SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Dancing With the Stars Week 9.
The time has nearly come to name another Dancing with the Stars champion. There are just five contestants left vying for the mirrorball, and they brought their A-game for Monday night’s semifinals.
In order to make it to the finals, they each had one final ballroom style and one final Latin style to tackle. Let’s get into it and see how they fared.
Chandler Kinney (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin) with partner Brandon Armstrong. After two perfect scores in a row, the pressure is on for Kinney. She and Armstrong started off the show with a salsa to Jason Derulo and Michael Bublé’s “Spicy Margarita.” To get this dance right and boost her score, Kinney and Armstrong ventured out of the studio to dance at a real salsa club — and it appears it paid off. “You are on fire, Chandler. You are so spicy, and there’s a new side of you coming out,” Carrie Ann Inaba said, praising her “well-defined artistry.” Score: 29 out of 30.
The Bachelor‘s Joey Graziadei with partner Jenna Johnson. Johnson and Graziadei tackled a Foxtrot for their first performance of the night. As Graziadei mentions in his pre-dance package, he’s not just competing for his own bragging rights. He’s looking to make history as the first male lead from the Bachelor franchise to make it to the DWTS finale. And this dance puts him one step closer. “That dance was a masterclass and a breath of fresh air,” Derek Hough said. “That was one of the best, if not the best, Foxtrot I’ve ever seen [on the show].” Score: Perfect 30.
Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher with partner Alan Bersten. Maher looked to show her range with this Paso Doble. She brought tons of passion to her fiery dance with Bersten, set to Sam Smith’s “Unholy.” After plenty of semifinals in rugby, Maher knows what it takes to win, and she pulls out all the stops for this performance, as evidenced by the judges’ loads of praise. “What an entrance! Talk about a drama queen,” Bruno Tonioli raved. “That was so strong, so focused. You look beautiful…what an incredible transformation.” Score: 28 out of 30.
Super Bowl Champion Danny Amendola with partner Witney Carson. Amendola put in quite a bit of work to get to this point in the competition, seeing as he was the underdog with no dance experience. And for this Viennese waltz, he had to dig even deeper to tell the story that Carson wants to convey, because there’s no hiding flaws with any fun tricks or lifts. It’s all about those beautiful lines. Despite a bit of stiffness from Amendola, the judges eat it up as the pair sway around the dance floor to John Mayer’s “Gravity.” Inaba says it was “really impressive,” adding: “Danny I’m really proud of the way you’ve approached these dances.” Score: 27 out of 30.
Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik with partner Rylee Arnold. Nedoroscik and Arnold closed out the first round of dances with a Cha Cha. Arnold encourages the Olympian to bring out his inner sexy side, which he’s a little nervous about in rehearsals. Gotta move those hips to execute a Cha Cha! He doesn’t let his nerves shake his confidence, trying his best to deliver the spicy performance the judges are looking for, but they don’t end up feeling much of that heat. “I feel like this dance got a little bit of the better of you,” Hough admitted meekly, encouraging Nedoroscik to bring it for his next performance of the night. Score: 25 out of 30.
Before long, it’s time for those second dances. Here’s how everyone fared:
Kinney & Armstrong. The one dance standing between Kinney and the finals is the Foxtrot. The actress aimed to bring everything she had to this performance, hoping to tame the beast that is this traditional ballroom style and stick around for one more week. Unsurprisingly, she does just that to the tune of Hozier’s “Too Sweet,” leaving the judges quite impressed. “This was the most intensely sensual Foxtrot I have ever seen!” Tonioli raved. “One of those dances you’ll never forget.” Unlucky for them, as Inaba pointed out, Kinney’s foot came off the ground twice — a big no no. Lucky for them, the judges didn’t really seem to care. Score: 29 out of 10.
Graziadei & Johnson. Graziadei must brave the Paso Doble in order to move on to the finals and after earning a perfect score for their Foxtrot, he and Johnson are looking to replicate that for this performance. Time to channel his inner matador! “I love the attack, the passion…” Inaba says, though she had some critiques on his footwork. Tonioli is on the same page, but Hough disagrees, insisting Graziadei nailed it. Score: 28 out of 30.
Maher & Bersten. Maher has to slow things down for her next semifinal dance. It’s a Viennese Waltz, which requires quite a bit of control and flow that proves a bit difficult for Maher, but she’s up to the challenge. With this dance, she wants to prove that she belongs in the finale by giving her best performance yet. And she succeeded! “What a stunning contract from your first dance,” Hough says, adding that there could have been “a little more stride in the Viennese process,” but overall he was pleased. Inaba tells Maher she felt “honored” to watch the performance. Score: 29 out of 30.
Nedoroscik & Arnold. The next assignment for Nedoroscik and Arnold is a Tango, which gives the gymnast a bit more of an advantage that he had with his Cha Cha, thanks to his upper body strength. It’s clear that he’s approaching this style with much more confidence, and it comes out on the dance floor as well. The judges told him to come back swinging with his next dance, and he delivered. “You can breathe now! Mission to Tango accomplished,” Tonioli says. Score: 28 out of 10.
Amendola & Carson. The pro football player and his partner ended the night with a Salsa. Amendola is really excited to bring everything he has to this dance, and Carson wants to show off his strength by incorporating lots of tricks that will hopefully wow the judges. High risk, high reward! The lifts were pretty insane, and it really paid off. “You blew the roof off,” Hough says. “You should be so proud of what you’ve accomplished on this show.” Score: 27 out of 30.
And the couple going home is…no one! Much to everyone’s surprise, there was no elimination on Wednesday, and their scores from this show will carry over next week into the finals.
Time for the finals.