The universal thread: dance. It connects everyone from every corner of the Earth. The creation of Dancing with the Stars(DWTS) has done nothing less. ABC’s ballroom competition began with 16 celebrities, each paired with a professional dancer who guided, taught, and competed with them throughout the season. From actors to athletes to comedians, the DWTS floor sees it all.
This season premiered September 15, 2026, and week 7 just wrapped up, with the remaining dancers preparing for their week 8 Disney Night theme. Season 35’s judges are Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough, with co-hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro.
As of now, Ciara Miller, Connor Leavitt, Giada De Laurentiis, Guillermo Rodriguez, Sarah Jane Nader, Taylor Hanson, Tyler Cameron, and Jackson Olsen have been eliminated, with the last two coming this past week. Eight contestants are left, bringing everything they have going into the closing of the competition. Many people hold strong opinions on the best and worst couples. The weekly voting, open to the public, can do that to an audience. HHS Junior Anna Galvin said, “I think Amber or Ezra deserve to win. Each week they’ve improved, and it’s always fun to watch their dances.”
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov are one of the best duos based on weekly scores, and Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach are right there with them. Both couples are dancing well and having fun while doing it.
This last week was Horror Night on DWTS, with each couple choosing a spooky dance to show off to the judges. It was arguably one of the most intense episodes, with low scores from guest judge Shirley Ballas, a perfect score, and lots of improvement from some of the couples. It featured elaborate costumes and makeup, iconic horror movie references, and so much more.
First and foremost, the big one of the night was Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson’s perfect score, receiving tens from all four judges. The duo performed a Saw-inspired dance, gripping the judges’ and crowd’s attention with the impressive lifts and dance moves.
The improvement did not stop there. Connor Wood and his partner Ryle Arnold pulled off an incredible contemporary dance derived from the horror film Annabelle: Creation. Wood took his dancing to the next level this week, earning tens from the judges.
Some drama is resolved after Val Chmerkovskiy’s return to the dance floor on Horror Night. After his one-week suspension during Dedication Night, Val was back and ready to make it up to his celebrity partner Jenna Dewan. Controversy spread a couple of weeks ago after a social media comment regarding one of the judges. All was cleared up, however, and he even earned himself a compliment from said judge, Carrie Ann Inaba, for the Zombie-inspired Argentine Tango.
Despite the many wins on Horror Night, the episode ended with a double elimination. Tyler Cameron and his partner Sharna Burgess, as well as Jackson Olson and his partner Emma Slater, were eliminated.
HHS student Emma Holmes noted, “It was sad to see Jackson go, especially after his score of a 35/40.” It’s true, Olson reached a personal high this last week with his contemporary dance inspired by the Joker.
Although DWTS comes with countless sad and disappointing scores and eliminations, all of that is overshadowed by the positive energy and love that it brings to the audience, judges, and dancers.
Across diverse cultures, we dance. It’s a common denominator that connects everyone to the human experience. No one has to be perfect at dancing, or even good, to enjoy it. The show highlights the beauty of growth and change: from week one scores of ten out of thirty to the first perfect score in week seven, the improvement and self-discovery are the best parts.
