‘DWTS’: Who Will Be Eliminated on Yacht Rock Night?

Alyssa Norwin Wed, September 30, 2026 at 1:27 AM UTC

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Pasha Pashkov, Amber Glenn, Daniella Karagach, Ezra Frech, Jan Ravnik, Tatyana Ali - Disney

The competition continued on the September 29 episode of Dancing With the Stars. Just 13 pairs remain, and they hit the dance floor to yacht rock tracks for their Week 3 dances.

Throughout the episode, judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli will score the dances, while viewers at home vote for their favorites. At the end of the night, the couple with the lowest combined judges’s scores and viewer votes will be sent home.

Scroll down for live updates from the episode (including everybody’s scores) and make sure to check back at the end to find out who’s eliminated.

Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov — 24/30

First to hit the dance floor was Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov with a foxtrot to “Hold the Line” by Toto. After accidentally hitting her partner in the face during rehearsals, the figure skater came to the live show with a stunning routine.

“The ice queen does it again!” Hough raved. “What a way to start the show. You turned this ballroom into your own personal ice rink, just gliding across that floor effortlessly.” He also said her foxtrot will be “hard to beat.”

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Tonioli added, “It went down like a glass of the finest champagne. The spatial flow and the musical progression was top of the class. What you did was the lilt and the sway. We rarely see that.” Inaba also praised Glenn’s “true growth” from week to week.

Glenn earned three 8s from the judges, giving her the highest score of the season so far.

Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa — 19/30

For their yacht rock dance, Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa performed a salsa to “I Can’t Go for That” by Hall & Oates. After hurting her rib during rehearsals, Stiles took things day by day leading up to the live performance, but was still able to put some tricks and flips in the routine.

“You awakened the Spice Girl within!” Tonioli raved. “It is good to see you letting your hair down. You look great, you didn’t make any errors, you look like you were having fun. That is the way to go.”

Inaba applauded Stiles for “giving [herself] permission to let go” on the dance floor. “Now it’s just about continuing to grow the skills. I think you guys could match your dancing level energy-wise, but that was fantastic,” she added. Hough said that Stile was “back” after last week’s rough performance. “It was a breath of fresh air. Great salsa content in there,” he confirmed, while also giving her some pointers for next time.

With 6s from Inaba and Tonioli and a 7 from Hough, Stiles scored a 19/30.

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson — 15/30

Hoping to build on his improvement from last week, Guillermo Rodriguez performed a foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes with partner Witney Carson. Knowing that he’s dancing for the fan votes and not high scores, Rodriguez ripped his shirt off at the end of the routine to reveal a bare stomach that said, “Dancing for the people.”

“I know you’re not dancing for the judges, but you impressed me,” Inaba confirmed. “You’re showing balance, you’re showing good content. You’re not quite leading yet, but the gliding motion is there.”

Hough praised Rodriguez’s charm and showmanship. “It was so fun. So endearing,” he added. With three 5s, Rodriguez got his highest score of the season.

Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik — 21/30

For their yacht rock performance, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik did a quickstep to “Maneater” by Hall & Oates. Hough said it was her “best dance” and called her footwork “phenomenal,” but also urged to “continue finessing the frame.”

“You were full of passion, yet it was so smooth, it was so precise, it was so clean,” Tonioli gushed, and Inaba said, “So many things. It’s so dynamic and polished and light on your feet and interesting choreography. I really enjoyed that and I think it brought out the best in you!”

While Inaba did say she “might have seen a misstep,” she called the routine “fabulous” overall. All three judges scored the dance with 7s, so she earned her best score of the season so far.

Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson — 24/30

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson danced a jive to “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Hall & Oates.

“You’re sailing right up to Broadway with that!” Tonioli said. “It was so theatrical.” He called it a “very, very good jive,” too. Inaba cheered loudly after seeing Shum Jr.’s improvement from the previous week.

“You guys were so in sync with each other and that was a hard jive because it was slow,” she continued. “You did amazing and I’m so happy.” Hough praised the “proper jive” that Shum Jr. performed and said it was a “statement” performance.

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The dance earned the pair three 8s for a score of 24/30.

Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart — 18/30

For their foxtrot, Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart danced to “What a Fool Believes” by the Doobie Brothers.

Inaba said, “You have a quality to you when you dance that’s so nice. It’s lyrical and poetic and it’s really nice to watch.” However, she told him to “engage [his] core” so he wouldn’t “stumble out of place” in frame.

Hough told Hanson it was his best dance of the season. “I see you holding that frame up, gliding across the floor, using those heel leads,” he confirmed, also praising Hanson for taking the judges’ notes all season long so far.

“What you have to do now, you can do it, is you get more drive,” Tonioli added. Hanson earned 6s from all three judges.

Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas — 23/30

Hoping to get back to where she was on top of the leaderboard during Week 1, Maura Higgins hit the floor to perform a quickstep to “Turn Your Love Around” by George Benson with Mark Ballas.

Hough said it was a “quickstep master class in elegance” and applauded Higgins’ “top line” through the whole dance. He did give a “quick note” that Higgins doesn’t always “finish the moves,” but was overall happy.

“You look Golden Age Hollywood!” Tonioli said, even comparing her to Audrey Hepburn. “The footwork had the lightness and crispness of Ginger Rogers. Two for the price of one!” he said.

Inaba also gushed over Higgins’ top line and told the other contestants, “THAT is what you’re going for!” Higgins got 7s from Inaba and Hough and an 8 from Tonioli for a 23/30.

Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong — 18/30

Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong danced a cha-cha to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross.

Tonioli called Miller “hot, hot, hot,” and urged her to believe in herself throughout the entire dance moving forward. Inaba added, “I love watching you dance. You’re exciting. I don’t know what you’re going to do, you dance to your edge every time. And because of that, sometimes the edge and polish needs a little work.” She also told her to “point your toes” more.

Hough concluded, “This is the Ciara I want to see. It’s like you’re stepping into your power. Watch your arms. We have to work on the finessing. Keep it tighter.” She and Armstrong got three 6s for an 18/30.

Jackson Olson & Emma Slater — 18/30

For their paso doble, Jackson Olson and Emma Slater danced to “Easy Lover” by Phillip Bailey and Phil Collins.

“I love the intensity, definitely saw an improvement in intensity, but you’re not dancing to the music, you’re dancing above the music,” Inaba admitted, while also giving some advice for how he can “sync up” in the future.

“There were some really good moments in there,” Hough confirmed. “But there was something about it. I want you to be more ferocious, more bold.” Finally, Tonioli noted, “It’s very difficult. It’s power and artistry combined. In the hold, you have to keep an intense focus in your aim, which is very, very hard to do. The power was there, the artistry, you have to work on.”

Olson scored three 6s for a total of 18/30.

Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold

Up next was Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold with a foxtrot to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac.

Hough praised Wood for “improving each and every week,” but noted that he struggled in frame a little bit. “You are such a likable man. I love this partnership. I want you to go from nice man to leading man,” he urged.

Tonioli called the routine “gorgeous,” but told Wood to “keep your bum in” next time. Finally, Inaba said, “There’s something about your dance that I’m having a hard time putting into words. There’s an endearing quality. You’re not quite leading, but you’re supporting your partner with genuine care and that’s making the movements and whole dance quality beautiful.”

Keep updating because we’ll be updating this live blog all episode long.

Dancing With the Stars, Season 35, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+

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