DANCING WITH THE STARS - Key Art. (Disney)
Dancing With the Stars Recap for 9/29/2026
This is Yacht Rock night on Dancing With the Stars 35 on ABC.
As always, Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough host while Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli judge.
After a fun opening act, we get down to business.
Celebrity: Amber Glenn
Claim to Fame: Olympic star
Pro: Pasha Pashkov
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: Hold the Line by Toto
Sammi: What a way to begin the show! She is improving leaps and bounds and having the time of her life at the same time. Everything from the footwork to the artistry is spot on.
Derek: The ice queen does it again!
Bruno: Excellent like a glass of the finest champagne.
Carrie Ann: She is seeing true growth.
Score: 8-8-8=24/30
Celebrity: Julia Stiles
Claim to Fame: Nineties teen idol/icon
Pro: Ezra Sosa
Dance: Salsa
Song: I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) by Daryl Hall and John Oates
Sammi: Even though she is injured, she killed that dance. What a comeback, 5s be darned. I have a feeling she will be seeing higher scores tonight. That confidence and determination is just the icing on the cake.
Bruno: She awakened the Spice Girl within!
Carrie Ann: She gave herself full permission to let go.
Derek: Julia is back, baby!
Score: 6-7-6=19/30
Celebrity: Guillermo Rodriguez
Claim to Fame: Jimmy Kimmel star
Pro: Witney Carson
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: Escape (The Pina Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes
Sammi: Okay, but why are they so cute? That was…..the funniest, cutest thing I have ever seen. Dancing 4 the People….making us all cheer and laugh….this is what we need.
Carrie Ann: He is funny and working hard.
Derek: His charm and showmanship is a ten.
Bruno: He went co-co-nuts for him.
Score: 5-5-5=15/30
Celebrity: Tatyana Ali
Claim to Fame: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star
Pro: Jan Ravnik
Dance: Quickstep
Song: Maneater by Daryl Hall and John Oates
Sammi: She is another one who is really improving. They have such incredible footwork and sexiness on the dance floor, making it her best dance. I think we have to watch out for them.
Derek: Her best dance.
Bruno: He loved the attitude.
Carrie Ann: It was an interesting way to do a quickstep.
Score: 7-7-7=21/30
Celebrity: Harry Shum Jr.
Claim to Fame: Grey’s Anatomy/Glee star
Pro: Jenna Johnson
Dance: Jive
Song: You Make My Dreams (Come True) by Daryl Hall and John Oates
Sammi: This is such an interesting choice for a jive song. They have decent choreography, albeit a bit slow. They also know how to entertain.
Bruno: They are sailing to Broadway.
Carrie Ann: YAYYYYYYY!!
Derek: It was a proper jive.
Score: 8-8-8=24/30
Celebrity: Taylor Hanson
Claim to Fame: Hanson star
Pro: Britt Stewart
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: What a Fool Believes by The Doobie Brothers
Sammi: His best dance. I have no notes. He took everything the judges said, everything Britt taught him, took it to heart and put it all on the dance floor.
Carrie Ann: He has a nice quality that makes it easy to watch, but he needs to work on the core.
Derek: His best dance.
Bruno: He can do it but add more drive.
Score: 6-6-6=18/30
Celebrity: Maura Higgins
Claim to Fame: Reality star
Pro: Mark Ballas
Dance: Quickstep
Song: Turn Your Love Around by George Benson
Sammi: They keep getting better and better, not just with the dancing but also with showing their personalities on the dance floor. I think we need to watch out for them as well.
Derek: It was a quickstep class in elegance.
Bruno: He compares her to Audrey Hepburn and Ginger Rogers.
Carrie Ann: This is what they are going for!
Score: 7-7-8=22/30
Celebrity: Ciara Miller
Claim to Fame: Summer House star
Pro: Brandon Armstrong
Dance: Cha cha cha
Song: Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
Sammi: I love the seventies theme. It is such a fun dance and definitely put a smile on my face from start to finish.
Bruno: Hot, hot, HOT!
Carrie Ann: She gives some pointers, but loves it.
Derek: She is stepping into her power.
Score: 6-6-6=18/30
Celebrity: Jackson Olson
Claim to Fame: Savannah Bananas star
Pro: Emma Slater
Dance: Paso Doble
Song: Easy Lover by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins
Sammi: I never would have pegged this as a paso song, but they made it work. He is another one who keeps improving and taking the judges’ notes to heart.
Carrie Ann: She loves the intensity but needs to sync up with the music better.
Derek: There were some good movements there but wants more impact.
Bruno: He gives some pointers to improve.
Score: 6-6-6=18/30
Celebrity: Connor Wood
Claim to Fame: Comedian/Podcaster
Pro: Rylee Arnold
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac
Sammi: This is giving such end of a rom-com prom vibes. Very sweet, very cute, very….them.
Derek: He is improving every week but work on the frame.
Bruno: Keep the bum in but otherwise, it was good.
Carrie Ann: He is endearing and supporting.
Score: 7-6-7=20/30
Celebrity: Jenna Dewan
Claim to Fame: The Rookie star
Pro: Val Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Samba
Song: Africa by Toto
Sammi: I never would have thought of this as a samba song, but again, it works. That was one sexy, fun dance. She is back and ready to prove she is in it to win it.
Bruno: It was a sizzling, tropical treat, but there were some mistakes.
Carrie Ann: She is amazing but pushing too hard.
Derek: He hopes people appreciate her dance.
Score: 7-7-7=21/30
Celebrity: Tyler Cameron
Claim to Fame: Bachelorette star and host
Pro: Sharna Burgess
Dance: Jive
Song: Still the One by Orleans
Sammi: As an aside, I love that her red hair is back! The two of them are adorable and he seems to be having a blast. That smile is everything.
Carrie Ann: The timing was off, but they got it back.
Derek: He is happy we got more content.
Bruno: He was better, but the timing was off.
Score: 5-6-6=17/30
Celebrity: Ezra Frech
Claim to Fame: Paralympic star
Pro: Daniella Karagach
Dance: Foxtrot
Song: Just the Two of Us by Grover Washington ft. Bill Withers
Sammi: Perfect way to end the night. Beautiful, classy and perfect. No notes.
Derek: It was so impressive.
Bruno: He is a leading man.
Carrie Ann: He makes them better judges and better people.
Score: 7-7-7=21/30
RESULTS!!! Jenna and Val, Tyler and Sharna, Maura and Mark, Ciara and Brandon, Julia and Ezra, Tatyana and Jan, Ezra and Daniella, Amber and Pasha, Harry and Jenna and Connor and Rylee are safe.
The maybe bottom three are Taylor and Britt, Guillermo and Witney and Jackson and Emma, with Taylor and Britt going home.
More next week, stay tuned!
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