‘Dancing with the Stars’ celebrates 500th episode as Chandler Kinney, Brandon Armstrong earn first perfect score of season

LOS ANGELES — “Dancing with the Stars” celebrated its 500th episode Tuesday night. The glitz and glamor of the ballroom began in 2005 and is now enjoying its strongest season yet.

The remaining six couples each competed twice in this round: the first time doing their own interpretation of a previously memorable dance.

Actress Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong achieved the first perfect score of the season for their Argentine tango. When it came time for round two, the “instant dance,” Kinney and Armstrong earned another set of perfect scores.

So what was this “instant dance?” Each star had to blindly draw a dance style and then was given the song to perform to judges and fans. They had only five minutes to change costumes, listen to the song and prepare a routine.

In the end, basketball star Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach were eliminated by the judges’ scores and online viewer voting.

“I had a great experience,” Howard said.

Karagach added: “A lot of people said we couldn’t do it, and we did it. And for me, that’s a victory.”

The five couples who will reach the semifinals next week in pursuit of the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy: Danny Amendola and Witney Carson; Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson; Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten; Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong; and Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold.

“Dancing with the Stars” airs Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+.