ThisweekonDancingWiththeStars,everyonewasintheHalloweenspirit.
Notonlydidthecontestantsdeliversomeoftheirmostspookyperformances,buteventhejudgesdressedupfortheoccasion,dolingouthealthydosesofpraiseandcriticismtoeachoftheremainingninecouples.
AndHalloweenwouldn’tbecompletewithoutresidenttricksterSashaFarberscaringthecouplesduringrehearsal.
Hesneakedupbehindsomepeopleduringtheirinterviewsanddroppedfakespidersintotherehearsalrooms,butthegagsmostlybackfired.
Inadditiontotheirindividualroutines,thecouplescompetedintwogroupperformancesforextrapointstokeepthemfromfinishinginthebottomtwo.
BrandonArmstrongandJordanSparks
Lastweek,theplatinumsingerwaspraisedforher“musicality,”sohergoalforHalloweennightwastonaildownthedetailsandfinallyperfectherframeduringhertangoto“OogieBoogie’sSong.”
Itappearedtopayoff,asheadjudgeLenGoodmansaidduringtheperformancethat“sparkswereflying”andpraisedArmstrong’schoreography.
Accordingtothejudges,hertechniquestillneedswork,andherperformancewasinsufficienttoearnherthe10sshedesired.
35pointsoutof40.
MarkBallasandCharliD’Amelio.
Followinganotherweekofperfectscores,thesocialmediastarwasmetwithastumblingblockwhenBallasinformedherthathewouldbeunabletorehearsewithherduetolowerbackpain.
PashaPashkovtookhisplace,andthankfully,BallasrecoveredintimetotakethestageforMondaynight’sperformance.
ThejudgespraisedtheduoevenmorefortheirArgentinetangoinspiredbyvintagehorrorfilms.
“MyheadisspinninglikeLindaBlairinTheExorcist,”saidBrunoTonioli.
CarrieAnnInabastatedthatsheisstilllookingfortheteentobemoreintense.
39pointsoutof40.
BrittStewartandDanielDurant
TheCODAstarandhispartnercelebratedHalloweeninauniqueway,dancingapasodobletoBillieEilish’s“buryafriend”asvideogamecharacterstrappedinazombieapocalypse.
Hewasalsothrownoffhisgameaftermissingsomerehearsaltimeduetoillness,buthestillmanagedtodeliveroneoftheseason’sbestperformances.
“Everytimeyougetonthisdancefloor,itstillamazesme,asI’msureitdoeseveryoneathome,”Inabasaid.
SheandGoodmanagreedthatasthesemi-finalsapproach,Durantshouldworkonhisform.
34pointsoutof40.
GlebSavchenkoandShangela.
ShangelawasreadytoshakethingsupagainwithherjazzroutinetoTaylorSwift’s“LookWhatYouMadeMeDo”afterLencalledherMichaelBublénightperformanceher“bestoftheseason.”
Savchenkotoldhispartnerthatthiswouldbethe“idealopportunity”forhertodemonstrateheractingabilitieswhilealsopractisinghertechnique.
“Youwereinsuchadeep,darkplace,mommydearest.”
“Ilovedeveryminuteofit,”Inabasaid,addingthatShangelahadoutperformedherpreviousperformance.
Shecollapsedtothegroundwhensherealisedshe’dgottenaperfectscore.
50pointsoutof50
KokoIwasakiandVinnyGuadagnino.
AlthoughtheJerseyShorestarisafanfavourite,hereceivedsomeharshcriticismfromthejudgeslastweek,whowerenotimpressedwithhischachaonMichaelBublénight.
Guadagninoexplainedthathewas“tiredofbeingagoodguy”andhopedthathisbadguypasodoblewouldgivehimtheconfidenceboostheneededtogiveacleanerperformance.
Heappearedtobemoreconfidentthisweek,buthestillreceivedsomelukewarmcommentsfromthejudges.
Goodmanadmittedthatit“wasn’tallbad,”butitalsowasn’tallthatgreat.
“Ihavezerodanceexperience,”Guadagninoadmitted,addingthatheisa“workinprogress”forhostAlfonsoRibeiro.
30pointsoutof40
ArtemChigvintsevandHeidiD’Amelio
MamaD’Amelioishopingtobemore“inventive”thisweekasthecomparisonsbetweenherandherdaughtercontinuetopileup.
“CharliandMark’schoreographyhasbeenverydaring,”shesaid.
Forthefirstpartoftheperformance,sheandChigvintsevdancedatangowithanelasticbandconnectingthem—ariskthatTheD’AmelioShowstarsaidcouldpayofforputthembackinthebottomtwo.
Itpaidoffforsome,butnotforothers.
“Bondagebecomesyou,Heidi!”
Tonioliyelled.
“Youhadthatkillerinstincttonight.”
Itwasfantastic.”
Meanwhile,GoodmanandInababelieveshehasreachedaplateauafterastringof“strong”performances.
37pointsoutof40
AlanBerstenandGabbyWindey
ValChmerkovskiy,theformerBachelorette’spartner,testedpositiveforCOVIDlastweek,soBersten(who,alongwithhisSeason31partnerJessieJamesDecker,wasvotedofflastweek)filledinabouthalfwaythroughrehearsals.
“IttookmeawhiletogetusedtoValenteringmyspace.”
“AlanandIneedtogettoknoweachother,”Windeysaid.
Whatevertheydidtoacceleratetheirchemistrypaidoff,becausethejudgeswereblownawaybytheirvampireArgentinetango.
“I’msoproudofyoutonight,”saidInaba.
“Howyouwereabletoshiftandpivottoanewpartnerandstillhavethatmuchchemistry,thatrequiressomuchvulnerabilitybutyetyoumaintainedyourstrengththeentiretime.”
38pointsoutof40
WitneyCarsonandWayneBrady
Bradydroppedtothebottomoftheleaderboardlastweekaftermissingthemajorityofhisrehearsaltimeduetoillness.
HesaidheleftMichaelBublé’sshowfeeling“disappointed”andhopedtoreturnthisweek.
Carsonstatedthatshewouldusehisstrengthsasastorytellertohelppropelthecouplebacktothetopbygivinghimaroletoplay.
Theyperformedadifficultcontemporaryascreepycyborgs,butInabaandGoodmanfeltlikesomethingwasmissing.
37pointsoutof40.
EmmaSlaterandTrevorDonovan
DonavanwasdeterminedtomoveuptheleaderboardwithhisHalloweennightperformanceafterbeingsavedfromthebottomtwoforthesecondtime.
“Youhavetoreallyfeelthedance,”SlatersaidoftheircontemporarydancetoJustinBieber’s“Ghost,”inwhichDonovanplayedagrievinghusbandandSlaterwashiswifeintheafterlife.
Unsurprisingly,theirchemistrywasoffthecharts,andthe90210stardeliveredthenecessaryemotiontoearnhighpraisefromthejudges.
“It’ssuchabeautifulthingtowitnessthegiftofdanceand…toseetheloveofdancegrowwithinyou,”saidHough.
Theyreceivedthreetens.
39pointsoutof40
Followingtheindividualdances,thegrouproutinesbegan.
VinnyandKokowereonTeamWicked,aswereShangelaandGleb,GabbyandVal,HeidiandArtem,andJordinandBrandon.
33pointsoutof40
TrevorandEmmawereonTeamScream,aswereCharliandMark,WayneandWitney,andDanielandBritt.
39pointsoutof40
D’Amelio/ChigvintsevandSparks/Armstrongwerethebottomtwo.
InabasupportedD’Amelio,whileHoughandToniolosupportedSparks.
SparkswassenthomeafterGoodmanbrokethetieinfavourofD’Amelio.
Nextweekis90snightintheballroom.
