“Dancing With the Stars” is coming to an end this season. In case you have not watched and need to catch up, I am here to fill you in on some of the highlights. This season has been full of laughs and some tears, but according to Deadline, the ratings have boosted by over 4% from last year with 4.97 million viewers.
Allow me to introduce all the stars from this season and if they are still in the competition. Unfortunately, with the season being near to the end, there are few stars left in the competition. The eliminated from this season are as follows: fashion icon Anna Delvey, actress Tori Spelling, actor Eric Roberts, actor Reginald VelJohnson, model Brooks Nader, Bachelorette Jenn Tran and reality star Phaedra Parks.
The stars still in the competition include Bachelor Joey Graziadei, actress Chandler King, Super Bowl Champion Danny Amendola, NBA Player Dwight Howard, Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher and Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik. The remaining stars compete each week with a different dance to win the Len Goodman trophy.
In week one, pros got back in the ballroom with new stars this season with anthems they felt shared who they were for premiere night. No one was eliminated in week one, which resulted in a double elimination for week two. Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong were at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 23/30 on the first night, setting the bar high for the rest of the season.
In week two, stars performed a new ballroom dance to songs from some of their favorite movies for Oscar night. Some of the most memorable dances from night two were Nedoroscik and Rylee’s foxtrot to the theme from “Superman.” The couple received their first 8’s and finished second of the night. Kinney and her partner Armstrong remained top scorer for the second week in a row. In the end, Delvey and Spelling went home.
Week three included a two-night special for soul train and hair metal night. One of dances to remember from night one–soul train night–include Gleb Savchenko and Nader’s sensual rumba. The couple sparked real dating rumors throughout the season due to their high chemistry. The couple ended up with a score of 28. Jenn Tran and her partner Sasha Farber, also known for their great chemistry, danced a Viennese Waltz earning a score of 31. Bruno Tonioli, a judge on the show, admitted the dance may have been one of the sexiest he had ever seen.
On night two of week three, couple’s scores from the night before were added to their total on hair and metal night. Howard and Daniella Pashvkova had a rough night one, however Carrie Ann Inaba, a judge for the show, stated they were “back in the game” after their Paso Doble earning a score of 29, and a score of 52 for both nights. Things got a little emotional when Olympian, Ilona Maher, felt she didn’t preform to her best ability and let her partner down. With a two night total of 70, Graziadei and Jenna Johnson finally made it to the top of the leader board after their tango, which Derek Hough exclaimed “was the best tango [he’s] seen from a male celebrity ever.” At the end of the two night special, Eric Roberts and Reginald VelJohnson were sent home in another double elimination.
Emotions were high and even some tears were shed during week four for dedication night. The stars honored figures who meant most to them or shaped them in life. Danny Amendola, Super Bowl champion, shocked judges with his dedication to his late college coach and friend, Mike Leach. After his commitment to this dance with returning partner Whitney Carson, he received his highest score of 36/40 and became a fan favorite. Phaedra Parks gave a memorable performance for her mother, with a heartfelt rumba.
After other stars preformed for significant others, family members, teams/sports and even Taylor Swift, Derek Hough danced with his wife for her return to the ballroom. The couple opened up about their scary experience in the previous winter. Hayley Erbert Hough was suddenly hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery due to blood clots forming in her skull. Doctors told the couple it wasn’t likely Hayley would ever walk again, let alone dance. Some called it a miracle, while others called it strong determination, but Erbert Hough made an amazing recovery. With not a dry eye in the ballroom, the couple shared their story through a dance to “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. Following the end of the night, Gleb Savchenko and Brooks Nader went home with the lowest score combined with judges score and votes.
In week five, stars grabbed their Disney ears and performed a song from their favorite Disney movie. Jenn Tran and her partner danced to “Kiss the Girl” from “The Little Mermaid.” Farber, however, did not kiss the girl, despite fans rooting for their chemistry. Chandler Kinny danced to a song from her own movie “Zombies” and earned the highest score of the night and immunity for dance-offs in next week’s show.
Team dances are back this year, and it was Team Roar versus Team Goofs. After splitting up into teams Team Roar took the loss against Team Goofs. Unfortunately, even on Disney night, at least one must go each week. In week five, Phaedra Parks was sent home with the lowest judge scores and fan votes.
With the most recent episode, stars opened up about their biggest fears for Halloween night. Dwight Howard and his partner had been having a rough few weeks towards the bottom of the leaderboard. However, in week six, determination was scared into him. After getting serious, and performing a spooktacular contemporary, the couple earned the first 10 of the season and their best score yet.
Stephen Nedoroscik also performed a contemporary and shared his fear of the dark. He earned a 28, which was his best score so far this season. Continuing to fight for the number one spot on the leaderboard couples Jenna Johnson and Joey Graziadei and Brandon Armstrong and Chandler Kinney tied for first with a score of 29. After all the stars performed with their partners, they went head-to-head in a dance off competing for 3 bonus points, which could change the game.
First up, Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach versus Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten cha-cha to the song “Ghostbusters.” Howard and Karagach took the cake and won the extra points after a tough decision from the judges. Next, Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber compete against Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold in a “Beetlejuice” classic “Jump in the Line.” After each performed a salsa side by side, Tran and Farber won.
Lastly, Danny Amendola and Witney Carson jiving against Jenna Johnson and Joey Graziadei to “Time Warp.” After the “Battle of the six packs,” as Bruno Tonioli called it, Johnson and Graziadei won over the judges vote. Sadly, at the end of the night, it came time to say goodbye to one couple. After adding up the total votes from fans, along with the judges score, Tran and Farber were the most recent to go home. According to Entertainment Weekly, Tran shared, “I can’t even imagine my life without Sasha and we just met seven weeks ago” when speaking on her experience with her partner.
With only a few more weeks of the season left, the competition only gets tougher from here. If you are interested in watching “Dancing With The Stars” tune in live Tuesdays 8-10 EST on ABC or Disney+, or to catch up, all previous seasons and episodes are on Disney+. To vote for you favorite couple to stay in the competition, text 21523 your favorite star’s name while the show is airing live. There will be no episode November 5 due to the 2024 election, but do not fear, because dancers will return to the ballroom November 12 for the most challenging week yet.
