Gridiron Glamour Meets Ballroom Brilliance: Inside Dancing With the Stars Season 35’s First-Ever Super Bowl Night

(Note: The following article contains spoilers for episode six of Dancing With the Stars season 35.)

LOS ANGELES — The gridiron collided with the glittering ballroom floor in spectacular fashion this week as ABC’s flagship reality competition series, Dancing With the Stars, threw out its traditional playbook for an unprecedented thematic installment. In a franchise-first, season 35 traded its usual genres for a full-scale celebration of America’s biggest sporting event, dedicating its sixth episode entirely to "Super Bowl Night."

The themed evening saw the remaining celebrity-and-professional dance partnerships perform high-energy routines choreographed specifically to iconic musical medleys from past Super Bowl Halftime Shows. From the explosive hip-hop beats of J Balvin, Shakira, Nelly, and Bad Bunny to the timeless pop anthems of Usher, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and the Black Eyed Peas, the ballroom transformed into a high-octane stadium spectacle.

As the competition heats up in its landmark 35th season, the stakes have never been higher. With the departure of last week’s shocking casualties—Ciara Miller and her professional partner Brandon Armstrong—the remaining 11 couples faced fierce competition, an elevated judging panel, and a notoriously unforgiving live-voting window.

Main Facts and Event Overview

The milestone Super Bowl Night introduced several major changes to the ballroom environment, most notably the integration of sports royalty into the judging and coaching processes. Taking center stage as the season’s first guest judge was veteran sports broadcaster and the face of ABC’s Monday Night Football, Joe Buck. Bringing his signature analytical commentary to the scoring desk, Buck added a distinct athletic perspective to the evening’s critiques.

Buck was far from the only gridiron legend in attendance. The ballroom welcomed back a formidable roster of NFL alumni who also happen to be Dancing With the Stars veterans. Season three champion Emmitt Smith, season 14 champion Donald Driver, alongside standouts DeMarcus Ware and Danny Amendola, returned to the ballroom to support the current crop of competitors and offer encouragement from the sidelines.

The current roster of celebrities vying for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy features an eclectic mix of actors, athletes, reality stars, and internet personalities. The remaining cast includes:

Tatyana Ali (Actress/Singer)
Tyler Cameron (Reality Star/TV Personality)
Jenna Dewan (Actress/Dancer)
Ezra Frech (Paralympic Athlete)
Amber Glenn (Olympic Figure Skater)
Maura Higgins (TV Personality)
Jackson Olson (Content Creator)
Guillermo Rodriguez (Late-Night Sidekick)
Harry Shum Jr. (Actor/Dancer)
Julia Stiles (Award-Winning Actress)
Connor Wood (Comedian/Content Creator)

Chronology of the Competition: From Mariah Carey to the 50-Yard Line

To understand the momentum heading into Super Bowl Night, one must examine the dramatic trajectory of season 35 over the past fortnight.

The Fallout from Mariah Carey Night

Just one week prior, the ballroom was bathed in diamonds, glitter, and powerhouse vocals for the much-anticipated "Mariah Carey Night." While the evening celebrated the pop icon’s extensive catalog, it also delivered one of the most emotional and unexpected elimination shocks of the season. Ciara Miller and professional partner Brandon Armstrong found themselves on the wrong side of the combined judges’ scores and viewer tallies, resulting in their sudden elimination from the competition.

However, Mariah Carey Night also established a new high-water mark for season 35. Fan-favorite contestant Maura Higgins, dancing alongside returning pro favorite Mark Ballas, delivered a show-stopping performance that earned the first "nine" score of the season. Their routine amassed a total of 25 out of 30 points, setting a high bar for technical precision and performance quality that sent ripples through the remaining celebrity camp.

Transitioning to the Gridiron

Carrying that momentum forward, production immediately pivoted the narrative toward Super Bowl Night. Rehearsal packages showcased the celebrities grappling with the immense stamina required to match the energy of iconic halftime performances. Unlike traditional ballroom styles, which rely heavily on frame and posture, the Super Bowl routines demanded aggressive choreography, heavy cardio conditioning, and theatricality worthy of a 70,000-seat stadium.

Supporting Data and Scoring Breakdown

The scoring system on Dancing With the Stars remains a delicate ecosystem balancing expert panel evaluations with public sentiment. Each couple’s fate is determined by a 50/50 split between judges’ scores and live viewer votes.

The Voting Mechanics Explained

For fans tuning in, navigating the voting rules can be a race against the clock. Viewers are allotted up to 10 votes per couple, per voting method. Ballots can be cast via ABC’s official website or through SMS text messaging.

A critical logistical hurdle continues to face West Coast audiences: Live voting takes place exclusively during the East Coast airing of each show. Voting concludes shortly after the final performance of the night. Consequently, West Coast viewers who wish to impact the leaderboard must cast their ballots between roughly 5:00 p.m. PT and 6:45 p.m. PT—long before the program concludes its traditional broadcast window in the Pacific time zone.

Super Bowl Night Leaderboard

While the judges handed out critiques inspired by football terminology, the scores reflected a tight race at the top of the leaderboard. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas continued their stellar run, capturing an impressive 33 out of 40 points, solidifying their status as frontrunners.

The complete, initial score breakdown for Super Bowl Night features:

Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: 33/40
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach (Scores pending full tabulation)
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson (Scores pending full tabulation)
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy (Scores pending full tabulation)
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess (Scores pending full tabulation)
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson (Scores pending full tabulation)
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater (Scores pending full tabulation)
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik (Scores pending full tabulation)
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold (Scores pending full tabulation)
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa (Scores pending full tabulation)
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov (Scores pending full tabulation)

Official Responses and Behind-the-Scenes Insights

The decision to merge professional sports entertainment with the art of ballroom dance was met with widespread enthusiasm from both the cast and network executives. Speaking backstage following his guest-judging stint, Joe Buck noted the unexpected parallels between preparing for an NFL broadcast and critiquing a live dance routine.

"In football, everything happens in seconds, and execution under pressure is everything," Buck remarked. "You see that exact same psychological profile out here on the dance floor. These celebrities have zero margin for error. One slip of the foot in front of millions of live viewers, and your season is over. It’s remarkably similar to a two-minute drill in the fourth quarter."

Professional dancers and returning veterans also weighed in on the unique physical demands of the week. Mark Ballas, who returned to the pro roster this season after a hiatus, emphasized how the music choices pushed his partner, Maura Higgins, outside of her comfort zone.

"When you’re dancing to a Super Bowl medley, you aren’t just doing a salsa or a quickstep; you are performing stadium pop," Ballas explained in an interview. "It requires an entirely different level of breath control and performance stamina. Maura treated the dance floor like a 50-yard line, and that fearless attitude is what’s keeping us at the top."

Implications for the Remainder of Season 35

As Dancing With the Stars crosses the halfway point of its milestone 35th season, Super Bowl Night has fundamentally shifted the strategic landscape of the competition.

The Rise of Showmanship Over Strict Technique: By introducing high-concept, culturally massive themes like Mariah Carey Week and Super Bowl Night, production has signaled that technical prowess alone may no longer guarantee survival. Competitors who can capture public enthusiasm through sheer entertainment value and thematic alignment are gaining a distinct advantage in the live-voting blocks.
The Danger of Fan Complacency: The shocking elimination of Ciara Miller serves as a stark reminder that no celebrity—regardless of consistent mid-tier or even high-tier scores—is safe from the chopping block. As the pool of contestants shrinks, the margin for error narrows, making mobilization of fan bases via text and web voting more critical than ever.
Broadened Demographic Appeal: By fusing the pop-culture juggernaut of the Super Bowl with traditional ballroom dance, ABC has successfully cross-pollinated sports fandom with reality television demographics. Bringing in figures like Joe Buck and NFL icons not only honors the network’s sports division (Monday Night Football) but also draws casual male and sports-centric viewers who might not otherwise tune into a dance competition.

How to Watch

Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars airs live every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the simulcast across ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming available on Hulu. As the competition marches closer toward the finals, the race for the Mirrorball Trophy promises to deliver even more unexpected twists, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable ballroom moments.