By Janna Wohl
“It’s a ten!” the judges shouted on this week’s episode of Dancing With The Stars, Horror Night! The night was filled with lots of tricks and treats, over-the-top costumes, and incredible makeup, getting viewers in the Halloween spirit. The episode opened with a dramatic entrance by host Tyra Banks, looking flawless in her mummy costume. Personally, I think the white and tan of the costume suited her well, however, there was a lot hanging off the costume as part of the mummy look. The fabric on the bottom of the costume looked like it was very heavy, but Tyra Banks still looked fantastic as she walked through the middle of the dance floor welcoming everyone.
Viewers were then greeted by the marvelous judges, all popping off in their own costumes. Firstly, I absolutely loved the makeup done on Derek Hough, as it was extremely talented. The henna-like design done on his neck and hands were extremely creative, while the black eye makeup and slicked back hair really made him look like he was in the spooky Halloween mood. Although I love all the judges, Derek Hough is certainly my favorite, and this week’s look validated that even more for me. Next, head judge Len Goodman’s outfit was very boring, but it was very predictable. While he wore just a black dress shirt and jacket, at least he wore an orange tie to show that he somewhat cared about Halloween. On the other hand, Carrie Ann Inaba went all out in her tarantula costume. The many braids in her hair were a great way to depict a spider, and the jewels and eye makeup really made her look like a queen. I think she looked fantastic in her one shoulder dress, and her many braids added character to her costume, but I think she looked a little weird and slightly crazy. Finally, Bruno Tonioli looked perfect in his pink devil outfit. He really looked pretty in pink, and it absolutely fit his goofy personality. His costume was ironic because he is the judge that always encourages the dancers no matter how bad their dances are, not fitting the personality of a devil, but his costume was still amazing.
First up for the contestants was The Miz and Whitney, and their costumes were my favorite of the night. Their Hellraiser inspired dance consisted of very pale face makeup with bright lipstick and eye makeup that popped out to others. The use of bald caps and pins coming out of their heads were very accurate representations of the characters in the movie, and when combined with their black leather outfits and red lights on the dance floor, the dramatic paso doble was the perfect way to get in the spooky mood of Horror Night. According to judge Len, he described their dance as having “aggression and expression,” and I think their dance was one of the best of the night, in addition to having one of the best costumes.
Another one of my favorite couples this season are Jojo Siwa and Jenna, and because of the great chemistry in their partnership, they can dance with passion. Jojo’s clown costume was extremely creepy, but it was a great representation of the clown from It. The white and red makeup, the silver and red outfit, and the red wig, all combined to create scary vibes. Because they went all out with their costume, they were more passionate about the dance, and they “turned a nightmare into a work of art,” according to Bruno, explaining their second perfect score in a row. The bubbly and outgoing personalities of Jojo and Jenna allow them to dance so well together and make this experience so enjoyable, which is why I am rooting for them to go very far in the competition.
While this show may seem like it just consists of couples dancing together, it is much more than it. It shows that dance is an art that has the power for people to creatively express themselves. The powerful costumes included in this episode allowed people to create a strong connection to the movie and the music they were dancing to, allowing viewers to really get in the spooky spirit of Halloween.