Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong earned season 33’s first perfect judges’ score with an Argentine tango on Dancing With the Stars’ 500th episode. They followed it with another perfect score in the instant dance round, finishing the night at 60 out of 60 and atop the leaderboard.
What happened on the 500th episode?
Season 33, episode 8, “500th Episode Night,” aired November 12, 2024. To mark the milestone, the remaining couples performed routines inspired by memorable dances from the show’s past. The episode also featured an instant dance round. Entertainment Weekly’s recap and TVLine’s recap report the dances, scores and elimination.
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How Chandler and Brandon earned the first perfect score
Kinney and Armstrong reimagined Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough’s season 16 Argentine tango. The judges awarded the pair 30 out of 30—the first perfect judges’ score of season 33. The phrase refers to the season’s first perfect score, not the only one of the evening: Chandler and Brandon later earned another 30 out of 30 for a cha-cha in the instant round.
How the instant dance round worked
Couples learned the song and dance style assigned to them five minutes before performing live. TVLine reports that they had practiced choreography for four possible styles beforehand, but did not know which style they would receive until shortly before the round. Chandler and Brandon’s cha-cha earned a second perfect score, bringing their two-dance total to 60 out of 60.
#1 Best Overall
Episode scores and results
The combined totals below cover both dances in this episode, not the couples’ season-wide scores.
| Couple | Tribute dance | Instant dance | Combined total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong | Argentine tango | Cha-cha | 60 out of 60 | Advanced |
| Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson | Contemporary | Rumba | 55 out of 60 | Advanced |
| Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold | Viennese waltz | Jive | 54 out of 60 | Advanced |
| Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten | Quickstep | Salsa | 52 out of 60 | Advanced |
| Danny Amendola and Witney Carson | Quickstep | Jive | 51 out of 60 | Advanced |
| Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach | Argentine tango | Paso doble | 48 out of 60 | Eliminated |
Howard and Karagach received 26 out of 30 for their Argentine tango and 22 out of 30 for their paso doble. They were eliminated, while the other five couples advanced to the semifinals.
Rank #2
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Where to watch Dancing With the Stars
ABC’s help page, published September 22, 2026, lists season 35 as airing live on ABC and Disney+, with episodes on demand for Disney+ subscribers and the next day on ABC.com and Hulu. Those current-season details do not confirm whether this 2024 season 33 episode is still available in any of those catalogs. Check the services directly for its present availability: ABC’s viewing information.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC
- Language: English
- Region: Region 1 U.S. and Canada only
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Run Time: 51 minutes
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