Dancing With the Stars has a new leaderboard, and it looks exactly like the old one. Yacht Rock Night brought out the soft-rock classics, and the couples who scored best did so by doing exactly what the judges wanted. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov led the night with a foxtrot to Toto’s “Hold the Line,” earning the first perfect score of the season. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson tied them later in the evening.
The night’s theme was “smooth grooves, soft-rock classics and iconic hits that defined the yacht rock era,” per ABC. Songs danced to included “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr., and “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes. The judges made their picks, and the audience had until the final performance to make theirs.
The Couples Still in the Running
The remaining contestants are a mix of familiar faces and fresh arrivals. Tatyana Ali, Tyler Cameron, Jenna Dewan, Ezra French, Amber Glenn, Taylor Hanson, Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson, Guillermo Rodriguez, Harry Shum Jr., Julia Stiles and Connor Wood are all still chasing the mirrorball trophy.
Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten were eliminated last week during Viral Hits Night. They followed Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader, who were kicked off during the premiere week episodes. The pattern holds: one couple leaves each night, and the decision comes down to combined judges’ scores and viewer votes.
How the Voting Works
Each viewer gets up to 10 votes per couple, via ABC’s website or by text. Live voting runs during the East Coast airing of each show and ends shortly after the final performance. West Coast viewers need to move fast — voting closes around 6:45 p.m. PT, so anyone on the West Coast who wants to count must vote between 5 p.m. PT and that deadline.
The combination of judges’ marks and public votes determines who goes home at the end of each episode. It is a system built for tension, since a perfect score can be undone by a weak phone bank.
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov Lead the Night
Glenn and Pashkov opened Yacht Rock Night with their foxtrot to Toto’s “Hold the Line.” The judges awarded them three eights, giving them a 24 out of 30. That is the highest tally so far for season 35, and it put them at the top of the leaderboard.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson Tie the Early Leader
Shum Jr. and Johnson arrived later in the night and matched the early leaders’ score. They also earned three eights from the judges, landing a 24 out of 30. The tie means two couples now share the top spot.
The competition is tight at the top. Any slip from either pair could drop them behind the others. The judges have spoken, and the audience vote is the only remaining variable.
The Rest of the Night’s Scores
The other couples landed lower on the night. Here is how the full leaderboard shook out:
| Couple | Score |
|---|---|
| Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov | 24/30 |
| Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson | 24/30 |
| Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa | 19/30 |
| Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson | 15/30 |
| Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik | 21/30 |
| Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart | 18/30 |
The leaderboard is a mess of ties and gaps. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov lead with a perfect score. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson match them. Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa sit comfortably in third. Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson are the lowest of the confirmed scores.
The judges have done their job. The audience has to do its own.
The Season’s Schedule
DWTS season 35 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m., simulcasting across ABC and Disney+, with streaming available the next day on Hulu. The show continues its run with Yacht Rock Night as the current theme.
The schedule is simple: watch live, vote while the show is on, and wait for the results. The pattern holds from week to week.
The Elimination Rule
The couple with the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewer votes is eliminated at the end of each episode. That means the phone lines will matter as much as the judges’ marks tonight.
The stakes are high for everyone left in the competition. One couple will leave tonight, and the field will narrow again.
What Happens Tonight
The pattern holds: one couple leaves each night, and the decision comes down to combined judges’ scores and viewer votes.
Source material: “‘Dancing With the Stars’ Cruises Into Yacht Rock Night: See the Scores, Who Went Home (Updating Live),” The Hollywood Reporter.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.