Dancing with the Stars 2024 Hair Metal Night concludes two nights of episodes on Tuesday Oct 8. See all the Dance Styles and Song Choices
Dancing with the Stars season 33 turns up the volume for “Hair Metal Night,” as the show’s remaining 11 celebrity-professional couples perform to classic rock anthems in a live, two-hour broadcast on Tuesday, Oct. 8 (8:00–10:01 p.m. EDT/PDT, 7:00–9:01 p.m. CDT). This installment closes out a special two-night week that begins Monday, Oct. 7 with Soul Train Night. The episode promises high energy, theatrical costumes and big production numbers inspired by the 1980s hair metal era.
A notable highlight for the night is guest judge Gene Simmons of KISS, who will join regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough on the panel. The evening opens with a rousing ensemble number set to “Rock And Roll All Nite” performed by KISS, featuring guitarist Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake and choreography by Pasha Pashkov. Derek Hough also returns to lead a master class focusing on lifts and partner tricks, offering technical guidance that will inform judges’ critiques across the night.
Viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones can vote during the live simulcast. Online voting will be available to fans across the United States, its territories and Canada during the live window, and participating U.S. wireless carriers will support SMS/text voting for viewers in the U.S. (text voting is not available in Canada). Live viewer votes from both nights of competition will be combined with the judges’ scores from the two episodes to determine which couple may face elimination.
Dancing with the Stars 2024 Hair Metal Night dance styles and song choices
- Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson — Paso Doble to “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi.
- Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson — Tango to “Rock You Like A Hurricane” by Scorpions.
- Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach — Paso Doble to “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith.
- Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong — Jive to “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister.
- Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten — Jive to “Cum On Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot.
- Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko — Cha Cha to “Nothin’ But A Good Time” by Poison.
- Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold — Foxtrot to “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake.
- Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy — Paso Doble to “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi.
- Eric Roberts and pro Britt Stewart — Paso Doble to “Cherry Pie” by Warrant.
- Jenn Tran (The Bachelorette) and pro Sasha Farber — Paso Doble to “The Final Countdown” by Europe.
- Reginald VelJohnson and pro Emma Slater — Cha Cha to “I Wanna Rock” by Twisted Sister.
The song selections pair iconic hair metal hits with ballroom and Latin rhythms, challenging the celebrities to translate the genre’s bombastic energy into precise footwork, posture and partnering. Paso Doble, with its dramatic lines and strong frame, appears frequently on the night’s lineup, while the Cha Cha and Jive provide opportunities for playful syncopation and fast footwork. The Foxtrot and Tango add elegance and intensity, respectively, rounding out a card designed to showcase versatility.
Dancing with the Stars is co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. The judges’ panel for this week includes Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, with Gene Simmons joining as a guest judge for Hair Metal Night. Together they will evaluate technique, performance quality and how well each couple captures the spirit of the music to earn judges’ points that, combined with audience votes, will decide the competition’s next steps.
Fans and newcomers alike can expect bold staging, arena-style lighting and the larger-than-life attitude that defines hair metal, paired with ballroom discipline and emotional storytelling. With the two-night voting window combining scores across both evenings, every routine will carry added weight—making this special week a pivotal moment in the season’s progression.