“Dancing with the Stars” finished week six of season 33 on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Out of the 13 couples the show started with, only six couples remain. This season continues to bring in a record of voter turnout week after week.
The thirteen stars are Chandler Kinney, Dwight Howard, Joey Graziadei, Stephen Nedoroscik, Danny Amendola, Jenn Tran, Phaedra Parks, Ilona Maher, Anna Delvey, Brooks Nader, Tori Spelling, Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Roberts.
For the very first episode, each star was able to choose the song they danced to, calling it their “personal anthem.” Some songs featured were “I’m Every Woman,” “Flowers,” “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Hot to Go!”
As a result of the first week dances, the standout contenders for the Mirrorball trophy were Kinney, Howard, Graziadei and Nedoroscik. Kinney, paired with Brandon Armstrong, had the highest score of the night at 23/30.
Those at the bottom of the leaderboard were Spelling, VelJohnson and Roberts. Roberts, who is paired with Britt Stewart, had the lowest score of the night at 15/30.
The following week had the first elimination of the season, which happened to be a double elimination. It was also the first official theme night, paying tribute to the Oscars.
Once again, Kinney and Armstrong earned the highest score of the night at 24/30. Right behind them was Nedoroscik and his partner Rylee Arnold with a score of 22/30. Tied with them were Graziedei and his partner Jenna Johnson, as well as Howard and his partner Daniella Karagach.
After the scores were calculated from the previous and current week, the fan votes were also worked in to decide which two couples were eliminated. Delvey and her partner Ezra Sosa, as well as Tori Spelling and her partner Pasha Pashkov, were eliminated.
Both pairs did not have high scores from either week, but Delvey caused some controversy when she was casted due to her criminal past. As a result of this, she did not obtain the public’s support or votes.
DWTS shared back to back episodes on Oct. 7 and Oct 8. The show’s theme on monday was Soul Train Night, and it featured dances to “Think” by Aretha Franklin, “Lady Marmalade” by LaBelle, “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, and many more classics.
Monday’s show also featured guest judge, Rosie Perez, who was a dancer on “Soul Train.” This addition made the scores out of 40 total points for Soul Train Night.
Kinney and Armstrong earned four 9’s for their cha-cha to Run-DMC’s “Tricky,” putting her on the top of the leaderboard with 36 points. Graziadei and Johnson followed closely with their 34 points.
VelJohnson and his partner Emma Slater earned the lowest score of the night with only 21 points.
No couples were eliminated from “Soul Train Night,” and instead, their scores carried over to the following night of dances.
Tuesday’s theme was “Hair Metal Night,” and KISS star Gene Simmons was invited to be a guest judge. Notably, his comments and remarks sparked outrage on social media, where many fans called him “creepy” for his commentary that focused mainly on appearance.
Graziadei and Johnson’s tango to “Rock You Like a Hurricane” earned the highest score of the night at 36/40. It featured a section where Gradiadei actually played the drums, and the judges gushed at his overall dancing performance. Their total for both nights, 70/80, ended up securing them the top spot on the leaderboard.
After finding themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard, VelJohnson and Slater, as well as Roberts and Stewart, were eliminated. These two pairs were proud of how far they made it in this competition, seeing as they were the two oldest celebrities cast for the season.
“Dedication Night” took place on Oct. 15, and the remaining nine couples performed heartfelt dances for those who had a significant impact on their lives.
This night invited previous DWTS pro Mark Ballas to join the judging panel as a guest judge. He gave both deserving praise and beneficial corrections to each of the pairs.
Amendola and his partner Witney Carson tied with Graziadei and Johnson for the top spot on the leaderboard.
Amendola and Carson performed a Contemporary dedication to his former NCAA head football coach Mike Leach, earning a score of 36/40.
Graziadei and Johnson danced a Viennese Waltz dedicated to his fiancée, Kelsey Anderson, also earning a score of 36/40.
Although Howard and Karagach were at the bottom of the leaderboard, they earned enough fan votes to carry them to the next week of competition.
Nader and her partner Gleb Savchenko were the pair that found themselves eliminated, despite having consistent scores.
“Disney Night” on Oct. 22 welcomed performances to Disney classics and characters.
Despite the judges score of 25/30, the public proudly admitted to Graziadei and Johnson’s Samba to “Trashin’ the Camp” from “Tarzan” being the standout dance of the night.
Long time fans have always been impressed by Johnson’s choreography, and this dance was no different. It featured a drumming sequence that wowed the audience, and she incorporated moves that showcased his fluid movement.
Additionally, “Disney Night” had the first group dance challenge of the season, with Maher and Howard being team captains.
Howard’s Team Roar– consisting of Howard and Karagach, Amendola and Carson, Parks and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy, and Nedoroscik and Arnold– danced to “I Just Can’t Wait to be King.” They earned a 24/30.
Maher’s Team Goofs– consisting of Maher and her partner Alan Bersten, Graziadei and Johnson, Kinney and Armstrong, and Tran and her partner Sasha Farber– performed “I2I” from “A Goofy Movie.” Since their dance earned a 27/30, each couple got extra points added to their individual scores.
The pair eliminated on “Disney Night” was Parks and Chmerkovskiy.
DWTS welcomed “Halloween Nightmares” night on Oct. 29. Each pair performed a routine that explored the celebrity’s worst fear.
Two couples almost received perfect scores. Graziadei and Johnson danced an Argentine tango based on his fear of ventriloquist dolls, earning a 29/30.
Kinney and Armstrong performed a Viennese Waltz based on her fear of creepy dolls, also earning a 29/30.
Notably, Howard and Karagach secured the first 10 of the season for their contemporary performance based on his fear of the boogeyman.
Maher and Bersten found themselves with the lowest score at 24/30, but the public voiced their belief that this dance was severely underscored.
Additionally on “Halloween Nightmares” night, the couples went head-to-head with dance offs. Kinney and Armstrong earned immunity from this challenge the previous week.
Howard and Karagach faced off against Maher and Bersten with a cha cha to “Ghostbusters.” The judges decided Howard and Karagach outdanced the other pair, so they earned three extra points for the night.
Tran and Farber danced against Nedoroscik and Arnold. Each couple performed their own version of a salsa to “Jump in the Line.” Tran and Farber won the extra points.
Amendola and Carson went up against Graziadei and Johnson with a jive to “Time Warp.” The judges declared Graziadei and Johsnon victorious, so they earned three extra points.
Despite being toward the top of the leaderboard, Tran and Farber were eliminated from the competition.
Left in the competition are the following six pairs: Amendola and Carson, Graziadei and Johnson, Maher and Bersten, Kinney and Armstrong, Howard and Karagach, and Nedoroscik and Arnold.
While each competitor has the chance to win the beloved Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, Kinney, Graziadei and Amendola are the stars that show the most promise in making it to the finals.
Week after week, Kinney earns her way to the top of the leaderboard based on her technique and fluidity.
Graziadei also secures some of the top spots on the leaderboard, and he proves himself to be a quick learner when it comes to ballroom. He also seems to be one of the most popular with the public vote.
Amendola has been noted as an underdog by judge Derek Hough. His partner, Carson, pushes him each week to be fierce and committed on the dance floor, and he continues to impress both the judges and the public.
There are four episodes left in season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars.” Each episode airs on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays.
