Dancing with the Stars fans know that the show always goes big when celebrating Halloween. From eerie sets and spooky music to ghoulish get-ups, the show always embraces the spirit of Halloween. We’ve seen monsters, ghosts, vampires, murderers, zombies, and movie villains all appear in the ballroom.
The Halloween shows on DWTS are always epic. It is the one show of the season where everything is over the top. Last season, Mauricio Umansky played a gruesome dead matador. What other show dreams this up? And Season 32 also gave us the “Dance Monster-athon.” When a couple was eliminated, the Grim Reaper tapped them on the shoulder, and I loved it.
Past seasons have featured many incredible horror-themed routines. So, settle in while we look back at Dancing with the Stars’ creepiest Halloween dances. And I promise our list has no tricks, but plenty of treats to get you in the mood for Halloween.
Nev Schulman and Jenna Johnson – Paso Doble
During Season 29, Nev Schulman, of Catfish fame, danced a brooding Black Swan-flavored Paso Doble with his partner, Jenna Johnson. They danced to Swan Lake Remix by District 78. While Jenna wore a white feathery costume, Nev danced shirtless, with black feathers running down his arms plus black feathered pants. Of course, Nev also sported black face makeup around his eyes to complete his menacing look.
The set was dark and dreamlike, and their routine was tense and dramatic. In the beginning, Jenna was unaware of Nev reaching out for her from the darkness. But, in the end, Nev killed Jenna, pulling a red silk from her body, signifying her blood. The sight of Nev hovering over Jenna gave me goosebumps. It makes you think twice about those graceful swans at the park, doesn’t it?
Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy – Contemporary
During Season 32, Xochitl Gomez was paired with Mirrorball champ Val Chmerkovskiy. For Monster Week, Val channeled someone who brought a dead Xochitl back to life. Their Contemporary routine was set to Ruelle’s Game of Survival.
The setting was a gloomy church-type structure, with rows of flickering candles. Val placed his cape over the actress and slowly reanimated her. Her body stayed limp as he magically restored her to life. Xochitl did a great job acting here, amazed to once again have strength in her body. At one point, she pushed Val across the floor.
The dance also featured some dizzying lifts. This duo brought it every time they danced this season. During the Season 32 finale, Xochitl took home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. It was a well-deserved win.
Shangela and Gleb Savchenko – Jazz
During Season 31, DWTS made history again with its first all-male pairing. RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Shangela danced with pro Gleb Savchenko. Both Gleb and Shangela were excited about their partnership on DWTS.
And for Halloween? They brought their creepy best. They danced a Jazz routine to Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift.
Shangela dressed up as a terrifying-looking female doll. While sitting in her rocking chair, she saw Gleb and another Barbie-type doll sitting together. However, Shangela wasn’t about to lose her Ken to anyone else.
So, she approached with a knife, but Gleb was able to disarm her. At the end of their intense routine, Shangela sat on Gleb’s shoulders and broke his neck. Once he crumpled to the ground, she slowly walked away and turned and grinned at the audience. Yikes! While the duo didn’t take home the Mirrorball, they came in fourth place for Season 31.
James Van Der Beek and Emma Slater – Viennese Waltz
Actor James Van Der Beek hit the ballroom during Season 28. He was partnered with Emma Slater, and the two had some great performances. One was their Halloween-themed Viennese Waltz to I Put a Spell on You, sung by Annie Lennox.
Their mesmerizing dance told the story of a demon, portrayed by James, who bewitched an innocent woman. James interfered with Emma’s love interest, pulling her away from him, and into his devilish grip.
Emma’s willpower diminished as the two danced around the ballroom. Finally, it seemed like her former love had won her back. Then, James spins, and Emma comes twirling back into his arms. The set added to the eerie vibes with candelabras and weird glowing eyes in the background. In addition, the routine had great costumes, superb characterization, and amazing dancing.
Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke – Jive
Season 27 of DWTS gave us the incredible partnership of actor Juan Pablo Di Pace and his partner, Cheryl Burke. For their Halloween routine, they put a spin on that reliable monster movie villain – the mummy. Juan portrayed a pharaoh, while Cheryl portrayed his queen, dripping in gold. The set had huge Egyptian-style statues and a giant gold mummy mask that had laser lights shooting out of it.
Their fast and furious Jive to the song Dead Man’s Party by Atwater Men’s Club featured intricate footwork and a cool move where they linked arms. At the close of the routine, an unsuspecting archeologist was closed in an Egyptian coffin. I guess she will be an undead guest at the next party. Meanwhile, Cheryl and Juan clinched a perfect score of 30 for this entertaining performance.
Milo Manheim and Witney Carson – Contemporary
During Season 27, Milo Manheim and Witney Carson performed a deranged Contemporary to the song Toxic. The setting? An institution, where a disturbed Milo was sitting alone in a room. The room was bare except for one chair and a light hanging from the ceiling. In addition, Milo was wearing a straitjacket-type costume, and his glowing eyes freaked me out!
Then Witney came in as a nurse. As their dance continued, the tension built. There was a section in the dance where Milo pulled Witney’s head to the side, and the music sounded like a bone breaking.
I confess that I loved the gorgeous one-handed lift. In the end, viewers realize that the entire dance, and Witney’s presence, were a figment of Milo’s troubled imagination. The entire vibe from this performance was creepy and uncomfortable. I’m so happy that Witney is back for Season 33 of DWTS.
Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev – Jive
During Season 32, Bachelorette star Charity Lawson and her partner, Artem Chigvintsev, took a bare-boned approach. Just kidding! They dressed as skeletons and Jived to the song, Skeleton Sam by LVCRFT. Artem and Charity’s costumes and make-up were awesome! The band behind them wore neon skeleton costumes to help set the scene.
The parts of the song that sounded like bones cracking were worked into the routine, which was effective. At the end of the number, Charity did a handstand, and Artem pulled her legs apart, and it sounded like they were being snapped in two. Gross!
Although they ended the night in fourth place after the Monster-athon, the duo didn’t feel like they were getting scores that matched the positive feedback. However, Charity received specific critiques for this dance to help her improve her scores.
Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater – Contemporary
During Season 31, Emma was paired with Trevor Donovan. What was interesting was that he was afraid of dancing. However, he embraced the challenge. Trevor improved week by week, leading to this melancholy, yet beautiful, Contemporary routine. Trevor’s character was a man lost in grief, and Emma portrayed the ghost of his wife, who came to comfort him. They danced to Ghost (Acoustic) by Justin Bieber.
The couple danced part of the routine on a desk, which added another level of difficulty to the choreography. This graceful performance was filled with longing and romance. You could feel the chemistry between Trevor and Emma, and I had tears in my eyes. While it may not have been the typical scary Halloween performance, the ghost of a lost love is something most fans can appreciate.
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas – Paso Doble
Season 25 gave us the incredible partnership of violinist Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas. They portrayed two bandits trying to break into a huge skeleton safe, dubbed the DWTS vault. Their Day of the Day-inspired Paso Doble was set to Lindsey’s song, Roundtable Rival. While turning the skeleton’s eyes to access the safe, the outlaws noticed each other. Let the battle begin! Mark and Lindsey’s skeleton face make-up was fantastic, as were their costumes.
And this Paso Doble was killer. Both Lindsey and Mark did incredibly hard knee walks, which is always a crowd-pleaser. Of course, the bandits didn’t get the big score. At the end of the routine, they both shot each other and died. Perfect for a Halloween routine, right?
These were some of the creepiest, and most memorable, Dancing with the Stars Halloween dances. I hope you enjoyed these bone-chilling routines.
TELL US – WHICH OF THESE DANCING WITH THE STARS’ CREEPIEST HALLOWEEN DANCES WAS YOUR FAVORITE?
