The latest cycle of Dancing With the Stars has unfolded with a familiar mix of athletes, actors, reality personalities and entertainers. Across the opening elimination rounds and themed nights, judges’ scores combined with viewer votes have shaped a Top 7 lineup that now includes Amber Glenn, Harry Shum Jr., Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech, Tatyana Ali, Maura Higgins and Connor Wood. Several fan favorites and surprising newcomers have already exited the ballroom in the early weeks, while guest judges and theme nights have added dramatic moments to the season.
The show has emphasized both spectacle and competition. For the athletes on the cast, like Amber Glenn—who is known for competing at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics—the transition from sport to choreographed performance has required a new set of skills despite existing physical training. Amber captured headlines early when she said, “it’s been a dream of mine to do DWTS since I saw Meryl [Davis] do it in 2014,” underscoring how long the show has inspired prospective contestants across fields.
Eliminations by week and current standings
Season 35 followed a steady elimination pattern from its premiere: two celebrities left in week 1, and single exits continued through subsequent weeks. The cast members sent home so far are: Sarah Jane Nader and Conner Leavitt (week 1), Giada De Laurentiis (week 2), Taylor Hanson (week 3), Ciara Miller (week 4), Guillermo Rodriguez (week 5), Jackson Olson and Tyler Cameron (week 7), and Julia Stiles (sent home in week 8). That attrition has left the current Top 7 roster listed above, who continue to compete under the combined influence of judges’ assessments and viewer voting.
Theme nights, judges and notable scoring moments
Themed broadcasts have been pivotal this season. One week featured a horror-movie-inspired evening—commonly referred to on the show as Horror Movie Night—where routines drew from films such as Black Swan and Joker. For that episode, guest judge Shirley Ballas joined the panel and contributed decisive marks. During Horror Movie Night, the pair Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson achieved the season’s first perfect score, earning a 40/40 for a contemporary routine. That perfect score propelled them to the top of the combined leaderboard alongside other high scorers.
Another recent theme paid tribute to Disney stories and stage adaptations with a Broadway sensibility. Guest judge Cynthia Erivo sat on the panel for that round, which also included team numbers and special returns to the dance floor for show hosts. Those branded nights not only provided visual variety but also influenced the leaderboard: strong theme-night performances have been rewarded with high judges’ marks, offering contestants a chance to earn immunity or favorable placement going into subsequent rounds.
Contestant backgrounds and pairings
The season’s cast mixes professional dancers’ past collaborators and novices drawn from other entertainment sectors. Examples include: Amber Glenn partnered with Pasha Pashkov; Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson; Ezra Frech, the two-time Paralympian known for competing at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 where he won two gold medals, teamed with Daniella Karagach. Reality and social media stars are represented too: Connor Wood (paired with Rylee Arnold) remains in contention, and former backup dancers and actors like Jenna Dewan (partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy) continue to draw attention for their stage experience.
One production-side storyline involved a brief suspension and public reconciliation: Val Chmerkovskiy returned to the ballroom after a one-week suspension and publicly apologized to his partner, Jenna Johnson, before a performance. The moment was part of the season’s broader narrative, where personal dynamics between pros and celebs sometimes play out alongside the choreography.
How scoring and voting have shaped outcomes
Rankings this season are determined by the combination of judges’ scores and viewer votes. Live voting windows during the East Coast broadcast remain the mechanism by which audiences influence results; viewers may cast up to 10 votes per couple per voting method during the allowed timeframe. The show has used combined totals across themed nights—such as the pairing of Dedication Night and Horror Movie Night—to determine which couples move forward when a double elimination occurs.
With the competition narrowing, upcoming episodes will hinge on both technical growth and audience engagement. The cast that remains includes performers with athletic pedigrees, acting backgrounds and social-media followings, and the interplay of those strengths against the judges’ criteria will decide who advances toward the Mirrorball Trophy.
