"Dancing with the Stars" is bringing the magic into the ballroom.
Week 8's theme is Disney Night with a special Broadway twist, where the celebrity contestants and their pro partners will perform routines inspired by beloved Disney stories and their stage adaptations, including "Peter Pan," "Hamilton," "Mary Poppins" and more. There will also be the first team dances of Season 35, where the eight remaining couples are split into two groups to compete against each other for a boost on the leaderboard.
"Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo has been crowed the guest judge, while Broadway's own Heather Headley, Michael James Scott, Rodney Ingram, Kyra Belle Johnson and Sherri Shepherd – also a former contestant on "DWTS" – are set to take part in on the Monday,
Nov. 2 episode.
The schedule shift from the show's usual Tuesday night slot comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Keep reading for live updates from Disney Night on "Dancing with the Stars."
Watch 'Dancing with the Stars' Disney Night
Cynthia Erivo makes grand 'DWTS' entrance as guest judge
08:08 PM ET, November 2 2026, Bryan Alexander"Dancing with the Stars" appropriately kicked off Disney Night with Broadway's "The Lion King" and "Circle of Life." Don't you just love those prancing antelopes? Genius. Let's see who's still alive after tonight.
We saw the dancing newsboys from "Newsies," followed by a snippet of "The Greatest Show" from "The Greatest Showman," with flames shooting up in the background. This show was literally hot.
And there was co-host Julianne Hough, channeling her inner Cruella de Vil. Guest judge Cynthia Erivo made a grand entrance, taking the stage dressed head to toe in an elegant red dress, before taking her seat with the judges.
'DWTS' voting: How to vote online for Season 35 cast
07:30 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza EsquibiasVoting opens when the show begins at 8 p.m. ET and closes after the last competitive dance of the evening. Fans can vote up to ten times per couple either online on ABC's website, or by texting the celebrity's first name to "21523" (standard text rates apply).
At the end of the night, the couple with combined lowest number of votes and judges' scores will be eliminated from the competition.
What were the scores on 'DWTS' last week?
07:15 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza EsquibiasWeek 7's Horror Movie Night saw the 10 couples perform routines inspired by legendary horror films. It concluded with Season 35's first perfect score and a double elimination. The scores and results of the night are below.
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik: 28 out of 40
- Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy: 37 out of 40
- Jackson Olson and Emma Slater: 35 out of 40
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach: 35 out of 40
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson: 40 out of 40
- Amber Glenn and partner Pasha Pashkov: 36 out of 40
- Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold: 37 out of 40
- Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess: 26 out of 40
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas: 32 out of 40
- Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa: 26 out of 40
Eliminated: Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess, and Jackson Olson and Emma Slater
'Dancing with the Stars' Season 35 recap: What happened so far?
07:00 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza Esquibias"Dancing with the Stars" Season 35 kicked off with a two-night premiere, featuring performances by the male celebrities on Tuesday, Sept. 15, followed by the female celebrities on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Each danced to a No. 1 song from the year they were born. Week 1 ended with the double elimination of Connor Leavitt and Adele Zaikman, who is a first-time pro after winning "Dancing with the Stars: Next Pro," as well as Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills, also a first-time pro.
Week 2 was Viral Hits Night, which marked the first time this season that all the contestants came together. Each couple danced to catchy tunes that have gone viral on social media, and Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten were sent home at the end of the evening.
Week 3 had a Yacht Rock theme, featuring a lineup of "smooth grooves, soft-rock classics and iconic hits that defined" the iconic era. The episode ultimately saw in the elimination of Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart. For Week 4 of the competition, the routines paid tribute to Mariah Carey and her iconic discography, and Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong were voted off.
Super Bowl Night was Week 5, where the couples paid tribute to the performers who have headlined a Super Bowl halftime show. It ended with fan favorites Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson being sent home.
Week 6 marked Dedication Night, honoring the people and places that hold a special place in the hearts of the celebrity contestants. Each performance brought tears to the ballroom – including Julia Stiles' "10 Things I Hate About You" costars coming out to remember the late Heath Ledger, and Tyler Cameron and his fiancée Tate Madden announcing their pregnancy before learning that they are having a baby girl live on air. There was no elimination.
Week 7's Horror Movie Night celebrated Halloween and featured a double elimination. The stakes were high with guest judge Shirley Ballas, who is head judge on the U.K.'s "Strictly Come Dancing" and was a judge on “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro." She lived up to her reputation for brutal honesty and attention to detail – handing out some of the lowest scores of the season – but was also part of giving the first perfect score, which went to Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson. The two couples voted off were Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess, and Jackson Olson and Emma Slater.
'DWTS' team dances are back: Who is on each team?
06:30 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza EsquibiasIn addition to their individual performances, the remaining eight couples have been divided into two teams and will be dancing alongside co-hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro. Here are the team names, members and songs.
- Team Slaytopia: Alfonso Ribeiro joins team captain Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik, Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, and Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa for a routine to "Zoo" from “Zootopia 2"
- Team Wildcats: Julianne Hough joins team captain Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, and Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson for a routine to "We’re All In This Together" from "High School Musical"
'Dancing with the Stars' theme this week: Disney Night songs and dances
06:01 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza EsquibiasDisney Night is bringing Broadway to the Ballroom, as the eight remaining couples honor beloved Disney stories, movies and stage adaptations in their performances. Some routines will also feature special appearances from Broadway stars. Here are the dances and songs that each couple will be dancing to.
- Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov: Quickstep to “A Star Is Born” from “Hercules”
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas: Jive to “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from “Peter Pan”
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik: Contemporary to “Easy As Life” from “Aida,” with guest artist Heather Headley performing live
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson: Jazz to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from “Mary Poppins,” with guest artist Kyra Belle Johnson performing live
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach: Samba to “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid,” with guest artist Michael James Scott performing live
- Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa: Paso Doble to “Satisfied” from “Hamilton”
- Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy: Quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast,” with guest artist Rodney Ingram performing live
- Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold: Waltz to “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” with guest artist Heather Headley performing live
Why is 'DWTS' tonight? Show airs on a Monday this week
05:35 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza Esquibias"Dancing with the Stars" is veering off from its typical Tuesday night slot for Week 7, airing Monday, Nov. 2 instead. The shift in schedule is temporary due to ABC's coverage of the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when special broadcast “ABC News Election Night: Vote 2026,” is set to take place from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET.
'DWTS' pro drops out: Dancer falls ill before live show
05:32 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza EsquibiasNew pro Adele Zaikman revealed she will be missing the Monday, Nov. 2 Disney Night episode of "Dancing with the Stars" due to an illness in a since-expired post on her Instagram Story on Sunday, Nov. 1.
“I’m sadly feeling unwell and won’t be performing in the opening number on Dancing with the Stars tomorrow,” she wrote, according to a screenshot obtained by multiple outlets, including Us and E! News. “I’m so sad to miss a show day, but I’ll be taking this time to take care of myself. Sending so much love to everyone on that ballroom floor. I’ll be cheering you on from home."
After winning "Dancing with the Stars: Next Pro," Zaikman, 25, made her debut as a pro earlier this season with celebrity partner Conner Leavitt. They were the first to be sent home on Night 1, but Zaikman and the other eliminated pros continue to take part in the show each week with opening numbers, troupe dances and in the background of the remaining couples' routines.
'Dancing with the Stars' tonight: What time is 'DWTS' on?
05:31 PM ET, November 2 2026, Liza Esquibias"Dancing with the Stars" airs live on Monday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. The episode can be streamed the next day on Hulu and Disney+. The episode is a day earlier than the typical Tuesday shows due to coverage of the upcoming midterm elections this week.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Dancing with the Stars' live updates: Disney Night takes center stage
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