Things certainly got spooky in the Dancing With The Stars ballroom on Tuesday, October 29! It was a personal favorite night of the year – Halloween Nightmares! This year’s Halloween themed episode featured the remaining seven couples dancing to a routine inspired by one of their biggest fears. The spookiness of the night didn’t end there – the couples competed in a heated dance-off challenge later on in the night!
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten opened the terrifying night with a Tango inspired by Maher’s biggest fear – psycho killers. Maher definitely took on her fear headfirst, so much so, Maher “killed” Bersten at the end of the dance. The routine earned the couple a 24 out of 30.
Halloween Night usually comes with a lot of surprises, and that was definitely true when Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach performed a personal favorite dance of the night. Howard and Karagach danced a Contemporary inspired by Howard’s fear of the Boogeyman. For this dance, Howard took on the persona of the Boogeyman, and ultimately “catches” Karagach at the end of the routine. Karagach is known for her killer choreography – have you seen her Halloween routine with Iman Shumpert during season 30? – so it was no surprise that Howard and Karagach danced a bone-chilling and captivating performance that earned 28 points. But what was a surprise? Judge Carrie Ann Inaba giving the dance a “10,” making Howard and Karagach earn the first “10” of the season!
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson were next on the floor with an Argentine Tango inspired by Amendola’s fear of snakes. Just like Howard, Inaba gave the routine a “10” while judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli both scored it a “9.” Amendola earned himself a score of 28 out of 30.
Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber danced next with a Contemporary inspired by Tran’s fears of vampires. In her pre-recorded package, Tran shared how this week she wanted to earn herself something higher than an “8.” Farber invited his last season partner, and finalist, Alyson Hannigan into the studio to help give Tran the motivation she needed. Tran put her all into the performance and made her goal come true. Not only did she earn two “9s,” she also earned a “10” from Inaba!
Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson then danced another personal favorite dance of the evening, inspired by Graziadei’s fear of ventriloquists. In their pre-recorded package, the couple showed that to get into character they took a spooky hayride with Graziadei’s fiancé Kelsey and Johnson’s husband, and DWTS pro, Val Chmerkovskiy. The excursion definitely paid off because the couple’s routine was extra spooky and creepy. The dance earned 29 points – a “9” from Hough and “10s” from Inaba and Tonioli.
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold then danced a Contemporary inspired by Nedoroscik’s fear of the dark. In his pre-recorded package, Nedoroscik shared that his fear of the dark comes from his lack of vision and depth perception. Nedoroscik conquered his fears during the routine, and it was his best dance yet! The routine earned Nedoroscik 28 points and his first “10” – and Arnold’s first “10” ever! And yes, if anyone was wondering, the “10” was from Inaba. Anyone else seeing a pattern?
Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong danced the final dance of the first round, a Viennese Waltz inspired by Kinney’s fear of creepy dolls. Due to Kinney being at the top of the leaderboard last week, she and Armstrong were exempt from the night’s dance-off challenge. This meant that Kinney’s Viennese Waltz was her only chance to wow the judges and viewers this week, and she didn’t take this lightly. The couple danced a beautiful routine which earned her 29 points, and included Kinney’s first “10s” of the season – and Armstrong’s first “10” ever! The routine also earned Hough’s only “10” of the night!
It was now time for the couple dance-off challenge – a segment where each couple dances head-to-head with another couple for the chance to add 3 bonus points to their night’s scores.
The first dance-off of the night was Howard and Karagach versus Maher and Bersten. The couples danced a Cha Cha to “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. The judges ultimately decided that Howard and Karagach were the winners of the dance-off.
The next dance-off was Nedoroscik and Arnold versus Tran and Farber. The couples danced a Salsa to “Jump In the Line” by Harry Belafonte from Beetlejuice. The judges decided Tran and Farber were the winners.
The final dance-off of the night was Amendola and Carson versus Graziadei and Johnson. The couples danced a Jive to “Time Warp” by Little Nell, Patricia Quinn & Richard O’Brien. This dance-off was very close – so close that both couple’s routines even had the same first moves. The judges ultimately decided that Graziadei and Johnson were the winners.
It was then time for the most shocking elimination of the season. Co-hosts Alfonso Riberio and Julianne Hough announced which couples were safe, which then left Tran and Farber, Nedoroscik and Arnold, and Kinney and Armstrong as the bottom three couples. In a crazy twist, it was announced that Tran and Farber had been eliminated.
A new episode of DWTS premiered on Tuesday, November 12, and it was a very special night – it was the 500th episode of Dancing With The Stars!