‘Dancing With The Stars’ 2015 Spoilers: Derek Hough Explains Why He Needs A ‘Break’ From Season 21 Partner Bindi Irwin

It’s time for a change! During Week 5 of “Dancing With the Stars” the nine remaining Season 21 couples will be swapping partners. And while some celebs are nervous to trade pros during the “Switch Up,” others are looking forward to a new ballroom partner – like Derek Hough.

The performer revealed in a blog post for TV Guide that he needs "a little break” from his partner Bindi Irwin – and for good reason, too! The fan favorites, who are leading the competition with an average score of 24.8, performed a tear-jerking tribute to Irwin’s later father, Steve Irwin, who died in September 2006, which left the duo emotionally drained.

“It was really intense and emotional,” Derek said of the contemporary routine, which earned them a score of 28 out of 30. The performance made the judges, audience and even us misty eyed.

“I probably am not the only one here – that took my breath away,” judge Julianne Hough said after the two performed their Week 4 routine to the song “Every Breath You Take.” “ That was a tribute to your father and I know you should be very proud, but he is very proud.”

After such a moving week, Derek dished in his blog post that the “Switch Up” couldn’t come at a better time.

“We were saying how it's kind of weird that now we're apart for the switch-up. But I thought about it a little bit and it's actually great because we cried all last week together,” he said. “ We need a little break from each other!”

Bindi will be taking the ballroom floor with Val Chmerkovskiy during the upcoming installment, according to reports, while Derek will be partnering up with Alexa PenaVega for Week 5 of the Season 21 competition.

“I have Alexa for the switch-up and she's awesome. She has an amazing capacity for movement. She can truly be a great dancer,” Derek gushed about the “Spy Kids” star who he’ll be performing a tango with on Monday night.

Alexa gave audiences a glimpse at her rehearsals with Derek on Instagram, proving that maybe Derek and Bindi really did need a change of scenery to make them stronger.