‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Week 8 Live Recap: Dances, Scores and Elimination

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November is off to an exciting start for Dancing With the Stars fans, as the hit ABC competition airs one night early this week on Monday, Nov. 2, because of Tuesday night’s election coverage. And the best part? It’s a very *magical* episode!

Don’t have time to dance the night away with the remaining stars? Worry not, ballroom besties! We’ve got you covered with our full live recap so you don’t miss any of the Broadway-worthy action—but first, let’s get you all caught up on what you might’ve missed last week.

Who was eliminated last week on DWTS?

The show embraced Halloween’s spooky splendor for “Horror Movie Night” last week, with the stars dancing to songs from beloved films of the divisive genre. Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were joined by guest judge Shirley Ballas, who warned stars and audience alike that her scores would be frightening—and indeed they were!

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned the top spot on the leaderboard with their quickstep to 2WEI’s “Toxic,” inspired by the iconic Saw franchise. Before the routine, Johnson said she hoped the choreography would be “all about wow moments,” and it absolutely was! The dance earned the first perfect score of Season 35, a 40 out of 40.

Second place was a tie, with Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy earning 37 out of 40 for their Argentine tango to “Uninvited” by Damned Anthem and Kendra Dantes, inspired by 28 Weeks Later. Meanwhile, Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold scored their first 10s of the season with their contemporary routine to “You Are My Sunshine” by Charles McDonald, inspired by Annabelle: Creation, which also earned a 37 out of 40.

Given Ballas’s aforementioned scoring, several stars received 4s and 5s, and the bottom of the leaderboard reflected this. Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess—who danced a Viennese Waltz to Annie Lennox’s “Love Song for a Vampire,” inspired by the 1992 film Bram Stoker’s Dracula—and Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa—who danced an Argentine tango to “The Dogs Attack” by Jerry Goldsmith, Lionel Newman and the National Philharmonic Orchestra, inspired by the 1976 horror classic The Omen—all tied for the last-place spot, scoring 26 out of 40.

Since no one was sent home during Week 6, the judges forewarned the stars that two teams would be eliminated during Week 7. Ultimately, Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess, as well as Jackson Olson and Emma Slater, were sent home. To read our full recap of last week’s episode, click here.

What is the theme this week on DWTS?

As we hinted above, this week is particularly *magical* because it’s “Disney Night!” The remaining eight duos will dance to tunes from iconic Disney properties, specifically inspired by Broadway numbers.

This week, the stars will also be separated into teams of five for a competitive group dance, with one troupe comprising team captain Tatiana Ali, as well as Maura Higgins, Amber Glenn, Julia Stiles and host Alfonso Ribeiro, while the other features team captain Connor Wood alongside Ezra Frech, Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr. and host Julianne Hough.

And as if that’s not exciting enough, the judging panel will also feature a very special guest judge: Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Cynthia Erivo!

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov

Glenn and Pashkov opened the show, dancing a quickstep to “A Star Is Born” from Hercules. In behind-the-scenes footage, the Olympian talked about learning to embrace her “muscles.” She hoped to embody the mythical hero as she and her partner danced to secure a spot at the top of the leaderboard.

Erivo said the dance was “the most joyful” way to start the show and gave them an 8. Tonioli concurred, applauding Glenn’s strength and giving them a 9. Inaba loved that Glenn led instead of Pashkov and gave them another 8. Hough declared, “A star is born, and her name is Amber,” giving them a second 9. Total score: 34/40

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas

Next up, Higgins and Ballas danced a jive to “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from Peter Pan, embodying Tinkerbell and Captain Hook. During practice, Higgins struggled with the dance style’s speed and worried about keeping up with Ballas. Still, she wanted to give the routine “everything she’s got.”

Tonioli loved how “saucy” Higgins was in character and gave them an 8. Inaba felt there were “energy” drops throughout the dance and gave them another 8. Hough joked that he “tinks she made a perfect Tinkerbell,” giving them a third 8. Erivo agreed, giving them a fourth 8. Total score: 32/40

Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik

Ali and Ravnik hit the ballroom floor next, dancing a contemporary routine to “Easy as Life” from Aida. In behind-the-scenes footage, Ali embraced the song’s emotion with the choreography, which Ravnik noted was about “forbidden love.”

Inaba told the couple that they “gave [her] chills,” giving them a 9. Hough loved the emotion and physicality and gave them an 8. Erivo applauded the emotion that “flowed” from Ali and gave them another 8. Tonioli felt the movement was missing intensity, giving them a third 8. Total score: 33/40

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson

Shum Jr. and Johnson were next, dancing a jazz routine to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins. During practice, the pair celebrated their perfect scores from the previous week and met with fans who inspired them to excel.

Hough proclaimed that someone “needs to get [Shum Jr.] on Broadway stat,” giving them a 10. Erivo agreed, saying that the dance “blew her mind” and gave them a 10. Both Tonioli and Inaba joked that they had nothing to say except “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” giving them 10s. Total score: 40/40

Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach

Frech and Karagach danced a samba to “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid. In behind-the-scenes footage, Frech joked that fans online said he “looked like Prince Eric” from the original animated film, which they leaned into for the playful routine.

Erivo joked that she was “riding the wave” and gave them a 9. Tonioli added that Frech “looked like a prince, but danced like a devil,” giving them a second 9. Inaba said, “Once again, you made the impossible, possible,” giving them a third 9. Hough agreed with his fellow judges, but gave them a 10. Total score: 37/40

Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa

Dancing a paso doble to “Satisfied” from Hamilton, Stiles and Sosa were dedicated to improvement after last week. The star was excited to learn that Lin-Manuel Miranda shouted her out on social media, but she struggled with an injury sustained to her ribs.

Toniloi loved the storytelling and Stiles’s acting, giving them a 9. Inaba said she could see Stiles turning her “raw emotion” into the choreography, giving them an 8. Hough said that Stiles delivered a “comeback,” giving them another 8. Erivo felt Stiles “did something really beautiful,” giving them a third 8. Total score: 33/40

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy

Dewan and Chmerkovskiy danced a quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast. During practice, Dewan invited her partner—Tony Award-winning actor Steve Kazee—to give them some pointers on the high-energy style.

Inaba called Dewan “the perfect princess” and gave them a 10. Hough loved how they used “the entire ballroom floor” and gave them a 10. Erivo concurred, adding that the routine was “special to watch” and gave them a 10. Tonioli called the routine a “feast” and gave them a 10. Total score: 40/40

Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold

Closing the first round, Wood and Arnold danced a waltz to “I See the Light” from Tangled. In behind-the-scenes footage, Wood celebrated their perfect scores from the previous week and hoped to continue their upward trajectory.

Hough joked that he felt like he was “watching the first dance at a wedding,” giving them an 8. Erivo was “taken” by the commitment to the storytelling, giving them a second 8. Tonioli loved the “care” Wood showed with Arnold, giving them another 8. Inaba gave Wood a note on his frame, giving them a third 8. Total score: 32/40

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