Dancing with the Stars is switching gears for Week 9 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, with a Grammy Night episode that adds Dance-Offs and bonus points to the competition. Seven remaining star-and-pro duos will take part after Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa were eliminated during Week 8, keeping the field tight with two weeks left before the Season 35 finale night.
The format change is what makes this episode stand out now. The couples will perform dances inspired by Grammy-winning and nominated songs and artists, then face off again in Dance-Offs for extra points that could alter the standings heading into the final stretch. That matters because this is no longer just another themed night; it is a scoring window that can move a pair closer to the finish line with one good round.
Several routines already point to how the night will work. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas are set for an Argentine Tango to Sisqó's Thong Song, Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy will do a Jazz routine to Janet Jackson's All For You, and Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov will dance the Paso Doble to Evanescence's Bring Me to Life. Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik will take on the Tango to Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach will perform an Argentine Tango to Beyoncé's Crazy in Love (Remix), and Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold will dance the Argentine Tango to SexyBack by Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson sit in the episode's oddest spot. They received immunity last week and will not have to participate in the Dance-Offs, yet they are still listed for a Salsa to Die with A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. That leaves the season's most flexible pair in the lineup without the added pressure that everyone else has to absorb, a small advantage at exactly the moment bonus points matter most.
The Dance-Offs themselves add another layer because Brandy and Monica will perform during them, as will Maren Morris and Sheryl Crow. The event is built around Grammy history too: Thong Song was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards, All For You won Best Dance Recording in 2002, Bring Me to Life won Best Hard Rock Performance in 2004, Boom Boom Pow earned a Best Dance Recording nomination and won Best Short Form Music Video in 2010, Crazy in Love (Remix) was nominated for Record of the Year and won Best R&B Song in 2004, SexyBack won Best Dance Recording in 2007, and Die with A Smile was nominated for Song of the Year and won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2025.
With seven couples left and Nov. 24 still two weeks away, Week 9 is the point where the season stops being a marathon and starts becoming a sprint. The next answer that matters is not the theme itself, but which pair wins the Dance-Offs and walks away with the bonus points that can shape the road to the finale.
