Dancing with the Stars 2025: Season 34 Week 9 20th Anniversary Birthday Party dance styles and song choices
Dancing with the Stars is celebrating its 20th anniversary. As announced on Good Morning America, former host Tom Bergeron will make a return to the ballroom as guest judge. “20th Birthday Party” premieres TUESDAY, NOV. 11 (8:00-10:01 p.m. EST/PST, 7:00-9:01 p.m. CST), simulcast LIVE across both ABC and Disney+ in local time zones and next day on Hulu.
The opening number, choreographed by Derek Hough and set to a reimagined live version of the “Dancing with the Stars Theme” by Ray Chew, the number brings together our current pros and troupe, plus six original pros from Season 1: Alec Mazo, Ashly DelGrosso, Louis van Amstel, Jonathan Roberts, Charlotte Jorgensen and Edyta ?liwi?ska. Then, the show honors the beloved DWTS performers we’ve lost over the years with a moving performance to “Always Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga, choreographed and performed by Ezra Sosa and Rylee Arnold.
DWTS Relay Dance Competition returns
In the first round, each couple will showcase a new style to a song inspired by an iconic freestyle performance from past seasons. Later in the evening, the Relay Dance competition returns. In this challenge, one couple performs the first half of a song, followed by a second couple who completes the second half. The judges then decide the winner of each relay, with the winning couples of each relay earning two bonus points apiece.
The relay round adds a twist: For the first time ever, celebrities will dance without their professional partners, instead joining forces with a returning Mirrorball champion to perform a Quickstep, Viennese Waltz or Jive. As a result of their top scores in the individual dance round from the previous week (and their cumulative judges’ totals all season), Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas have received immunity and will not have to participate in the relay dances. They will automatically receive two bonus points as part of their immunity.
Dancing with the Stars 34 20th Anniversary Birthday Party Dance Styles and Song Choices
- Alix Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy will perform a Foxtrot to “Singin’ in the Rain” by Matthew Morrison.
- Robert Irwin and partner Witney Carson will perform a Foxtrot to “Footprints in the Sand” by Leona Lewis.
- Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas will perform an Argentine Tango to “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago The Musical.”
- Dylan Efron and partner Daniella Karagach will perform an Argentine Tango to “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers.
- Andy Richter and partner Emma Slater will perform a Quickstep to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Robbie Williams.
- Elaine Hendrix and partner Alan Bersten will perform a Salsa to “It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock.
- Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa will perform a Cha Cha to “Get Up” by Ciara featuring Chamillionaire.
How to vote
Fans will be able to vote during the live simulcast of the show in the ET/CT time zones. During this time, online voting will be available to fans in any time zone in the U.S., its territories and Canada via dwtsvote.abc.com, and fans on participating U.S. wireless carriers can also vote via SMS/text (fans in Canada cannot vote via SMS/text). Live viewer votes from the night will be combined with the judges’ scores and bonus points to determine which couples will escape elimination and dance in next week’s “Prince Night” semi-finals.
Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast
After each episode, go behind the curtain with the Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast.” Hosted by Season 33 Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy champion Joey Graziadei, the show brings exclusive cast interviews, special guests, behind-the-scenes insights and performance breakdowns. Tune in Thursdays on Disney+ and Hulu.
Dancing with the Stars is co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough sit on the judges panel.
