RECAP: “Dancing With The Stars” Season 33, Episode 8 (500th Episode Spectacular)
BY Amy Pilott & Allie Pilott (age 9)
In honor of the 500th episode of “Dancing with the Stars,” the remaining couples were asked to complete two wild challenges: 1) recreate an iconic dance from a previous season; and 2) compete in an instant dance, finding out the dance type and music just minutes before taking the stage.
In a crazy bit of trivia, at least one of the dancers wasn’t born yet when the show first aired in July 2005, and others performing tonight were still in diapers!
Joey Graziadei and Jenna (Contemporary)
Inspired by Allison Holker’s Season 20 performance, Joey and Jenna brought their own beautiful twists and lifts to this piece. Joey is proving he is more than just fun — but the beautiful choreography lacked a little emotion. He is simply better when he can smile, opposed to being serious. The couple still earned a very respectable 28/30.
Danny Amendola and Witney (Quickstep)
Danny chose to recreate one of Julianne Hough’s early performances with partner Hélio Castroneves.
While Joey is better in the fun ones, Danny does better with drama. The dance was great, but it wasn’t his best. Allie thinks it was SOOOO good, but I remember the original number, with charisma oozing from the race-car driver back in 2007, and this just didn’t compare. They received a 27/30.
Dwight Howard and Daniella (Argentine Tango)
Off the bat Allie called out the advantage here: Dwight is very “strong and sturdy,” and that means they can do some crazy lifts. The couple also did some creative use of a platform to level out the height difference at the start. With that said, this dance didn’t have the same drama Shana and her partner brought to the original in Season 23. Not their best outing at all, and they received a 26/30.
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee (Viennese Waltz)
Inspired by TikTok star turned Broadway performer Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas’ Season 31 performance, our Superman was supposed to focus on his frame and leading man credentials for this dance. Coached by Mark himself, Stephen brought a serious energy to the floor. The judges were wowed, we thought it was “good.” They received a 29/30.
Chandler Kinney and Brandon (Argentine Tango)
Recreating a truly iconic number from Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough in Season 16, Chandler and Brandon had big shoes to fill. It was a bold pick, and they stood up to the challenge. This was particularly tough because Derek is so hard to beat — though he said he preferred their version to his own! The couple received our first perfect score: 30/30
Ilona Maher and Alan (Quickstep)
Alan’s strategy in recreating Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold’s quickstep was to bring more Ilona — a strategy we approved of. Super fun, super fast, super tight! Ilona saw her first 10 from Carrie Ann and made it off the bottom of the leaderboard with a score of 28/30
For the second half of the evening, we had the Instant Dance rounds.
Instant Dance: Joey & Jenna Rumba
Beautiful performance under pressure but nothing to write home about. Score: 27/30.
Instant Dance: Danny & Witney Jive
Danny was counting on his bare chest to distract from some missteps — and he succeeded (at least for this mom). The jive was fine, and he looks good. Score: 24/30.
Instant Dance: Dwight & Daniella Paso Doble
This was a super-tough challenge, and Dwight struggled the most. They had some slip-ups, and it showed. Score: 22/30.
Instant Dance: Stephen & Rylee Jive
Stephen’s first dance of the season was a jive and he thrives in energetic dances. Some technical issues but so much fun! Score: 25/30
Instant Dance: Chandler & Brandon Cha-Cha
Um, that was amazing. It almost feels like they cheated somehow. This cha-cha was so good it did not look spontaneous at all. Score: 30/30.
Instant Dance: Ilona & Alan Salsa
This woman just gives us such joy. We will be devastated IF she goes home before the finale. Some technical issues in this dance, but they shook it off. Score: 24/30.
SPOILER:
In the end, Dwight and Daniella were sent home. The gentle giant did an incredible job this season. We were truly impressed with this couple every week. The height difference was a real challenge, and they overcame it time and again.
What did you think of the episode? Leave your takes in the comments!
