“Dancing With the Stars” couples confront their fears in the ballroom on “Halloween Nightmares” night

Participants brought their deepest fears to life Dancing with the stars Tuesday night on the show’s Halloween Nightmares theme.

Transforming the ballroom into an enchanted dance floor is no easy task. Choreographer Connor Gallagher told Yahoo Entertainment that it requires a lot of imagination and a lot of body language.

“It’s less an expression of joy and more an embodiment of those creatures of the night that we know and love,” said Gallagher, who is best known for his work on Broadway Beetlejuice.

Capturing the spirit of Halloween through dance is “rooted in something that feels like the dead are moving,” Gallagher explained. “There are a lot of creepy, angular lines, a lot of goblins and jerky movements – things we associate with ghosts or bodies that lived in the ground.”

In the episode, the couples brought their personal nightmares to life, from snakes and creepy dolls to vampires and the Boogeyman. While these themes may sound scary, Gallagher believes the balance between horror and a sense of humor is crucial.

“You can paint people with fake paint and say they’re dead, but in the end it’s an approach that feels celebratory and fun that makes it successful,” he said.

The evening began with the professionals performing a group number to “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, followed by a fun number to “The Ballad Of The Witches’ Road (Sacred Chant Version)” from Disney+ Agatha all the time.

Danny Amendola and his partner Witney Carson channeled Amendola’s fear of snakes with a performance to RAVN’s “Poison.” Judge Bruno Tonioli said the routine was “so intoxicating that I need an antidote!”

Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson scored an impressive 29 points for their performance to “Ramalama (Bang Bang)” by Róisín Murphy, inspired by his fear of ventriloquist dummies. Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold took on “I Ran (So Far Away)” from Hidden Citizens, channeling Nedoroscik’s fear of the dark.

Despite achieving their highest score yet with 28 points for a routine set to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” Jenn Tran and her partner Sasha Farber were sent home, ending their seven-week journey on the dance floor.

Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach gave District 78’s “Ring Around The Rosie” a haunting performance inspired by his fear of the Boogeyman. The show featured an impressive lift that left both dancers visibly emotional.

“We had a tough week and we got through it together,” Howard said, acknowledging his partner’s support. Her efforts were praised by judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who praised the NBA star’s “artistry and dedication to every single move.”

Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten tangoed to Miley Cyrus’ “Psycho Killer,” while Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong performed a Viennese waltz to Denmark + Winter’s “Secret,” bringing Kinney’s fear of creepy dolls to life.

The evening ended with the return of dance-offs, where couples competed in pairs while performing the same style.

Howard, Tran and Graziadei each earned three points in their respective dance-off victories. Kinney was excluded from the dance-off because she had the highest cumulative score last week and earned three bonus points on Tuesday night.

Halloween nightmares can be scary, Gallagher said, but ultimately the night is about celebrating fears, which makes them a little less scary.

“This is not a world we know,” he said. “We haven’t spent any time in the underworld or any other realm, so we’re all experiencing it from a celebratory perspective. That’s what’s fun about it.”

Dancing with the stars is gone the week of November 4th. It celebrates its 500th episode on November 12th at 8pm ET on ABC.

How did the stars fare?

Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli

Jenn Tran and pro Sasha Farber: Eliminated

• Dance: Contemporary

• song: “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo

• Nightmare: Vampires

• Score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 9

• In total: 31 (+3 for the dance-off)

Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong: Sure

• Dance: Viennese waltz

• song: “Secret” by Denmark + Winter

• Nightmare: Creepy dolls

• Score: Carrie Ann 9, Derek 10, Bruno 10

• In total: 32 (+ 3 from last week)

Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson: Sure

• Dance: Argentine tango

• song: “Ramalama (Bang Bang)” by Róisín Murphy

• Nightmare: Ventriloquist dummies

• Score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 10

• In total: 32 (+ 3 for the dance-off)

Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach: Sure

• Dance: Contemporary

• song: “Ring Around The Rosie” by District 78 featuring Natalia Lillee

• Nightmare: The bogeyman

• Score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 9

• In total: 31 (+3 for the dance-off)

Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson: Sure

• Dance: Argentine Tango

• song: “Poison” by RAVN

• Nightmare: Snakes

• Score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 9

• In total: 28

Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold: Sure

• Dance: Contemporary

• song: “I Ran (So Far Away)” by Hidden Citizens

• Nightmare: The darkness

• Score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 9

• In total: 28

Ilona Maher and professional Alan Bersten: Sure

• Dance: Tango

• song: “Psycho Killer” by Miley Cyrus

• Nightmare: Psycho killer

• Score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 8, Bruno 8

• In total:24

Who has been eliminated so far?

• Week 2: Anna Delvey and Ezra Sosa; Tori Spelling and Pasha Pashkov

• Week 4: Reginald VelJohnson and Emma Slater; Eric Roberts and Britt Stewart

• Week 5: Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko

• Week 6: Phaedra Parks and Val Chmerkovskiy

• Week 7: Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber