The Semifinals of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro led to the most unexpected elimination of the season. The August 24 episode featured the final four contestants (AJ Pritchard, Allen Genkin, Selena Hamilton, and Adele Zaikman) performing two dances for the first time all season. Warning: Spoilers for Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro Episode 7 ahead!
First up, the contestants were paired with pro dancers from Dancing With the Stars. They were in charge of choreographing routines to perform with the pros for judges Shirley Ballas, Mark Ballas, and guest Kym Johnson. Then, the four Dancing With the Stars Season 35 hopefuls were paired up with each other for their second dance of the night.
Scroll down for a recap of the night’s performances and to find out who was eliminated.
Allen Genkin and Witney Carson
Allen was paired with Witney Carson for a jive. Before they hit the dance floor, Carson told the judges, “He’s so nice to dance with, but I think he could work on believing in himself a little bit more. That will allow him to really make the choreography pop.”
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Shirley said the jive choreography was “really excellent,” but added, “Do you think you got the most out of Witney? This girl can do anything. She can jump, she can flip, she can split. For me, she’s got a lot more wow moments that perhaps we didn’t see.” Johnson agreed and told Allen, “It was jam-packed full of jive content, which is amazing, but I would’ve liked some more Witney moments.”
Mark had a different standpoint. He said it was his “favorite jive” of the season and praised Allen for never letting up on the choreography the entire routine.
Selena Hamilton and Jan Ravnik
Selena was joined by Jan Ravnik to dance a salsa. He loved working with her, telling the judges, “She took the lead right away. Her eye is very TV, very entertaining.”
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The routine blew the judges away. “You nailed the brief,” Mark praised. “This is exactly what we wanted to see. What I loved the most is that you’re both commercial dancers and you cleaned it like commercial dancers. Every look, every accent, every head move, every arm was perfectly in-sync together.”
Johnson called Selena a “star” and told the duo, “It was such clever choreography, so rhythmical. That’s the kind of dance that will get you into the finale.” Finally, Shirley said, “Selena, your balance is extraordinary. Every single step you take, you nail. The chemistry was fantastic. When we see something like that, we know we’ve got a next pro.”
Adele Zaikman and Gleb Savchenko
For their dance, Adele and Gleb Savchenko danced the samba. Savchenko applauded Selena for being “so well-trained in ballroom” and creating choreography that’s “authentic to the style,” but admitted, “I wish there could’ve been a little ‘wow’ moment in the routine.”
Selena Hamilton and Jan Ravnik
The sexy routine wowed the judges, though. “Adele, you absolutely nailed it,” Johnson gushed. “That was like a professional number you would see on Dancing With the Stars. You’re an incredible teacher and an amazing dancer.”
Mark told Adele she “moves like this hooded cobra that’s just slowly waiting to strike and then take it.” He admitted she could have “played with the musicality a little bit” more, but confirmed, “That was damn near perfect.”
Shirley agreed with Savchenko that the routine could’ve had “one or two more ‘wow’ moments,” but said Adele is a “masterpiece.”
AJ Pritchard and Rylee Arnold
Round one concluded with AJ and Rylee Arnold‘s cha cha. During the pre-performance meeting, Arnold warned the judges that AJ “is kind of intense,” adding, “I don’t know if he’s going to be able to give affirmation to somebody. It’s constant critiques.”
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Shirley praised AJ for packing so much into the routine and “leading” Arnold on the dance floor, while also giving her moments to shine. Johnson agreed with that sentiment, while Mark said he would’ve liked more “soul and funk and grit” in AJ’s routines.
Selena Hamilton and Allen Genkin
Selena and Allen selected the quickstep as their dance, and she was excited about the second chance after getting critiques for her performance of that same style last week. The pair received rave reviews from the judges.
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“The hardest thing to teach is a personality, and you both shine like bright lights when it comes to that,” Shirley said. “You both know how to sell, without a doubt.” Johnson noted that she was “impressed with the musicality” of the routine, while Mark said, “I enjoy you both as performers. You really have to shine. You both pop, you both have charisma, and I genuinely could see either of you on the show tomorrow.”
Adele Zaikman and AJ Pritchard
For the final number of the night, Adele and AJ were paired up with a foxtrot, which Adele was excited about because of AJ’s background in ballroom dance.
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“Dancing With the Stars has changed over the years and it’s evolved and we have all these new styles that we add, but there’s one thing that will never go out of style and that is true, classic ballroom. That was gorgeous,” Mark said.
Johnson praised Adele’s ability to be “sultry and sexy” and said she was “blown away” by the connection between the dancers. Finally, Shirley gushed, “AJ, you are truly a star. The quality of what you do, the softness in your legs, the direction with which you allow your lady to go, is exceptional. I only hope that you have appreciated this lovely lady on the end of your arm. You are the new generation for Dancing With the Stars.”
Who was eliminated in the DWTS: The Next Pro Semifinals?
All four dancers performed so incredibly well, which left the judges with such a hard decision to make. However, they had to make one elimination, and Allen was the dancer sent home.
While Shirley said Allen has “given heart [and] reliability” and is a “remarkable dancer,” she admitted that he has “ever so slightly underperformed” compared to the other contestants.
On August 31, AJ, Selena, and Adele will dance in the finale, and one of them will be named as the next pro dancer on DWTS Season 35.
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro Finale, Monday, August 31, 8/7c, ABC