Last week, Dancing With The Stars was preempted for a second time in Season 33 – this time for the 2024 election – but the reality TV dance competition is making up for it with a “very special episode.”
As we recently reported, last week’s skipped episode happened to coincide with DWTS’ 500th episode, so fans will be rewarded for their patience with an even livelier and more action-packed celebration.
In an October 31 press release, ABC listed off the show’s accomplishments, and teased the upcoming episode:
“After 21 Emmys, 51 pros, 394 Stars, 32 winners and thousands of iconic performances, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ celebrates the milestone 500th episode for a night full of dazzling moves and star-studded moments.”
DWTS’ most recent milestone of the sort was its 400th episode, which aired on March 20, 2017.
That time around, it coincided with the premiere of Season 24, whereas the 500th episode fell near the end of Season 33 — and during DWTS’ 400th episode, no one was eliminated.
ABC gave viewers a preview of Dancing With The Stars’ songs and dances for the 500th episode, but noted that some surprises were in store:
“In a second round, the couples will tackle the ultimate test, an ‘Instant Dance Challenge.’ They won’t know the dance style or the song until approximately five minutes before performing it LIVE!”
On Monday, November 11, Emma Slater and Ezra Sosa shared a TikTok video promising a “big announcement” — and they delivered in a second TikTok, announcing that they’ll be hosting a TikTok Live during the Instant Dance Challenge.
As for the rehearsed routines, ABC’s press release described who was left on DWTS, the songs and dances planned for the first round, and why those routines were chosen.
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The Songs And Dances For DWTS’ 500th Episode
Will There Be An Elimination?
Dancing With The Stars’ 500th episode featured one specific theme, with routines inspired by some of the show’s most “memorable dances”:
“In celebration of countless iconic performances from the past 32 seasons, each couple will pay tribute to past memorable dances while adding their own unique reinterpretation and flair for Season 33.”
Six couples remain with two more episodes to go in Season 33, and this week’s songs and dances are as follows:
Dancing With The Stars Pair | Dance | Song, Artist | Inspired By (Season) |
|---|---|---|---|
Danny Amendola And Witney Carson | Quickstep | “Hey Pachuco” By Royal Crown Revue | Season 5 |
Joey Graziadei And Jenna Johnson | Contemporary | “Work Song” By Hozier | Season 20 |
Dwight Howard And Daniella Karagach | Argentine Tango | “Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre)” By Gotan Project | Season 23 |
Chandler Kinney And Brandon Armstrong | Argentine Tango | “Para Te” By Appart | Season 16 |
Ilona Maher And Alan Bersten | Quickstep | “Chuck Berry” By Pharrell Williams | Season 25 |
Stephen Nedoroscik And Rylee Arnold | Viennese Waltz | “Glimpse of Us” By Joji | Season 31 |
Finally, in their press release, ABC indicated that live “viewer votes from the night will be combined with the judges’ scores to determine who may be in jeopardy of elimination.”
There have been two “double eliminations” so far in Season 33: The first was on Night 2, and the second occurred after Dancing With The Stars was preempted for the vice presidential debate.
On Reddit’s r/dancingwiththestars, fans were unsure about whether the 500th episode would feature a single elimination, double elimination, or no elimination at all.
Many viewers were inclined to suspect that no one would be eliminated in DWTS’ 500th episode based on previous, similar episodes, but several expressed that they’d prefer an elimination ahead of the final two episodes.
One opined:
“I’ll be honest, I’d rather have an elimination. This season just feels off with the missed weeks and now potentially not having an elimination. We have two people that are good dancers, then the rest.
“I mean is Dwight really up there with fanvotes that they think it won’t look as bad if he survives after having two weeks of combined scores or something? I just wish we had a more consistent schedule. Maybe ABC needs to find a way to put DWTS on in the spring instead.”
Ultimately, fans seemed to think that whether eliminations would happen or not was a surprise reserved for when DWTS 500th episode debuts — do you have any predictions for the big night?
- Release Date
- June 1, 2005
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Cast
- Carrie Ann Inaba , Bruno Tonioli , Len Goodman , Tom Bergeron , Cheryl Burke , Tony Dovolani , Derek Hough , Mark Ballas , Karina Smirnoff , Maksim Chmerkovskiy , Kym Johnson , Sasha Farber , Val Chmerkovskiy , Emma Slater , Sharna Burgess
