By: Jewel Dickerman
The ballroom cranked up the volume for Dancing with the Stars on Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night when the eight remaining couples performed rock-powered routines and two team freestyles that reshuffled the leaderboard and sent one pair home.
Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach opened strong with a high-energy jive to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.” Dylan packed the routine with attitude and speed, earning praise from the judges for his progress and a solid 36/40.
Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy brought paso doble fire to Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” It was a powerhouse performance — fierce, disciplined, and theatrical — that left the judges raving and placed Alix at the top of the night with a 39/40.
Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas leaned into metal with a dramatic paso doble to Ozzy Osbourne’s “No More Tears.” Their intensity and commitment paid off: Whitney tied for the night’s top marks and walked away with a 39/40.
Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa channeled Tina Turner in a bold jazz routine to “River Deep – Mountain High.” The athletic, acrobatic number showcased Jordan’s power and stage presence and scored 38/40.
Robert Irwin & Witney Carson closed the first round with a fierce paso doble to The White Stripes’ “Icky Thump.” Robert commanded the stage with matador-level precision and earned a 38/40 for a taut, theatrical interpretation.
Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten made a welcome comeback with a Viennese waltz to Dionne Warwick’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” Though she’d missed the previous week due to injury, Elaine’s graceful return impressed the judges and netted a strong 37/40.
Andy Richter & Emma Slater offered a heartfelt contemporary to The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” The emotional, honest performance underlined Andy’s steady improvement and received 30/40 — a reminder that crowd favorites can survive on connection as much as technique.
Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov gave a stirring contemporary to Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” a performance the judges called resilient and moving. Despite the moment, Danielle finished the night with a 34/40 and — after scores and viewer votes were combined — was the pair eliminated at the episode’s end.
The evening also featured two team freestyles: Team Chicago (Dylan, Whitney, Jordan and Danielle, joined by Alfonso Ribeiro) delivered a slick, cinematic routine that earned a perfect 40/40, while Team Kool (Alix, Robert, Andy and Elaine, joined by Julianne Hough) impressed enough to score 38/40 — a factor that heavily influenced the night’s leaderboard shakeup.
Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame Night proved that the show’s contestants can turn classic anthems into vivid stories: some couples leaned into raw power and drama, others mined tenderness and nuance, and a few performances changed the course of the competition altogether. As the season moves forward, the energy and stakes could not feel higher.
