We’ve reached the midpoint of the competition in Dancing with the Stars Season 18. With five weeks remaining and eight couples still vying for the Mirrorball trophy, it feels like a crowded field, yet mathematically, it makes sense. Looking ahead, we know “Party Anthem Night” is next, followed by “Latin Night.” But beyond that, the specifics are hazy. Will the guest judges continue their appearances as we move closer to week 8? Will the themed nights persist? When will the anticipated team dances take place? And what other surprises do the producers have in store for us before the finale?
While not all the answers are readily available, let’s try to piece together a clearer picture of what the rest of the season holds in terms of dance styles. Below is a breakdown of the regular dance styles remaining for each couple, excluding their already assigned “Party Anthem” dances. Consider this your guide to the dances from Latin week onwards. I’ve also included some thoughts on how these remaining styles might play out for each pairing. For your convenience, this information is presented both as a list and a handy chart. You’ll notice a question mark next to the Viennese Waltz – more on that below. And while the Swing dance seems unlikely to reappear this season given it’s been featured only twice so far, it’s included for completeness.
Meryl Davis & Maks Chmerkovskiy
Remaining Regular Dances: Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive, Waltz, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Contemporary, Jazz, Salsa
It’s quite remarkable how evenly distributed Meryl and Maks’ dance repertoire has been. They’ve essentially tackled two of each category: two Latin, two Ballroom, and two “other” styles. This balanced approach gives them the most diverse range of dances left to perform as they head into the crucial second half of the competition. Technically, Meryl is unlikely to struggle with any of these remaining styles. However, the fervent shippers might have overly romanticized their rumba in their minds, setting expectations impossibly high – anything short of a passionate, floor-scorching performance might disappoint them. Furthermore, Maks’ choreographic choices in styles like contemporary and jazz are a bit of an unknown. It’s also worth wondering if he can resist incorporating excessive theatrics and props into their quickstep, a dance where he sometimes prioritizes spectacle over pure technique.
Charlie White & Sharna Burgess
Remaining Regular Dances: Samba, Paso Doble, Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Salsa, Argentine Tango, Swing
Charlie has only performed one ballroom dance so far, but he possesses the potential to truly excel in the remaining ballroom styles, provided Sharna crafts impactful choreography. It’s probably beneficial that he’s already done the rumba, as he appears slightly uncomfortable with overly sensual dances. He might find the Argentine tango more to his liking due to its strong technical foundation and faster pace. However, expect the rumba to resurface as his “redemption dance” later in the season. It will be interesting to see if he can channel genuine intensity (does he even possess an angry bone? 😛 ) for the paso doble, a dance that seems completely at odds with his usual demeanor.
James Maslow & Peta Murgatroyd
Remaining Dances: Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Waltz, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Jazz, Argentine Tango, Swing
Unlike many of the other contestants who have largely exhausted their Latin dance options, James has completed almost all of his ballroom dances, leaving him with four Latin dances still to come. Considering his strong performances in salsa and jive, he could potentially dominate the Latin dances ahead and build significant momentum leading up to the finale. Hopefully, Peta learned from the judges’ critiques during switch-up week and will choreograph a technically sound, by-the-book rumba for James. Perhaps getting harshly judged in a non-elimination week was a disguised advantage for them. His Argentine tango holds immense potential to be a showstopper – he’s proven capable of handling intricate choreography and fully embodying the mood of each dance.
Amy Purdy & Derek Hough
Remaining Regular Dances: Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Argentine Tango, Jazz
While Amy is undeniably beloved, there are valid concerns that the dances that would be naturally easier for her were performed early in the season. Now, she faces styles that could pose considerable challenges due to her prostheses. Tango might be particularly difficult as pivoting is fundamental. Quickstep and Viennese Waltz, with their ankle crossing steps, could also present obstacles. Rumba’s hip action and samba’s pivoting runs are likely to be problematic as well. Perhaps samba’s knee bend and strong core engagement might be manageable, but the pivoting steps are questionable. Argentine tango? The thought of tangled feet during intricate footwork sequences is worrisome. Derek will need to pull out all the choreographic stops, as Amy will heavily rely on his ingenuity in the coming weeks.
Danica McKellar & Val Chmerkovskiy
Remaining Regular Dances: Rumba, Paso Doble, Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Salsa, Jazz, Argentine Tango, Swing
Danica remains somewhat enigmatic. Technically, she doesn’t seem to struggle with any dance style (she’s seemingly overcome her initial arm styling issues). Yet, she doesn’t quite master any style with the same finesse as Meryl or Charlie. Rumba might be a hurdle for her, as she tends to overthink the steps, and rumba requires letting go and embracing the emotion. Beyond that, Danica is a bit of a neutral presence. She’s neither the standout nor the weakest, and doesn’t leave a particularly strong impression either way. Perhaps a disappointing trajectory? 🙁
Candace Cameron Bure & Mark Ballas
Remaining Regular Dances: Paso Doble, Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Salsa, Jazz, Argentine Tango, Swing
Thankfully, Candace has tackled most of the Latin dances. She only has paso doble and salsa remaining in that category. She’s likely to fare better in ballroom styles compared to Latin, but the judges’ tendency to nitpick her technique, as seen with her quickstep, is still a concern. It seems they might have predetermined her as expendable. It will be interesting to see if they allow her to perform jazz at some point. With the season halfway through and theme nights potentially waning, we might see fewer jazz and contemporary routines. Candace and Mark could potentially excel in jazz – a jazz trio dance perhaps? – which could serve as a significant comeback moment for them.
NeNe Leakes & Tony Dovolani
Remaining Dances: Samba, Paso Doble, Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Contemporary, Argentine Tango, Swing
NeNe has already performed all but two Latin dances, and only one hardcore ballroom style. It appears there aren’t many overtly flashy dance styles left that she can rely on to “sell” a performance. Samba and paso doble might not be styles she can simply “wing it” in – samba is technically demanding, and paso doble requires a strong sense of aggression. If she survives this week – a significant “if” – her path forward looks challenging.
Drew Carey & Cheryl Burke
Remaining Dances: Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz
“Other” Dances: Salsa, Contemporary, Jazz, Argentine Tango, Swing
Things also seem difficult for Drew. The dreaded samba is on his dance card, along with the technically scrutinized rumba. He only has one or two ballroom dances left. Interestingly, he’s the only contestant remaining who hasn’t yet performed an “extra” dance – he’s exclusively done standard competition dances so far. It’s unclear whether this is advantageous or disadvantageous. Is it possible Cheryl isn’t particularly fond of contemporary and/or jazz choreography?
Other Random Thoughts…
Where are the Paso Doble & Viennese Waltz?
Since paso doble has been a regular fixture every season since season 1, it’s highly unlikely it’s been removed from the dance roster this season. The theme weeks thus far simply haven’t been conducive to the paso doble’s aggressive character (think personal story week, Disney week, and party anthems week). Latin week will likely feature a significant number of paso doble routines – for some couples, it’s one of only two Latin dances they even have left. As for the Viennese Waltz, its presence this season is uncertain. The fact that we haven’t seen a single one yet (while we have seen two standard waltzes) raises the question of whether they’ve reduced this season to just the waltz, or perhaps are limiting couples to performing only one type of waltz (either waltz OR Viennese waltz – not both). They’ve adopted this approach in previous seasons – some seasons featured only waltz, some only Viennese Waltz, some both, and some just one or the other. We’ll have to wait and see what this season holds. Personally, I prefer the Viennese Waltz as it’s more visually exciting, but ultimately, I’m not in charge!
What about Team Dances?
Rumors suggest week 7, which is Latin week, for team dances. This points towards Latin dance styles for the team performances, likely either both teams performing cha-cha, or one team doing cha-cha and the other paso doble. One team will have three couples, while the other has four. Team selections will probably occur immediately after Monday night’s show, with rehearsals starting right away. Following past seasons, the two contestants with the highest cumulative scores will likely be team captains. Currently, that’s Meryl (134 total points) and Charlie (131 total points), although Monday night’s scores could alter this (unlikely, but possible). They’ve also used a coin toss in the past, allowing the winner to choose either song selection priority or team member selection priority, but this could change this season too. A detailed “Team Dance Speculation” post is likely coming soon! 😉
Will Trio Dances Return?
While not officially confirmed, trio dances are highly probable. They’ve been too popular in the past four seasons to omit. Week 8 seems a likely timeframe, and as usual, it will likely be either a Latin or jazz style. Couples will probably be able to choose a third dancer from current troupe members (Sasha, Artem, Lindsay, or Jenna) or eliminated pros from this season (Henry, Karina, Emma, Witney, or whichever pros are eliminated in weeks 6 & 7). It’s highly improbable that Tristan, Chelsie, Anna, Gleb, etc., will be available choices, despite some fans believing it’s a possibility. 😯
Anything Else on the Horizon?
Again, no official word, but expect supersized freestyles to return (they seem to favor supersizing!). An instant dance and/or 24-hour dance challenge during finale week are also possibilities.
So, what are your hopes for the upcoming weeks of Dancing with the Stars Season 18? Which couples do you think have the ideal dance styles left to excel, and who might be in trouble? Don’t forget to participate in Vogue’s new poll here! 🙂
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