it all out there, own it, and be yourself. Tallulah said she was proud to witness her big sister's "butterfly" moments on the dance floor. Bruno called her beautiful, powerful and unique. Julianne said she feels Rumer dances for every girl out there, and thanked her for doing it. Len thought it was a great dance, however, he didn't think it was exactly a Waltz. (Cue the audience boos!)

ROBERT HERJAVEC - 34 out of 40

Robert and Kym Johnson get to truly enjoy their Waltz because they have been told they are safe before they perform. It's a very emotional tribute to "Robbie's" mom, who loved DWTS. She lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2006, which is why that is his most memorable. You can tell he's a momma's boy, but in the best way possible. Their Waltz is fluid and dreamy, and earns them their highest score of the season! All the judges gave a nod to his mom the guardian angel beaming down from above, and it was all Robert could do to not totally break down. Great job keeping it together!

RIKER LYNCH- 34 out of 40

Riker and Allison Holker had a breakout routine last week, and plan to keep raising the bar in terms of difficulty and commitment. They went into their dance Monday knowing they were in jeopardy, so it's hard to tell if that makes a difference on the psyche or not! His memorable year is 2014, the year his band first enjoyed success. They Tango to the current Walk the Moon hit "Shut up and Dance," and Bruno praises their youthful enthusiasm. Julianne thinks as a couple they "pop" off the screen. Len thought it was a little hectic, but better than the previous week.

NOAH GALLOWAY - 32 out of 40

Of course, Noah's memorable year was 2005, the year of his second deployment in Iraq and the year he lost two limbs to a roadside bomb. Noah lets us know he had a very tough time getting his head around the changes in his life. He's always been a very physical man, and is very proud to be a soldier. After losing an arm and a leg, he knew those things would change. He spent some time feeling depressed, but eventually found a way to look at himself in the mirror and not see what was missing from his life, but rather, he focused on what was left. He accepted his injuries and got back to the gym and decided to commit himself to living a healthy life. Sharna Burgess choreographed a Contemporary routine that would symbolize his journey of acceptance from the man he was to the man he's become. Julianne thanked him for astonishing us each week. Bruno praised his spirit that continues to soar no matter what, and Carrie Ann said his dancing is a profound piece of art. Len asked everyone in the ballroom to stand up and applaud!

PATTI LABELLE - 30 out of 40

Miss Patti gleefully points out that her partner Artem, and the other troupe dancers that she is working with this week, were not even born in 1973, her most memorable year. Out of all her wonderful professional accomplishments, LaBelle's best memory is the year she gave birth to her son, Zuri. She did a Jazz routine to her own song, "Dan Swit Me," and Zuri asked Mom to please put in more dance content. She did and the judges were jumping out of their chairs. Julianne said she wanted to join her on the dance floor. Bruno called it hot and Carrie Ann's words were "out of control" (in a good way). Len said the routine was full of rhythm, fun, giggles and wiggles.

MICHAEL SAM - 30 out of 40

Some memorable years are filled with joy and some have lots of heartache mixed in with those good times. That's Michael's story. His year is 2014, the year he came out as a proud gay man. You can tell he's comfortable with his life, but had to endure the sadness of losing a rekindled relationship with his long absent father who could sadly not accept having a gay son. Michael and Peta's Rumba was filled with emotion, and there were lots of tears in the ballroom. Carrie Ann thought Michael was truly showing us his soul on the dance floor and called the dance breathtaking. Bruno thanked him for standing up for what he believes in and called the Rumba his best dance yet.

SUZANNE SOMERS - 28 out of 40

Suzanne's memorable and life changing year was 1977, the year of Chrissy Snow and the number one sitcom "Three's Company." She'd been struggling as an actress for several years and was on the verge of giving up acting when she learned she'd won the coveted role. Suzanne is remembering her time with the late John Ritter and wanted this "last dance" to be the one that their characters, "Jack and Chrissy," never got to have. Len liked the feel good factor they brought with their Foxtrot. The other judges agreed that the dance was sweet, charming, and uplifting.

CHRIS SOULES - 27 out of 40

This bachelor is yet another star to pick last year as his most memorable. That's kind of a slam dunk with Chris - it's the year he did the reality show and became engaged to his fiance, the other Witney. He tells us it was a long road to find someone to love who would also accept his Iowa farmer lifestyle, but it was obviously worth it! The Rumba is a tough dance and the judges were not enamored with this routine. They're encouraged by his improvement, and his honesty on the dance floor, but seem to want something else to "click."

We did learn throughout the two hours who was safe and who was in jeopardy. By the end of the night, those in jeopardy were Willow and Mark, Riker and Allison, and Michael and Peta. Sadly, this is the week that Michael just couldn't carry it over the goal line. He and Peta were sent home.

Next week: Disney night!