Dancing With the Stars season 34 episode 7 recap: Spooky costumes and intense ballroom showdowns dominate Week 7 Halloween celebrations

Week 7 of Dancing With the Stars Season 34 aired on October 28 and featured Halloween-themed performances from the nine remaining couples.

Contestants performed routines in Tango, Argentine Tango, Paso Doble, Contemporary, Jazz, and Viennese Waltz. The “Dance Monster-thon” returned, in which all couples danced simultaneously and earned bonus points based on how long they remained on the floor.

Judges’ scores from the first round were combined with these bonus points, and live audience votes determined the final leaderboard.

Episode 7 highlights of Dancing With the Stars Season 34

Dance Monster-thon and scoring

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Dance Monster-thon was kicked off with a Hustle to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dancefloor, followed by a Lindy Hop to A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) by Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock.

As the clock ran, couples were eliminated one by one, and points were given according to the time. The last three couples were Jordan, Alix, and Whitney, and Whitney and Mark were the winners.

These extra points were combined with the first-round judges’ scores to form the overall leaderboard.

Alix and Val danced a Tango to Billie Eilish’s Bury a Friend, finishing their routine with a fake fall into a graveyard prop. The judges gave 39/40.

Jen and Jan performed a contemporary dance to Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do, which included a troupe opening and lifts. They received 32/40.

Robert and Witney danced an Argentine Tango to Sweet Dreams Are Made of This by the Hampton String Quartet, and they got 38/40.

Danielle and Pasha danced a Viennese Waltz to Die with a Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars; they also had staged blood stains for Halloween. The score was 33/40.

Andy and Emma performed a Paso Doble to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor and were given 28/40. Jordan and Ezra danced a contemporary routine to Sia’s Elastic Heart with a harness and gymnastic elements and were given 34/40.

Whitney and Mark performed a jazz routine to Green Day’s Brain Stew and were given ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌37/40.

Injuries, absences, and guest judge

Elaine Hendrix was unable to perform after sustaining an injury during rehearsals. She was carried off on a stretcher and taken to the hospital, but remained in the competition, with judges using her last rehearsal of an Argentine Tango to Bad to the Bone by 2WEI and Bri Bryant to assign a score of 32/40.

Cheryl Burke returned as a guest judge, joining Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli. Burke has not judged on the show since 2022. During the episode, she provided scoring and feedback to all performing couples.

Elimination and episode summary

At the conclusion of the episode, judges’ scores and audience votes were combined to determine elimination.

Jen and Jan were announced as the couple leaving the competition, with Jen stating, “has meant everything to me,” and Jan referring to her as “a rockstar.”

Week 7 of Dancing With the Stars maintained the Halloween theme through costumes and choreography. Performances, rehearsal notes, injuries, and scores were recorded and incorporated into the final leaderboard.

The episode featured nine couples, multiple dance styles, the Dance Monster-thon, and a guest judge. Scoring reflected first-round judges’ scores plus bonus points from the dance marathon.

Individual performances included detailed choreography and thematic elements, all consistent with the episode broadcast. No additional context or interpretation was included.

Stay tuned for more updates.