Disney magic was in the air on Tuesday, October 17 for Disney night on Dancing With The Stars! The eight remaining couples danced routines inspired by classic Disney movies, and participated in the iconic team dances at the end of the night!
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold opened the show with their Charleston to “A Star Is Born” from Hercules. The routine earned the couple three 8’s, making their score a 24 out of 30.
Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber danced next with their Rumba to “Kiss The Girl” from The Little Mermaid. In their pre-recorded package, Tran and Farber tapped into the chemistry needed for the dance by going on a “first date” by riding in swan boats at Echo Park Lake. The “date” definitely helped the couple get the chemistry they needed for the Rumba, since the judges applauded their connection and gave the couple 24 points.
Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson then danced a Samba to “Trashin’ The Camp” from Tarzan. This performance felt like we were watching Tarzan himself come to life. A move Graziadei and Johnson did even went viral on Tik Tok and had fans recreating it! The dance earned the couple 25 points.
Chandler Kinney had a special opportunity this week because she got to dance to her own song, “We Own The Night” from the Disney Channel Original Movie, Zombies 2. Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong brought the Zombies universe to life with their Paso Doble, which earned her 27 points, and the top of the leaderboard.
Phaedra Parks and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy then danced a Jazz to “Cruella de Vil” from 101 Dalmatians. In her pre-recorded package Parks shared that she’s not ready to go home yet, and she showed that during her routine. The couple’s dance earned them 24 points.
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson were on the floor next with a Jazz to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” from Deadpool & Wolverine. The pair seemingly recreated the opening scene of Deadpool & Wolverine by portraying a fight scene that featured a lot of flips and tricks. The dance earned the couple 27 points, and had them tied at the top of the leaderboard.
Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach were next with their Tango to Wreck It Ralph‘s “When Can I See You Again.” In his pre-recorded package, Howard explained that he didn’t feel great after landing at the bottom of the leaderboard the previous week. Howard used this as motivation this week, and earned himself 24 points, but he unfortunately still landed at the bottom.
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten danced the final dance of the first round, a Jazz to Encanto’s “Surface Pressure.” In her pre-recorded package, Maher shared that she saw herself in the Encanto character Louisa because, “She is big and she’s broad and she’s so strong, but she feels so beautiful.” The routine earned the couple 25 points. To fans’ surprise, Bersten danced the dance in a very scary donkey costume. We still don’t know how Maher kept a straight face dancing with Bersten!
It was now time for the iconic team dances – a segment that gave couples the chance to add 30 additional points to their night’s totals. The honor of team captains were reserved for Howard and Maher who had the lowest scores on last week’s leaderboard. After personally choosing their teams, both teams got to rehearsing!
Team Roar, led by Howard, included his partner Daniella Karagach, Amendola and Carson, Parks and Chmerkovskiy, and Nedoroscik and Arnold. The team danced to The Lion King‘s “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King.” Although it was clear this team worked hard and had a great time together, the routine was a little messy. Despite some mistakes, the dance earned the team 24 out 30 possible points.
Team Goofs was next. Led by Maher, the team included her partner Alan Bersten, Graziadei and Johnson, Kinney and Armstrong, and Tran and Farber. The team danced to “121” from A Goofy Movie – a very poor song choice in our opinion! This team undoubtedly had the stronger dancers and that was clear during the routine. The teamwork was evident, and the team earned themselves 27 out 30 possible points.
It was then time for the night’s elimination. Co-hosts Alfonso Riberio and Julianne Hough announced which couples were safe, which then left Tran and Farber, Nedoroscik and Arnold, and Parks and Chmerkovskiy as the bottom three couples. It was then announced that Parks and Chmerkovskiy had been sent home.
A new episode of DWTS premiered on Tuesday, October 29, and it was a personal favorite night of the year – Halloween Nightmares! Things definitely got spooky in the ballroom with the couple dance-off challenge!