Note: This article contains spoilers for the Nov. 12 episode of “Dancing With the Stars.”
“Dancing with the Stars” celebrated its 500th episode Tuesday night with the remaining six remaining couples “reinterpreting” past memorable dances with new choreography.
Week 8 of Season 33 also saw the first perfect score of the season, earned by Chandler Kinney for her Argentine Tango with Brandon Armstrong. Judge Derek Hough, who first performed the dance in Season 16 with Kellie Pickler, called it “smooth as silk,” gushing, “I preferred this one, even over mine!” Tonioli said Kinney “blended beauty and danger,” while Inaba raved, “You are maybe the most powerful female dancer I have ever seen on this dance floor.”
Kinney earned three more 10s in the Instant Dance round, with a Cha-Cha set to “Apple” by Charli XCX, a song her partner Armstrong admitted he had never heard before. Inaba exclaimed, “You are owning the dance floor tonight,” while Hough raved, “You ate that and left no crumbs.”
The dancer who was sent home at the end of the evening was NBA All-STAr Dwight Howard and partner Daniella Karaguch. The basketball player said, “I had an amazing experience,” and praised his partner, who referenced their tremendous height difference: “A lot of people said we couldn’t do it, and we did it, and for me, that’s a win.”
In the first round, they performed Argentine Tango inspired by one from Season 23. To match the 6′ 10″ athlete, the much-shorter Karagash danced on a raised platform for portions of the routine, which was set to “Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre)” by Gotan Project. Inaba told the couple they were “the most innovative out there” for finding ways around the disparity in their height.
“Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson performed a Contemporary inspired by Riker Lynch and Allison Holker’s performance in Season 20, to “Work Song” by Hozier.
The routine, which featured a number of lifts, began and ended on top of a grand piano. Bruno Tonioli pronounced the dance, “very, very powerful” while Carrie Anna Inaba thought it lacked “rawness.” Hough weighed in to say, “I disagree!” telling the reality star, “I see you as a contender.” The dance earned 28 out of 30 points.
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson performed a Quickstep inspired by Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough’s performance in Season 5, set to “Hey Pachuco” by Royal Crown Revue. The football star incorporated some of his on-field footwork into the dance, which included literal hat tricks and four extra dancers. Derek Hough said, “That quick step was like a fizzy drink. It was bubbly, refreshing, and it put a smile on my face,” while Tonioli praised the athlete’s “lovely lightness.”
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold performed a Viennese Waltz, inspired by Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas’ performance in Season 31, to “Glimpse of Us” by Joji. Ballas came by rehearsals to give the Olympian tips on maintaining the perfect ballroom frame.
Tonioli praised Nedoroscik as “polished, elegant and smart,” while an emotional Inaba said “the world needed that at this moment.” A visibly moved Hough added, “You made me feel something beautiful tonight.” The couple earned 29 out of 30.
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten performed a Quickstep, inspired by Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold’s performance in Season 25, to “Chuck Berry” by Pharrell Williams. The dance earned 28 out of 30.
In the second round, the couples only learned the dance style and the song at the last minute with mere moments to come up with the choreography.
Graziadei and Johnson improvised a Rumba that Hough said was “amazing,” for a score 0f 27.
Amendola drew the Jive set to “Good Golly Miss Molly.” Tonioli said that the timing “was on and off,” but the performance value was “on all the time.” It earned 24 out of a possible 30.
Howard had to perform a Paso Doble to “Victorious” by Panic! at the Disco, which Inaba admitted had some missteps, but “honored the spirit” of the dance. It earned 22 out of 30.
Nedoroscik was thrilled to draw one of his favorite dances, the Jive. The routine, which was set to “love is embarrassing” by Olivia Rodrigo had timing issues but overall, Hough said it was “impressive.” The dance received 25 points.
Maher and Bersten were the last to perform an Instant Dance: They drew a Salsa and the song “Da’ Dip” by Freak Nasty. Inaba noted that the lifts “didn’t quite work this time,” but still noted how far Maher had come in the competition. The dance earned 24 out of 30.
The opening number, set to Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love,” saw both Houghs — judge Derek and co-host Julianne — back on the dance floor. It was the same song that kicked off the show’s premiere back in 2005.
The five remaining couples go on to next week’s semi-finals.
