Dancing with the Stars Week 7: Halloween Night

Stepping into this episode of Dancing with the Stars, it was the anticipated annual Halloween celebration. Injuries, bonus dances, and a surprising elimination are all in store for this week’s episode. 

The longest-running female DWTS pro and two-time winner, Cheryl Burke, returned as a guest judge, joining the esteemed panel. This was her first time returning since her retirement from the show in 2022. Burke competed on 26 seasons of the show. 

The Halloween episode is one that fans look forward to every year, with some of the best dances of the series being created under this theme in past years. Fans not only enjoy the darker themes and elaborate costumes, but they are also excited for the return of the “Dance Monster-thon”. This is a second round of dances that reference traditional ballroom marathon competitions. 

It was announced that Elaine Hendrix (Actor) and Alan Bersten would not be performing in the episode as expected. Hendrix suffered an injury in her rib earlier that day during rehearsal and was being assessed and treated at the hospital.

Rehearsal performances are filmed so they can still be judged and given a score; unfortunately, these dances are usually not to the same performance level as the live show. Hendrix and Bersten performed an Argentine Tango to the song “Bad to the Bone,” scoring 32/40. 

Alix Earle (TikTok Influencer) and Val Chmerkovskiy performed a spooky tango to the song “Bury a Friend”. In the rehearsal footage, Earle requested her partner not to hold back and be harsh in his teaching style.

Long-time DWTS viewers know this is an instinct for Chmerkovskiy, but he has become more relaxed in recent years. He followed through and pushed Earle harder than before. Judge and former DWTS pro, Derek Hough, told the couple, “Sometimes tough love gets the job done.”

They received their first tens of the season, garnering a score of 39/40. This placed them at the top of the leaderboard for the first round of dances. 

Andy Richter (Comedian) and Emma Slater have been a fan favorite this season. The pair has the most consistently low scores, but each week the fan votes push him through. This week, the couple performed a paso doble to “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio” by Ludwig van Beethoven while portraying a priest and a demon.

While Richter lacks technical accuracy, his lighthearted spirit is how he maintains a strong voter demand. They scored a 28/40, the lowest of the first round. 

UCO Art Administration major, Rae Wallace, says, “This season of DWTS is so amazing, my favorites currently are Robert Irwin and Alix Earle. I love being able to watch how the dancers grow and get better each episode.”

Wallace continues, “I think it’s time for Whitney Leavitt to go. DWTS is a show for stars who have little to no dance experience, and Whitney has a pretty big background in ballroom dance, and I feel that makes it an unfair advantage for the other competitors. Overall, this season is so fun.”

The rules of the “Dance Monster-thon” replicate traditional ballroom competitions. It starts with every couple on the floor at once, where they are limited to a designated square. A song starts and every couple performs their own separate routine at the same time in the style hustle.

If a couple is tapped, they are eliminated. The longer a couple remains, the more points they can earn; there is a possibility of earning five extra points to the total score of the night. Andy Richter and Emma Slater are the first eliminated couple, only adding one point to their score.

Once a few couples are eliminated, they transition to the Lindy Hop style that allows the couples to move freely across the dance floor. It came down to Whitney Leavitt (“Secret Lives of Mormon Wives”) with Mark Ballas, and Alix Earle with Val Chmerkovskiy.

Leavitt and Ballas ultimately end with the win, adding five points to the score.

Earle and Chmerkovsky remain at the top with their addition of four points to their score. While Richter and Slater remain at the bottom. 

Finally, it is revealed that Jen Affleck (“Secret Lives of Mormon Wives”) and Jan Ravnik are eliminated from the competition despite having a higher judges’ score than Richter and consistently scoring in the middle. 

Next week is Rock & Roll Hall of Fame night, with Hall of Fame inductee Flava Flav joining as the guest judge.