Dancing with the Stars' Horror Night was spooktacular
by Kim Krober
Dancing With the Stars celebrated Halloween with a terrifying tribute to horror. It was cool to see less obvious choices like The Purge, Cujo, and A Quiet Place represented instead of falling back on often overused baddies like Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees. It felt innovative and refreshing, despite this being the show's 30th season.
It was also fantastic to see the return of judge Derek Hough to the dance floor, fresh from his Emmy win for outstanding choreography last month. Derek's "Tango of the Dead" was an incredible treat for the eyes, especially his fierce makeup!
Let's see how your favorites fared on this spooky sixth week of competition:
Mike “The Miz” Mizanin & Witney Carson, Paso Doble
The Miz and Witney's Hellraiser-inspired Paso Doble to "Wicked Games" was an eerily perfect way to open the show. Len told them they nailed it, although it could have used stronger posture. Derek was impressed nobody put their eyes out during the routine. Bruno called it a hell-raising performance with great control and good footwork. Carrie Ann cautioned him about working on his flexibility but loved it overall. It was another incredible character transformation!
Total: 34
Kenya Moore & Brandon Armstrong, Argentine Tango
I expected Kenya and Brandon's Arachnophobia-inspired Argentine Tango to The Weeknd's "Take My Breath" to be creepier, given the spider theme. However, they looked stylish. Derek likes her elegant demeanor. Bruno said it was beautiful and deadly, but said she needs to work on the transitions. Carrie Ann admires the way she digs deep but told her she freezes at times. Len told her she spun a web that absolutely captured the spirit of Argentine Tango.
Total: 32
JoJo Siwa & Jenna Johnson, Jazz
JoJo and Jenna's It-inspired Jazz routine to "Anything Goes" was amazing, especially JoJo's Pennywise costume. Bruno was terrified but said it was a nightmare turned into a brilliant work of art. Carrie Ann loved seeing JoJo push herself even further with acrobatics this week. Len said the dance perfectly captured the flavor of the Stephen King book. Derek loved the classic Cole Porter song juxtaposed with the horror.
Total: 40
Cody Rigsby & Cheryl Burke, Cha-Cha
Cody and Cheryl's American Psycho-inspired Cha-Cha to Kim Petra's "There Will Be Blood" was campy fun. Carrie Ann called him scary for all the right reasons tonight. Len said hallelujah because Cody finally came out and showed his potential. Derek praised it as his best dance to date and noted that he saw an amazing connection with Cheryl. Bruno called it murder on the dance floor with a great Cha-Cha.
Total: 36
Jimmie Allen & Emma Slater, Contemporary
Jimmie and Emma's A Quiet Place-inspired Contemporary to "Say Something" was poignantly beautiful, conveying so much emotion without any words. The American Sign Language inclusion was a nice touch. Len loved it, saying it had control, emotion, and tricky music that Jimmie mastered. Derek loved the power of the emotional storytelling and Jimmie's authentic commitment to the character. Bruno said it went beyond dancing, capturing the essence of the movie's love story. Carrie Ann felt the power of the dance and the moment.
Total: 38
Olivia Jade & Val Chmerkovskiy, Paso Doble
Olivia and Val's Purge-inspired Paso Doble to "Beggin" by Maneskin felt like a music video. Derek commended them for nailing such a difficult routine. Bruno enjoyed seeing her go from nice to naughty. Carrie Ann said she makes things look effortless. Len called it her comeback with a spirited Paso Doble. It was enough for four 9's from the judges.
Total: 36
Melora Hardin & Artem Chigvintsev, Jive
It was neat to see Melora's parents and to learn that her father was in Cujo. Melora and Artem's Cujo-inspired Jive to Elvis' "Hound Dog" was so cute. Bruno praised her for playing it with such delicious wit. Carrie Ann wants to see her push herself, calling it a little safe. Len felt it was a great mix of quality and quantity. Derek agreed with Carrie Ann, saying he wants to see more from her in future weeks. It felt like the judges were putting her down for no real reason, except to cause a little bit of drama?
Total: 34
Iman Shumpert & Daniella Karagach, Contemporary
Iman and Daniella's Us-inspired Contemporary routine to "I Got 5 On It" was his best thus far. Carrie Ann called it genius, saying her mind was blown. Len praised Daniella for the amazing concept and choreography. Derek was speechless. Bruno was totally transfixed, calling it Iman's masterpiece performance. Would he be going home after such a breakthrough?
Total: 40
Suni Lee & Sasha Farber, Tango
Suni and Sasha's Vampire Diaries-inspired Tango to "Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran was kinda sexy. Len liked the frame and movement but felt the footwork was a bit hit and miss. Derek loved the magical intro, although he felt there was a little misstep with the music. Bruno said she had bite tonight, upping her performance factor. Carrie Ann could tell she was having more fun. Suni is slowly coming out of her shell, but will America keep voting for her?
Total: 36
Amanda Kloots & Alan Bersten, Argentine Tango
Amanda and Alan's SAW-inspired Argentine Tango to "Paint It Black" was an awesome way to end Horror Night. Derek admires how she keeps challenging herself week after week. Bruno said she cut it like a scalpel with sharp precision and shapes. Carrie Ann said she does not disappoint, although sometimes she sees too much tension in her movements. Len thought it lacked a little bit of Argentine Tango content.
Total: 38
Elimination
After such a fun-filled evening, it was difficult to see anyone else exit the competition. It came down to Kenya and Brandon and Suni and Sasha in the bottom two. It was a unanimous decision from the judges to save Suni and Sasha. Who else is excited for Queen Night in the ballroom next week? We will ... We will rock you!
Do you think the right contestant went home? Keep voting for your favorites!
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