Chandler Kinney scores his first two perfect scores of the season

Note: This article contains spoilers for the November 12 episode of “Dancing With the Stars.”

“Dancing with the Stars” celebrated its 500th episode on Tuesday night, with the remaining six remaining couples “reimagining” past memorable dances with new choreography.

Week 8 of Season 33 also saw the first perfect score of the season, achieved by Chandler Kinney for her Argentine Tango with Brandon Armstrong. Judge Derek Hough, who first performed the dance with Kellie Pickler in season 16, called it “smooth as silk” and gushed, “I even preferred this dance to mine!” Tonioli said Kinney “combined beauty and danger “, while Inaba gushed: “You are perhaps the most powerful dancer I have ever seen on this dance floor.”

Kinney earned three more 10s in the Instant Dance round with a cha-cha set to Charli XCX’s “Apple,” a song her partner Armstrong admitted he had never heard before. Inaba exclaimed, “You own the dance floor tonight,” while Hough gushed, “You ate that and left no crumbs.”

The dancer sent home at the end of the evening was NBA All-STAR Dwight Howard and his partner Daniella Karaguch. The basketball player said: “I had an incredible experience” and praised his partner, who pointed out the huge difference in height: “A lot of people said we couldn’t do it, and we did it, and for me that’s a victory.” “

In the first round, they performed Argentine tango, which was inspired by a tango from season 23. In keeping with the 6-foot-tall athlete, the much smaller Karagash danced on a raised platform set to “Santa Maria (Del. Buen Ayre)” by Gotan Project for portions of the routine. Inaba told the couple that they were “the most innovative ones out there” when it came to working around the difference in their height.

“Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson performed a contemporary inspired by Riker Lynch and Allison Holker’s Season 20 performance to “Work Song” by Hozier.

The exercise, which included several lifts, began and ended on a wing. Bruno Tonioli described the dance as “very, very powerful”, while Carrie Anna Inaba felt it lacked “rawness”. Hough chimed in and said, “I disagree!” Tell the reality star, “I see you as a contender.” The dance received a 28 out of 30.

Danny Amendola and Witney Carson performed a quickstep inspired by Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough’s performance in Season 5, set to “Hey Pachuco” by Royal Crown Revue. The soccer star incorporated some of his on-field footwork into the dance, including literal hat tricks and four additional dancers. Derek Hough said: “That quick move was like a fizzy drink. “It was bubbly, refreshing and put a smile on my face,” while Tonioli praised the athlete’s “beautiful lightness.”

Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold performed a Viennese waltz, inspired by Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas’ performance in Season 31, to “Glimpse of Us” by Joji. Ballas came to rehearsals to give the Olympian tips on maintaining the perfect ballroom setting.

Tonioli praised Nedoroscik as “polished, elegant and smart”, while Inaba emotionally said: “The world needed this at this moment.” A visibly moved Hough added: “You made me feel something beautiful tonight.” The pair received 29 out of 30 points.

Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten performed a quickstep inspired by Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold’s Season 25 performance to “Chuck Berry” by Pharrell Williams. The dance received 28 out of 30 points.

In the second round, the couples learned the dance style and song at the last minute and only had to come up with the choreography.

Graziadei and Johnson improvised a rumba that Hough called “amazing,” with a score of 0:27.

Amendola drew the jive set for “Good Golly Miss Molly.” Tonioli said that the timing is “on and off,” but the power value is “on all the time.” There were 24 out of 30 possible points.

Howard had to perform a paso doble to “Victorious” by Panic! at the disco, which Inaba admitted had some missteps but appreciated “the spirit” of the dance. There were 22 out of 30 points.

Nedoroscik was excited to draw one of his favorite dances, the jive. The routine set by Olivia Rodrigo on Love Is Embarrassing had timing issues, but overall it was “impressive,” Hough said. The dance received 25 points.

Maher and Bersten were the last to perform an instant dance: they drew a salsa and the song “Da’ Dip” by Freak Nasty. Inaba noted that the exercises “didn’t quite work this time,” but still noted how far Maher had come in the competition. The dance received 24 out of 30 points.

The opening number to Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” saw both Houghs – judge Derek and co-host Julianne – return to the dance floor. It was the same song that kicked off the show’s premiere in 2005.

The five remaining couples advance to the semi-finals next week.