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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at George Mason University chapter.

The past two weeks, Dancing with the Stars celebrated their magical Night of Disney and spooktacular Halloween Night. As the competition starts to dwindle down, we are getting extra fun challenges, like the Team Dance and Dance Offs. Make sure to keep voting, as this is truly still anyone’s game.

DISNEY NIGHT

Danny Amendola and Witney Carson performed a Jazz routine to “Bye Bye Bye” from Deadpool & Wolverine. If you enjoy sitting on the edge of your seat, then this is the dance for you. Their dance was the perfect balance of playfulness and action to capture the themes of Deadpool. My only worry for Danny is that contemporary/jazz routines are relatively easier for judges to score, meaning Halloween Night will truly show us if he can keep up.

Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson present a spicy Samba to “Trashin’ the Camp” from Tarzan. The past few weeks, I felt Joey was being overscored, however the opposite could be said for this week. Their dance made the entire room ready to get off their feet. Not to mention Jenna’s choreography going viral on TikTok. Together they are trashin’ their way to the top.

Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach Tangoed to “When Can I See You Again?” from Wreck It Ralph. While I adore Dwight’s infectious personality, their dance seemed quite forgettable to me. This pair will need to bring it next week if they wish to stay in the competition.

Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong danced a Paso Doble to “We Own the Night” from ZOMBIES 2 sung by Chandler in the film. After going down slightly in score the week prior, this was the boost they needed. Either way their powerful moves and electric style brought energy to the floor once more.

Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten performed a Jazz number to “Surface Pressure” from Encanto. Their dance was one fans were particularly looking forward to, due to Ilona’s similarities to the character Luisa from Encanto. As much as it pains me to say it, their number was lackluster. The judges commented on how she did not seem to do a lot of dancing, and I would have to agree. Hopefully they can pull it back in time for Halloween.

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold Charlestoned their way to the floor to “A Star Is Born” from Hercules. What I enjoy the most about watching this pair is their aura of pure happiness. Both of them just seem so happy to be there and the audience connects with them through that. However, while their routine was good, Stephen will need to work on fine tuning if he wants to reach the top.

Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy presented a Jazz routine to “Cruella de Vil” from 101 Dalmatians. Val knows exactly how to cater to his partners strengths. Even though Phaedra is not the best dancer on the show, the choreography seemed to flow with her in harmony. Regardless, this was not enough to save the couple, as they were sent home at the end of the night.

Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber gave a romantic Rumba to “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid. With every sway, Jenn and Sasha captured hearts in the eyes of the audience. It is important to mention that there was some shakiness on Jenn’s part but for this week they did a fair job.

Team Roar (composed of Dwight, Danny, Phaedra, and Steven) danced freestyle to “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King. During the individual sections, each member did moderately well, but when it came to dancing together it did not seem compatible. Sections of the dance seemed either messy or not unified. In the end, their team scored a total of twenty four points.

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Team Goofs (composed of Ilona, Chandler, Jenn, and Joey) danced freestyle to “I2I” From The Goofy Movie. It is undeniable that this dance was the showstopper of the night. Not only did the individual sections flawlessly highlight the stars’ strengths, but the group sections flowed effortlessly and completely united. I would go as far to say that if the first ten of the season had already been given out then this dance would have received some tens. 

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten started the night with a Tango to “Psycho Killer” the Miley Cyrus version, based on her nightmare of psycho killers. This was a step in the right direction for the couple from last weeks ‘lack of dancing’. However, their score still went down slightly from Disney Night, causing the audience to question how harsh the judges have been on her.

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Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach performed a Contemporary to “Ring Around The Rosie” by District 78 featuring Natalia Lillee based on Dwight’s fear of the boogeyman. This routine sent chills up the spines of all who watched. With their robotic movements and electrifying lifts, it was a definite step up from last week. This dance gave them the first ten of the season. Nonetheless, I am concerned about Dwight’s performance moving forward, if he is unable to keep up the trend he risks going home. 

Danny Amendola and Witney Carson gave a passionate Argentine Tango to “Poison” by RAVN based on his nightmare of snakes. As mentioned previously, I was worried about Danny’s ability to keep up, and he did not leave me disappointed. Each spin and lift was captivating through their snake-like movements. Danny is slowly slithering his way to the top.

Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber danced a Contemporary number to “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo based on her fear of vampires. This dance was such a blood sucking improvement from last week. Gone was the shakiness and out came a fierce dancer inside of Jenn. Unfortunately, this performance was not enough, and Jenn was voted off.

Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson performed an Argentine Tango to “Ramalama (Bang Bang)” by RĂłisĂ­n Murphy based on his nightmare, ventriloquist dolls. Find their way to the top of the leaderboard again, Joey has been on fire. It’s worth noting that it was Joey’s first time doing a lift this season, which he accomplished without a hitch.

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold danced a  Contemporary routine to “I Ran (So Far Away)” by Hidden Citizens based on his fear of the dark. I would go as far to say that this has been his best dance yet. His timing was on point (an issue he previously struggled with) and their sharp movements matched the spookiness of Halloween perfectly. Personally, I was a tad surprised they only received one ten for this routine. 

Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong performed an elegant Viennese Waltz to “Secret” by Denmark + Winter based on her nightmare of creepy dolls. The elephant in the room has to be addressed which is the issue of Carrie Ann’s scores. Chandler and Brandon were part of the only two couples to not receive a ten from Carrie Ann (yet received tens from both Derek and Bruno). Regardless, they still gave an enchanting performance with terrifyingly swift lifts.

At the end, there were a total of three ‘Dance Offs’ with the chance of earning three bonus points. Dwight vs Ilona, dancing a Cha Cha to “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. with Dwight as the winner. Jenn vs Stephen dancing a Salsa to “Jump In the Line” by Harry Belafonte with Jenn as the winner. Lastly, Danny vs Joey dancing a Jive to “Time Warp” by Little Nell, Patricia Quinn & Richard O’Brien with Joey as the winner. Chandler earned immunity from this competition for having the highest score in Disney Night. Each dance was evenly matched, however the first two did lack the energy I was expecting from the couples. On the other hand, Danny and Joey had a fierce battle that left the floor amazed.

Unfortunately there will be no episode next week, but in two weeks we will celebrate the five hundredth episode with lots of surprises, so be sure to tune in!

đŸ•ș Related: Deep Dive into Dancing with the Stars: Dedication Night
Jordan Speakes

George Mason University '25

Hi!! I am a current junior at George Mason working towards my history degree with a minor in film. My hobbies include baking, sewing, reading, and playing video games (mostly Animal Crossing). Some of my favorite things are crocs, the Muppets, chocolate, and Lego Batman.