Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Dedication Night: Scores Update

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Dancing With the Stars delivered its traditional emotional showcase with Dedication Night for season 35, where the remaining 10 celebrity couples performed personalized tributes to important figures and locations in their lives. The live episode aired on ABC and Disney+, featuring guest judge Kym Johnson and no eliminations.

The Bottom Line

• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov took the top spot on the leaderboard with a score of 38 out of 40 for their contemporary routine dedicated to Glenn’s sister.
• No contestants were sent home during Tuesday’s episode, but producers confirmed a double elimination will take place during next week’s Horror Movie Night.
• Val Chmerkovskiy sat out the evening following a one-week suspension by BBC Studios over social media remarks, with Alan Bersten stepping in to partner Jenna Dewan.

Tributes and Leaderboard Scores on Dedication Night

The ballroom featured a series of deeply personal numbers, ranging from family homages to geographic tributes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the night culminated in Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov earning the highest score of the evening with 38 out of 40 for a contemporary dance set to Sia’s “Breathe Me,” performed in honor of Glenn’s sister, Brooke. Close behind them, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach secured 37 out of 40 with a contemporary routine dedicated to Frech’s mother, Bahar, earning the season’s first 10 from guest judge Kym Johnson. Jenna Dewan, partnered temporarily with Alan Bersten, matched that 37/40 score with a Viennese waltz honoring her mother, Nancy.

Several couples pulled in matching 36s and 35s. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson danced a foxtrot to John Mayer’s “Stop This Train” dedicated to Shum’s wife, Shelby, scoring 36 out of 40. Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa also scored 36 out of 40 for a contemporary piece dedicated to Heath Ledger, a performance that featured a live reunion of cast members Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Susan May Pratt, and Andrew Keegan on the ballroom floor. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas scored 35 out of 40 for a paso doble dedicated to Ireland.

Celebrity and Pro Partner	Dedication Subject	Song	Score
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov	Sister, Brooke	“Breathe Me” by Sia	38/40
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach	Mother, Bahar	“Bloodline” by Mon Rovia	37/40
Jenna Dewan and Alan Bersten	Mother, Nancy	“Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers	37/40
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson	Wife, Shelby	“Stop This Train” by John Mayer	36/40
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa	Heath Ledger	“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli	36/40
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas	Ireland	“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys	35/40
Jackson Olson and Emma Slater	Mother, Laura	“L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole	32/40
Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess	Mothers everywhere	“Supermarket Flowers” by Ed Sheeran	32/40
Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold	Father, Pete	“Piano Man” by Billy Joel	32/40
Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik	James Avery	“(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am” by Nancy Wilson	32/40

BBC Studios Suspends Val Chmerkovskiy

The emotional weight of the evening was matched by off-camera friction. BBC Studios placed professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy on a one-week suspension following a social media post referencing Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap while defending his wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson, against critiques delivered by judge Carrie Ann Inaba during Super Bowl Night. Production confirmed his absence for Tuesday’s broadcast, prompting Alan Bersten to step in as Jenna Dewan’s partner for the evening.

Photo: Deadline

Amid the shakeups, the ballroom also celebrated personal milestones. Despite sitting near the bottom of the leaderboard with 32 out of 40 alongside Jackson Olson, Connor Wood, and Tatyana Ali, none of the couples faced elimination at the end of the night.

Double Elimination Ahead for Horror Movie Night

The temporary reprieve granted to the bottom-tier couples on Dedication Night will be short-lived. While no stars were sent home on Tuesday, producers confirmed that a double elimination will occur next week. Season 35 will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. ET, shifting themes to a Halloween-inspired Horror Movie Night where two couples’ journeys on the ABC and Disney+ series will definitively come to an end.

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