DWTS: Two Decades of Drama, Dazzle and Dance…Inside the 20th Birthday Party Night

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DWTS: Two Decades of Drama, Dazzle and Dance — Inside the 20th Birthday Party Night

DWTS

Tuesday night, the ballroom exploded in celebration. Dancing with the Stars marked its 20th anniversary with a themed “20th Birthday Party†episode for Season 34, Week 9. The show kicked off with a major reunion. The six original professional dancers from Season 1 joined the current troupe in a spectacular opening number choreographed by judge Derek Hough. The hosts, Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, introduced guest judge and beloved former host Tom Bergeron at the judges’ table alongside Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. The ballroom was bathed in nostalgia, with a tribute to past stars and iconic routines.

Two men standing on a stage with bright lights in the background.

What made the evening even more dramatic was the two-round format. In the first round, each of the remaining seven couples performed an individual dance inspired by a memorable freestyle from past seasons. In the second round came a twist: the “Relay Dance†in which six of the seven celebs paired not with their current pro but with a former Mirrorball champion, and swapped halves of a dance to compete head-to-head for bonus points. One couple, thanks to top scores the week before, received immunity and automatically earned 2 bonus points, skipping the relay.

Two men standing on a stage with bright lights in the background.

Individual Dance

The individual dance results were electric. Highlights: Robert Irwin and pro Witney Carson delivered a foxtrot to “Footprints in the Sand†that doubled as a tribute to his late father and sister Bindi. They earned a perfect score of 40 out of 40 (10,10,10,10).

Two men standing on a stage with bright lights in the background.

Two men standing on a stage with bright lights in the background.

Also joining the 40-club were Dylan Efron & pro Daniella Karagach with an Argentine tango, plus Alix Earle & pro Val Chmerkovskiy with a foxtrot and Whitney Leavitt & pro Mark Ballas with an Argentine tango. All four couples earned perfect 40s. Meanwhile, Jordan Chiles & pro Ezra Sosa performed a cha-cha to “Get Up,†earning 37/40 (9,10,9,9), and Elaine Hendrix & pro Alan Bersten danced salsa and scored 36/40. At the bottom were longtime fan-favorites Andy Richter & pro Emma Slater, who struggled through a quickstep and earned just 29/40 (8,7,7,7).

Two men standing on a stage with bright lights in the background.

Following the individual dances, the relay results added 2 bonus points to the winning couples of each head-to-head matchup. For example, Robert & Witney won their jive relay partnered with former winner Xochitl Gomez, Dylan and Daniella won their Viennese waltz relay, and Whitney and Mark had immunity plus the bonus. After all was tallied, the leaderboard stood: Robert & Witney with 42 points, Dylan & Daniella 42, Whitney & Mark 42, Alix & Val 40, Jordan & Ezra 39, Elaine & Alan 36, and Andy & Emma 29.

Two men standing on a stage with bright lights in the background.

Andy & Emma

Unfortunately for Andy & Emma, that 29 placed them at the bottom, and they were eliminated from the competition, ending Richter’s run in a heartfelt exit. Andy thanked his fans and reflected on how much the experience meant to him.

Two men standing on a stage with bright lights in the background.

Overall, this “20th Birthday Party†episode delivered on nostalgia and competition alike. The guest judge Tom Bergeron’s return. The original pros appearing, the tribute segment, the high-stakes relays, and multiple perfect scores. All made it a night to remember. As the competition heads into the semi-finals next week, viewers will no doubt be watching closely to see whether the perfect-scoring couples can hold that momentum and who will rise to claim the Mirrorball.