“Dancing With the Stars” brought tricks and treats to the ballroom as they mesmerized audiences on Halloween Night.
Veteran pro Cheryl Burke joined the judges panel Tuesday night as the stars brought their A-game to their spooky routines. The night was full of Taylor Swift-themed contemporary routines and instrumental Argentine tangoes. The festivities even ended with a Monster-thon, which saw the stars dance until they dropped.
Elaine Hendrix suffered an injury the day of the show sending her to the hospital. She and her partner Alan Bersten had to be judged off of their rehearsal footage in order to stay in the competition. The competition series garnered over 55 million votes. After a night full of twists and turns, Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik were sent home.
Whitney Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas kicked off Halloween Night with their jazz routine to to “Brain Stew” by Green Day. Bruno Tonnioli commended the duo for paying homage to old Hollywood styles of dance, including fosse and tap. Carrie Ann Inaba and guest judge Cheryl Burke agreed that at moments in the dance the couple were slightly out of sync. Inaba added though that the “Mormon Wives” star should not be afraid of making mistakes even though she’s at the top.
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles fought her depression demons with her contemporary routine to “Elastic Heart” by Sia. Chiles said she was done sharing the top before performing the routine with her partner Ezra Sosa. The duo used a harness and rope, which some judges said was distracting. Derek Hough said the idea was not fully realized. “Nothing can hold you back because you believe,” Tonnioli told the gymnast.
Fan favorite Andy Richter said he’s not done with this competition just yet. The comedian and his partner Emma Slater danced a paso doble routine in which Richter alluded to his performance as a priest in “Scary Movie 2.” The comedian wanted to impress Hough and did just that. Guest judge Burke said that Richter is “the heart” of this show. “For the people saying I looked ready to leave, did that look like I was ready to leave?” Richter added once he got his highest scores of the season so far.
A heartbreaking injury sent Elaine Hendrix to the hospital just hours before the live show. Because of the timing, she and her partner Alan Bersten were able to share rehearsal footage from their routine that the judges gave critique on. Inaba said it was a shame they could not work from the momentum of the couple’s “Defying Gravity” performance last week. The doctors cleared the actress to perform next week if she makes it through the competition.
“Boy Meets World” star Danielle Fishel wanted to bring a murder mystery to life on the dance floor with her Viennese waltz to “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. Their bloody routine earned them all 8s. The judges wanted to see Topanga use her full extension, and Burke wanted more emotion from the actress.
Robert Irwin wowed the ballroom with his Argentine tango to an instrumental version of “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This.” The bloody routine ended with the wildlife conservationist being pulled away by the troupe. Tonnioli said the routine reminded him of captivating 1940s film noir. Inaba was convinced of his leading man star quality, earning him his first 10s of the season. “I cannot believe you don’t have any dance training,” Burke said.
Jen Affleck and partner Jan Ravnik performed a contemporary routine to Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” for all of their haters. Though the reality star entered the dance with strength, the judges added there’s still something missing. Hough went out of his way to commend Ravnik for his choreography following a week of social media criticism coming the first-time pro’s way. Burke said this was Affleck’s best dance of the season, but it was not enough to keep the couple in the competition.
Social media star Alix Earle emerged at a top contender this week with her Halloween routine. She performed a tango with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy to “bury a friend” by Billie Eilish. The influencer asked her partner to coach her harder this week, and Hough said the tough love paid off. Earle earned her highest scores of the season and took the top of the leaderboard. Though Burke was tough and said she broke hold in the tango, the rest of the judging panel scored the star 10s. “Mad respect for you for joining the process,” Inaba said.
Dylan Efron suffered a broken nose from his partner Daniella Karagach and still competed a blindfolded Viennese waltz to “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” His routine was inspired by his love for romantasy books. The sultry routine captivated Tonnioli, and Hough added he was “mesmerized” by their movement. Inaba complimented the star for his emotional intention behind his movement.
After several minutes of debate, Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas won the Monsterthon with Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy coming in second place. The placements in the Monsterthon gave each couple bonus points. Hendrix however received none because she was unable to compete in the added challenge.
LEADERBOARD: Week 7
- Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy: 43
- Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas: 42
- Robert Irwin & Witney Carson: 41
- Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa: 38
- Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach: 38
- Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov: 36
- Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik: 34
- Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten: 32
- Andy Richter & Emma Slater: 29
“Dancing With the Stars” airs live on Tuesdays on ABC and streams on Disney+ in local time zones and the next day on Hulu.
