“Dancing with the Stars” has made it to 500 episodes! In celebration, this week’s episode had the contestants reinterpret a dance from a previous season with new choreography. Additionally, a new challenge was added: the Instant Dance Challenge. Contestants prepared four dances but did not know their song until five minutes before going live. They had to pick their costumes, rehearse their dance, and learn the timing all during the commercial break.
Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson kicked off the episode with a contemporary dance to “Work Song” by Hozier. Reimagining a dance by Riker Lynch and Allison Holker from the 20th season, the pair wowed with their beautiful choreography, solid lifts, and good connection, scoring a 28 out of 30.
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson incorporated some football training moves into their quickstep to “Hey Pachuco” by Royal Crown Revue. Their dance was inspired by Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough’s performance from season five. Their bubbly and refreshing dance showed great improvement, rewarding them with a 27 out of 30.
In their Argentine Tango, Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach used a platform to combat their height difference. Dancing to “Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre)” by Gotan Project, the pair reinterpreted James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess’ dance from season 23. Their captivating dance was innovative and strong, scoring them a 26 out of 30.
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold had a challenge reimagining the beloved Viennese Waltz by Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas. The dance to “Glimpse of Us” by Joji was elegant and Nedoroscik never lost track of the counts, showing his improvement in musicality. The judges gave them a 29 out of 30.
Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong stunned with an Argentine Tango to “Para Te” by Appart. Inspired by Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough’s performance from season 16, Kinney’s dance blended beauty and danger, with Hough stating he preferred her dance over his. She received the first perfect score of the season, getting three 10s.
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten closed the first round with a quickstep to “Chuck Berry,” inspired by Jordan Fisher and Lindsey Arnold’s dance in season 25. In my opinion, this was the best dance Maher has performed on the show. The judges praised her bounce back from last week, pointing out the refinement in her footwork and beautiful hold. She got her first 10, for a total score of 28 out of 30.
Now, onto the Instant Dance Challenge.
Joey and Jenna performed a steamy Rumba to “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish. With great musicality and shapes, they received a 27 out of 30, for a total score of 55 out of 60.
Danny and Witney’s jive to “Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard was strong and athletic but had some timing issues. The judges gave them a 24 out of 30, for a total score of 51 out of 60.
Dwight and Daniella faced one of the hardest challenges with their Paso Doble to “Victorious” by Panic! At The Disco. Daniella had a few slips on her skirt, and the pair struggled with the accents needed for the dance style. They received a 22 out of 30, for a total score of 48 out of 60.
Stephen struggled with his timing on his and Rylee’s jive to “Love is Embarrassing” by Olivia Rodrigo. Nevertheless, the judges were happy with the dance, giving them a 27 out of 30, for a total score of 56 out of 60.
Chandler and Brandon danced a cha-cha to “Apple” by Charli xcx, which the judges adored. Carrie Ann Inaba said Chandler owned the dance floor. She received her second perfect score of the night, for a total score of 60 out of 60.
Finally, Ilona and Alan performed a Salsa to “Da’ Dip” by Freak Nasty, which the judges said was clean, but had a few mistakes. The pair got a 24 out of 30, for a total of 52 out of 60.
At the end of the night, it was unclear who was going to go home — let alone, who I wanted to go home. We have gotten to the point in the show where everyone has improved, and I want everyone to continue. However, someone must leave us. This week it was Dwight and Daniella. In the end, their height difference got the best of them, and no matter how much Daniella tried to distract us with her beautiful extensions and choreography, Dwight was not doing enough.
See you next week for the semi-finals!
