‘Dancing With the Stars’ Semi-Finals 5/12/2014: Top 10 Highlights & Recap

Tonight was “American Icon Night” on Dancing With the Stars with the semi-finals in full effect. The night was filled with surprises and some of them were not good ones. Read on for the full recap on tonight’s show and see some of the best performances of the evening.


1. Kenny Ortega Was Guest Judge

The standard he was looking for tonight was enjoyment, “surrending to yourselves and taking him to a place he’s never been.”


2. Candace and Mark Were the First Couple on the Floor

While Candace wanted to put in some funky moves from the 80s in their dance, she joked that partner Mark wouldn’t let her. This week each contestant is supposed to focus on their inspiration and Candace is focused on her love of God. Though Candace did a beautiful job, a small mistake showed on her face and the judges made note of that. For their first dance, they got a score of 34 out of 40.

For their second dance, Candace wore her most sexy outfit on the show in a half sheer leotard, strutting her stuff to Janet Jackson. However, it looked like she messed up a little and it showed on her face once again. Though we love her, we wonder why she wasn’t in jeopardy tonight. Nevertheless, Candace received a 38 out of 40 on her second dance, giving her a total score of 72 for the night.


3. The Couples In Jeopardy Came as a Surprise

As a big surprise to viewers, Candace Cameron Bure was announced as the first contestant who is moving on to the finals. Then, after a commercial break, two more big surprises were delivered. Not only was Charlie White and Sharna Burgess announced as being in jeopardy, beloved dance couple Amy Purdy and Derek Hough were also announced as being in the bottom. Later on in the show, it was Meryl and Maks who were another favorite couple in jeopardy. This was sad news all around.


4. Charlie White Brought New York to the Ballroom

Dancing to the classic Sinatra hit New York New York, Charlie White showed off his fancy footwork and spins, getting a standing ovation from guest judge Kenny Ortega who called them “indescribably delightful.” And, even though the couple was in jeopardy tonight, they still pulled a perfect score on their first dance with a 40 out of 40.

As for Charlie’s icon, Scott Hamilton was his and even came by to speak with White before the show.

For Charlie’s second routine, the judges basically felt he needed to take charge a bit more in his dances. The judges also felt he was a bit heavy-footed in his routine.


5. Oprah Surprised Had a Surprise for One of the Contestants

For this week, Amy Purdy had a quickstep routine and a jazz routine. In order for her to keep up with the quickstep, she used her “running legs” that bounce off the ground. Oprah Winfrey is Purdy’s inspiration and she even got a phone call from Oprah during one of her rehearsals with partner Derek Hough. She also told the dancing couple that when they win, she’s going to take them both out to dinner.


Click the “Next Page” button below to see more performances and read about tonight’s sad elimination.