‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Week 9 Live Recap: Dances, Scores and Elimination

We’ve officially entered quarterfinals territory on Dancing With the Stars, with only seven stars left competing for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy this season! This week promises to be the most exciting yet, as the remaining stars learn multiple routines and go head-to-head in dance battles with plenty of surprises in store.

Don’t have time to catch all the award-winning musical moments? No worries, party people! We’ve got you covered with our full live recap so you don’t miss any of the star-studded 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 ABC dance competition aired a night early last week due to election coverage, but the stars (and their pros) aligned to celebrate “Disney Night.” Spotlighting Broadway-worthy performances from the remaining contestants, judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were joined by guest judge Cynthia Erivo for the magical evening.

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson continued their streak of perfect 10s, scoring a flawless 40 points for their high-energy jazz routine to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins. Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy also earned top marks for their playful quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast. Still, Shum Jr. won immunity from the dance challenge this week after a tie-breaker added their total scores throughout the season.

Tied for the bottom of the leaderboard were Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, who danced a jive to “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from Peter Pan, as well as Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold, who waltzed to “I See the Light” from Tangled. However, before the elimination, the remaining stars were divided into teams and tasked with performing their first group number of the season.

Team Slaytopia—Tatyana Ali, Maura Higgins, Amber Glenn, Julia Stiles and host Alberto Ribeiro, plus their pros—danced to “Zoo” from Zootopia 2. Meanwhile, Team Wildcats—Connor Wood, Ezra Frech, Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr. and host Julianne Hough, plus their pros—closed the show with a routine set to “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical. Team Wildcats won the dance-off, earning a perfect 40 for their playful, pep rally-themed number. Still, the elimination surprised fans, as Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa were sent home despite not being at the bottom of the leaderboard.

To read our full recap of last week’s episode, click here!

What is the theme this week on DWTS?

This week, the episode celebrates “Grammy Night,” tasking the remaining stars with dance routines choreographed to award-winning tunes by iconic artists. There will also be several can’t-miss musical guests, as well as the first “dance-offs” of the season—but remember, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson have immunity from those, and thus won’t participate in the “dance-offs.”

Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach

Frech and Karagach started the show with an Argentine tango to “Crazy in Love (Remix)” by Beyoncé (and fun fact: this iconic tune was the first song ever planned on DWTS!). During practice, Frech and Karagach opened up about their budding friendship, joking that the sensual dance style didn’t leave room for the “sibling vibes” of their relationship.

Inaba said the style was the “hardest” Frech tried so far, applauding his abilities and giving them a 9. Hough loved the intimacy of the French, calling the Paralympian a “fantastic partner” and giving them a second 9. Tonioli called the choreography “smoldering,” highlighting the “intensity and drama” and giving them another 9. Total score: 27/30

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov

Glenn and Pashkov took the floor next with an angsty paso doble to “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence. Pashkov was excited to see Glenn tackle the dance style, saying during practice that the “power” of the routine was exactly the sort of choreography the Olympic figure skater excelled at.

Hough applauded their “power,” saying that they created “beautiful shapes” and giving them a 9. Tonioli said the duo moved like “thunder and lightning” and gave them a perfect 10. Inaba added that she was “most impressed” by Glenn’s growth and grace, giving them a second 9. Total score: 28/30

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas

After a couple of stumbles last week, Higgins and Ballas returned to dance an Argentine tango to “Thong Song” by Sisqó (yes, you read that correctly). In behind-the-scenes footage, the model revealed she was struggling with rib pain, which led the DWTS crew to ask her to get an X-ray—still, she decided to move forward and hit the ballroom floor.

Tonioli said the choreography felt “expensive and high class,” giving them a 9. Inaba applauded Higgins’s grace despite her injury, giving them another 9. Hough called the overall routine “gorgeous” and “captivating,” giving them a third 9. Total score: 27/30

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy

Still riding the high of their perfect score from the previous week, Dewan and Chmerkovskiy were excited to dance a jazz routine to “All For You” by Janet Jackson. The Rookie star reminisced about her work as a background dancer, including experience with the aforementioned singer, making the routine a full-circle moment.

Inaba joked that “people of a certain age are reenrolling in jazz class” now, giving them a 10. Hough said, “It’s not about what you dance, but how you dance it,” giving them a 9. Tonioli loved seeing Dewan in her “comfort zone,” giving them a second 9. Total score: 28/30

Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik

Ali and Ravnik hit the ballroom floor next, dancing a high-energy tango to “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas. In behind-the-scenes footage, Ali opened up about her relationship with the band, specifically singer will.i.am, whom she met while she was a student at Harvard. She caught up with the star on FaceTime during rehearsal, which Ali said gave her “even more motivation” to nail the routine.

Hough said that it’s “hard not to root for” Ali, giving them a 9. Tonioli joked that the routine was “Boom Boom Wow,” adding that they were “in control” and “powerful,” giving them another 9. Inaba celebrated how in sync the two were while dancing, giving them a third 9. Total score: 27/30

Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold

Wood and Arnold were the penultimate pair for the solo rounds, dancing an Argentine tango to “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland. Wood expressed disappointment with their scores the previous week, so Arnold focused on making sure the comedian was “leading” more in the routine this week.

Tonioli applauded the routine, saying they were “strong, moody and into it” and giving them a 9. Inaba said that Wood was indeed a “leading man,” giving them a second 9. Hough loved the support Wood provided Arnold throughout the routine, adding that it was “one of his best dances” and giving them a third 9. Total score: 27/30

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson

The top scorers from last week closed the solo dance round with a “spicy” salsa to “Die with A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. During rehearsal, Shum Jr. was emotional while opening up about his relationship with the dance style, since he was familiar with salsa from his family’s time in Costa Rica.

Inaba applauded the “heart” Shum Jr. showed in his movement, giving them a 10. Hough concurred, calling the actor “magnetic” and giving them a 9. Tonioli said it was an “extra spicy” salsa, giving them a second 10. Total score: 29/30

Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov vs. Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach

The first dance off round saw the Olympian face off against the Paralympian. The pairs performed rumbas set to “The Boy Is Mine” by Brandy and Monica, and the singers performed the hit tune.

DANCE OFF WINNERS: Glenn and Pashkov

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy vs. Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik

Next up, Dewan and Ali hit the hardwood floor with dueling cha chas to “The Middle” by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey while Morris performed the song live.

DANCE OFF WINNERS: Dewan and Chmerkovskiy

Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold vs. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas

Wood and Higgins’s competitive chas chas closed the episode. They danced to “All I Wanna Do” as Sheryl Crow sang the iconic song on stage behind them.

DANCE OFF WINNERS: Higgins and Ballas

Who was eliminated on DWTS this week?

After the judges’ scores (and bonus dance off points) were combined with the audience’s votes, the eliminated pair was revealed. Ultimately, Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy were the pair sent home ahead of the semifinals.

When is the next episode of DWTS?

The next episode of DWTS—the semifinals!—airs Tuesday, Nov. 17, on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll be back to recap everything live!

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