On Dancing With the Stars “Halloween Nightmares”, the competition was intensified with themed performances and dramatic dance-offs.
NBA all-star Dwight Howard and his partner Daniella Karagach brought a very competitive and spooky contemporary dance to “Ring Around the Rosie” by District 78. They scored the first 10 of the season from judge Carrie Ann, who gave out multiple more 10s over the course of the evening. Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik and his partner Rylee Arnold also dance a contemporary which scored them their first 10 as well. Bachelor Joey Grazidei and Jenna Johnson danced a spine-tingling Argentine Tango that earned high scores for their storytelling. Actress Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong performed a hauntingly elegant Viennese Waltz to “Secret” by The Pierces. The performance was praised for its classic, spooky quality, and intricate choreography. Their strong scores further solidified their place as a standout couple in the competition.
Following individual dances, the dance-offs began when Dwight Howard and Ilona Maher competed in a Cha-Cha. Judges praised Dwight for his high energy and noted Ilona’s technical precision. The judges ultimately awarded the bonus points to Dwight and Daniella, recognizing Dwight’s improvement and energy on the floor. Next, Stephen Nedoroscik faced off against Bachelorette Jenn Tran in a salsa. Stephen impressed with high energy tricks while Jenn brought a more smooth and refined style to her performance. The bonus points were awarded to Jenn and Sasha, an outcome that received some controversy from fans. The final dance-off housed a Jive competition between Joey Grazidei and Danny Amendola. The back-and-forth energy throughout the dance-off made it a true battle, but ultimately Joey and Jenna were awarded the extra points for their standout technique and performance quality.
Despite winning their dance-off against Stephen and Rylee, Jenn and Sasha were eliminated after dancing a contemporary to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire”. The judges praised Jenn for her style and smoothness, but her scores and weaker fan base ultimately removed her spot in the competition.