Season 27 of Dancing With the Stars continued Halloween Week, following the Halloween dances on DWTS: Juniors the night before. Monday, October 29 was Halloween Night on DWTS 27, featuring the nine remaining couples performing all sorts of dances that represent the holiday. Plus, we got an elimination at the end of the night, following there being no elimination the week before.
The night also featured additional performances, including a spooky dance from former pro Allison Holker and tWitch for Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween, the Jabbawockeez, and a haunting DWTS: A Night to Remember live tour coming this winter!
As always, here is Paul Bentley with his thoughts on the dances from the night, along with The Readers’ Scores, which were determined by an online poll that was posted!
Halloween Night Dances
The nine remaining couples performed dances to different Halloween themes. After the round of dances, one couple was eliminated from the show.
[Order of the Judges’ Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli]
Milo Manheim and Witney Carson
Contemporary
Toxic by 2WEI
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 10
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: This is the type of number I like to see during Halloween Night! It had such great suspense and great horror acting from both Milo and Witney. It actually felt like Milo had lost his mind during this dance, and for this Contemporary in particular, that’s a good thing! XD The mix of hard and soft really complimented the music, and the lifts were absolutely phenomenal! The transitions were surprisingly seamless, too, which is not easy to do with such staccato choreography. At the beginning of the performance, I thought that maybe the dance was going to be “heavy,” but as the dance went on, I realized how vital that was to the dance as a whole, and that heaviness factor is actually what enhanced the routine for me!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 10
#TeamWitlo 1(800)868-3410
John Schneider and Emma Slater
Paso Doble
Main Titles from Beetlejuice, by Ray Chew Live
The Judges’ Scores: 6, 7, 6 (19/30)
The Readers’ Score: 7
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: And John is underscored again. Seriously, sixes? The judges made it seem like this Paso Doble was John’s messiest dance, which I don’t necessarily think is true, but even if that is the case, I wouldn’t necessarily say that John has had any truly “messy” dances thus far. I found Emma’s choreography, once again, to be brilliant. This couple was given some silly music, but they made it work! There were still a few fumbles, awkward posture, and Spanish arms that could have used some shaping, but this performance was miles better than we have seen from John in the past. John has been improving a lot this season, but I don’t think the judges realize that.
Paul Bentley’s Score: 7
#TeamSuperDuke 1(800)868-3407
DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold
Salsa
Under Your Spell by Leo Soul
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 9, 9 (26/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Just like in his Cha-Cha-Cha during the premiere, DeMarcus had great hip action and musicality in his Salsa. However, I felt like there was a significant amount of hesitation in this dance. DeMarcus seemed to dance smaller than usual, and I’m left to wonder if that’s because he felt a bit crammed between the troupe on both sides of he and Lindsay. I definitely liked the second half of the dance better, which had some more iconic lifts, but I would caution Lindsay to be careful with the lifts she is choreographing because they seem to be getting more and dangerous as the weeks go by, and if something goes wrong, she can seriously get hurt. But she still took the risk, and it all worked out, so it was worth it in the long run!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 8
#TeamWaresOurMirrorBall 1(800)868-3404
Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe
Tango
Disturbia by Rihanna
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 9, 10 (29/30)
The Readers’ Score: 9
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I’m so glad that the judges are finally realizing Evanna and Keo as a power couple in this competition! I feel as though they have been consistently underscored, but now they are finally receiving scores that I think they deserve! This Tango was hot, sharp, and full of really nice lines. I have to admit that I did catch some “stuttering” here and there, but it was damn near perfect! I personally gave this dance a nine, but I like that they got a couple of 10’s! :P These two seriously continue to give us five star quality routines every episode, and I never get bored of seeing them on the dance floor!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 9
#TeamKevanna 1(800)868-3405
Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess
Argentine Tango
Mr. Sandman by SYML
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 7, 7 (22/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: The home intruder theme is a classic to the horror genre, and this Argentine Tango heavily reminded me of the Halloween franchise, not only because of the song, but because of the whole storyline of being invaded while a girl is brushing her hair in her bedroom. I just love these kinds of eerie things! As much as I loved the song, though, I think it wasn’t very ideal for the style, and the Argentine Tango content was sort of an afterthought. Bobby was the perfect character for this routine, but he was a bit shaky, and he had more than one slip-up when leading Sharna. I appreciate the artistry of this dance, but the technique could have made a bigger impact than it did.
Paul Bentley’s Score: 7
#TeamBeautyAndTheGeek 1(800)868-3402
Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber
Tango
Eliminated- 9th Place
Shame by Elle King
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 8, 8 (24/30)
The Readers’ Score: 8
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: This was a cool little bewitching number, which had some convincing supernatural effects at the beginning and the end of the dance. I liked that there was lot of Tango content, even though the energy of it seemed to dip in a middle. In hold, Mary Lou danced too much in her shoulder and neck, making her upper body look way too tight. And because of that tightness, she was too rigid, making her move her upper body too much when she was doing something else with her lower body. I liked her intensity, though. It was perfect for the Tango! It seemed like it was time for Mary Lou to be eliminated on Monday, but she and Sasha had some aesthetically cool dances this season that I am sure not to forget any time soon!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 8
#TeamStickIt 1(800)868-3409
Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten
Jazz
Candyman by Christina Aguilera
The Judges’ Scores: 9, 9, 9 (27/30)
The Readers’ Score: 9
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Ooph. It’s a shame that the band messed up so majorly with the song for this song, because it not only was it noticable, but it was distracting, too. There have been some mistakes from the band in the past, but this one might have been the worst, unfortunately. Nonetheless, Alexis and Alan still performed like nothing was wrong at all! This was a really sweet (pun intended) Jazz routine, featuring some hilarious costumes from the troupe in the background! XD Alexis was nice and powerful with her Jive-esque footwork, and she danced in a way that fit perfectly with the obscure theme. Sometimes she danced a little small, though, even though there were sections where that wasn’t the case. This is just something minor, though. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this dance from beginning to end!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 9
#TeamRenTen 1(800)868-3401
Joe Amabile and Jenna Johnson
Argentine Tango
El Tango de Roxanne from Moulin Rouge
The Judges’ Scores: 8, 7, 7 (22/30)
The Readers’ Score: 7
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: I wouldn’t necessarily call this Argentine Tango a breakthrough for Joe, but it was certainly his biggest improvement yet! Albeit his framing being too Frankenstein’s Monster-ish, he was more stable than I have seen him so far this season. But at the end of the day, it’s no secret that Joe still does not have the level of stability and cleanliness as the rest of the celebrity cast. I feel as though Joe kind of got away with Jenna doing most of the work in this dance, which I understand why Jenna choreographed it that way, but at the same time, I am left wanting more from these two again. I just wonder, though, if Joe is able to give more.
Paul Bentley’s Score: 7
#TeamCheckUsOut 1(800)868-3406
Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke
Jive
Dead Man’s Party by Atwater Men’s Club
The Judges’ Scores: 10, 10, 10 (30/30)
The Readers’ Score: 9
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Coming from that amazing Viennese Waltz the week before, Juan Pablo and Cheryl had a lot riding on them for this Jive. But in the end, it all worked out for them because they got an even higher score this week than last week. However, I found this week’s performance to be just a tad underwhelming. Juan Pablo had his usual suave and technically sound lines, but I actually think his footwork could have been more hard-hitting, especially compared to Cheryl. I wanted to see “flickier” flicks! :P This was still a groovy Egyptian-themed dance; I’m just being hard on this couple because I know how awesome their dancing is!
Paul Bentley’s Score: 9
#TeamChernando 1(800)868-3408
Week 6 Scoreboard
Dancing With the Stars Season 27, Week 6 Scoreboard
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Couple
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Dance Style
|
Judges’ Scores
|
Overall Score
|
Milo and Witney
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Contemporary
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10, 10, 10 (30/30)
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30/30
|
John and Emma
|
Paso Doble
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6, 7, 6 (19/30)
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19/30
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DeMarcus and Lindsay
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Salsa
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8, 9, 9 (26/30)
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26/30
|
Evanna and Keo
|
Tango
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10, 9, 10 (29/30)
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29/30
|
Bobby and Sharna
|
Argentine Tango
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8, 7, 7 (22/30)
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22/30
|
Mary Lou and Sasha
|
Tango
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8, 8, 8 (24/30)
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24/30
|
Alexis and Alan
|
Jazz
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9, 9, 9 (27/30)
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27/30
|
Joe and Jenna
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Argentine Tango
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8, 7, 7 (22/30)
|
22/30
|
Juan Pablo and Cheryl
|
Jive
|
10, 10, 10 (30/30)
|
30/30
|
Halloween Night Awards
Most Entertaining Dance: Bobby and Sharna’s Argentine Tango
Bobby and Sharna’s Argentine Tango had all the creepy vibes that make a Halloween dance stand out as such. It left a lot to the imagination while still showing us some eerie choreography, which the perfect balance between showcasing and ambiguity!
Best Costumes: Evanna and Keo’s Tango Costumes
Their costumes were simple, but Evanna and Keo’s Tango outfits were slick and hot! You can never go wrong with tight, black clothing! XD
Best Choreography: John and Emma’s Paso Doble
Emma managed to create some choreography for she and John’s Paso Doble that was fierce and suitable for John’s abilities, despite it being hard for the music to be taken seriously for such a style. There was a good amount of content both in and out of hold, using the different sections to tell different parts of their story.
Strongest Couple: Milo and Witney
Milo and Witney have been on a streak of giving us some show-stopping performances, and this one in particular had me on the edge of my seat! These two like to experiment with their dances, and it always ends up working because of the commonality between their youthful contributions to their dances!
Most Improved Celebrity: Joe Amabile
Joe is more “together” in dancing now, which shows me that even though he has been low on the leaderboard every single week, he is still trying to improve. He might not be as good technically as most of the cast, but his effort is not overlooked by me!
Stand-Out Moment of the Night: The Halloween Pranks
It wouldn’t be Halloween Night without some jump scare Halloween pranks! The elevator prank in particular was favorite… what a creative way to get a reaction out of somebody!
Furthermore
Paul Bentley’s Thoughts: Halloween Night felt kind of slow, minus a few stand out performances, but I wouldn't say it was "bad" in any sense. It just wasn't as memorable as some other nights we had. As far as elimination goes, it looks like next week is possibly a double elimination, which makes me even more clueless than usual! :P
I would go as far as saying that I think Milo, DeMarcus, Juan Pablo, and Evanna are safe this week. But when it comes to Alexis, Joe, John, and Bobby, I feel like they are in a bit of trouble. With Joe not being in very last place in terms of the judges' scores for the first time this season, it's making me think he might be safe. If he hasn't been eliminated while on the bottom all season, why would it happen now? If I were to venture to say who I think will be out next, I would say John, simply because I think he was underscored and didn't make as much of an impact as some others. And if it's a double elimination, I think Bobby is in hot water, too.
Week 7 Show Information
Next week, there will not be Dancing With the Stars: Juniors on Sunday, but there will be the regular Dancing With the Stars show on Monday. For week seven, it is Country Night, featuring live performances from various country singers. Plus, the remaining eight couples will split into two groups of four for the team dance round! At the end of the night, an elimination will take place.
According to the DWTS press release, here is what the couples will perform for their individual dances:
- Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten will dance a Samba to Ladies in the ‘90s with a live performance by Lauren Alaina
- Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess will dance a Viennese Waltz to Can’t Help Falling in Love with a live performance by Chris Janson
- DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold will dance a Viennese Waltz to Tennessee Whisky by Chris Stapleton
- Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe will dance a Rumba to Every Little Thing with a live performance by Carly Pearce
- Joe Amabile and Jenna Johnson will dance a Tango to Burning Man by Dierks Bentley ft. Brothers Osborne
- John Schneider and Emma Slater will dance Jazz to Thank God I’m a Country Boy by John Denver
- Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke will dance a Charleston to One Shot by Hunter Hayes
- Milo Manheim and Witney Carson will dance a Foxtrot to Born to Love You with a live performance by LANCO
And here is what we should expect for the team dances:
- Team Hay Now (Bobby & Sharna, Evanna & Keo, John & Emma, and Milo & Witney) will dance a Team Freestyle to 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton (#TeamHayNow)
- Team Joedown (Alexis & Alan, DeMarcus & Lindsay, Joe & Jenna, and Juan Pablo and Cheryl) will dance a Team Freestyle to Country Girl by Luke Bryan (#TeamJoeDown)
Links
What did you think of Halloween Night on Dancing With the Stars? What was your favorite performance from the night? What did you think of Mary Lou and Sasha's elimination? Which dances are you looking forward to for Country Night next week? Which team dance do you think will do better? Which couple do you think will be eliminated next?
#DWTS #DWTS27
#HalloweenNight
