It was Dedication Night on Dancing With The Stars on Tuesday, October 15!
Each star danced a routine dedicated to someone who has made an everlasting impact on their life, and as expected, the night was filled with many emotional stories and beautiful routines. Tuesday’s episode even featured a guest judge, DWTS vet and 3-time champion, Mark Ballas!
Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong opened Dedication Night with a Contemporary dedicated to her mother. After being the frontrunner all season, last week’s two-night event landed Kinney and Armstrong in second place on the leaderboard for the first time. Kinney used this as motivation for her routine, and earned herself 32 out of 40 points. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Kinney to “dig a little deeper and just really let it out.”
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold then danced an Argentine Tango dedicated to men’s gymnastics. Nedoroscik surprised fans by beginning his routine on the pommel horse! The dance earned the couple 33 points, and even earned the couple their first “9.” Besides the “9” being an exciting accomplishment for Nedoroscik, it was even more exciting for Arnold since she has never earned a “9” yet during her time as a DWTS pro!
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson were on the dancefloor next with a Contemporary routine that was a personal favorite dance of the night. The couple danced to “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors and dedicated the routine to Amendola’s late coach. Fans could see Amendola’s breakthrough during the beautiful dance, and the judge’s saw it too. The judges gave the couple a 36, his highest score so far, and the highest score of the night! Amendola and Carson’s dance even went viral on Tik Tok and had people recreating the moves!
Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach were next with their routine dedicated to Howard’s children. The couple danced a Rumba to Howard’s own song. Despite Howard’s best efforts, the dance only earned them 29 points, landing them at the bottom of this week’s leaderboard.
After receiving an undeserving “5” last week from guest judge Gene Simmons, Phaedra Parks did not come to play! Parks and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy danced a Rumba dedicated to her mother that earned her 32 points. Judge Derek Hough loved her dance so much, he broke his “5” paddle in half. As you should Derek!
Derek Hough and his wife Hayley Erbert then took the stage for a beautiful routine of their own. The dance marked Erbert’s first time back in the DWTS ballroom since her unexpected brain surgery and recovery in 2023. The couple’s emotional dance deservingly received a standing ovation.
After such an inspiring and emotional routine, fans found it quite disrespectful that next on the dancefloor was Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko. Nader dedicated her routine to her sisters – but her routine was anything but emotional and sentimental. The couple’s Salsa to “Mi Gente” included a lot of suggestive moves and butt-shaking. The routine featured Nader’s sisters in the beginning, but even they couldn’t fix the mess. The routine earned 32 points.
Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson danced a Viennese Waltz next dedicated to Graziadei’s fiancée, Kelsey. As always, the fans and judges loved Graziadei’s dance. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba even told Graziadei he’s “a phenomenal dancer.” The dance earned the couple 36 points, tying them for first place on the leaderboard.
After Ilona Maher faced a bit of setback the previous week, she was ready to show fans that she is still meant to be in this competition. Maher and Alan Bersten danced a Rumba dedicated to her rugby teammates, who were in the audience. Maher had a great comeback and earned herself three “8s!”
Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber closed out the night with their Foxtrot dedicated to Taylor Swift. Tran shared in her pre-recorded package that she chose to dedicate her dance to Swift because, “her music transported me to a different place when I was at my lowest of lows.” The dance ultimately earned Tran 32 points.
It was then time for the night’s elimination. Co-hosts Alfonso Riberio and Julianne Hough announced which couples were safe, which left Nader and Savchenko, Kinney and Armstrong, and Howard and Karagach as the bottom three couples. It was then announced that Nader and Savchenko were finally going home. Nader and Savchenko made a face when their names were called, and Savchenko explained to Riberio that he “thought we were gonna win.” Thank goodness they’re officially gone!
A new episode of DWTS premiered on Tuesday, October 22 – and it was Disney Night! Even more exciting, Disney Night also featured the first team dances of the season!