ABC
Tonight was the semi-finals of Dancing With the Stars season 27. Six teams were remaining, but next week is the finals and there are only a few spots. Read on for a recap of tonight’s performances, starting with the elimination, updated as it airs live. Who got eliminated tonight in the double elimination?
The first couple revealed to be in jeopardy was Joe Amabile and Jenna Johnson, followed by Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten. The third couple in the bottom of the votes was Juan Pablo di Pace and Cheryl Burke. Ultimately, the couple who was safe was Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten, which meant that Juan Pablo di Pace and Joe Amabile were voted off the show. Boos could be heard sounding off throughout the crowd. The hosts and judges were overcome with upset about Di Pace’s elimination. Judge Len Goodman shouted that “there was no justice here”. Di Pace probably could have won the entire competition.
Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess kicked off the performances with a dance dedicated to his fans. The two danced a Salsa routine to “GDFR” by Flo Rida and the judges praised Bones for his energy, but critiqued his timing in the dance. They received a 21 out of 30 for their score. For Bones’ second dance, Judge Len Goodman wanted Bones to redo his week 1 Jive dance that was “totally out of control”. The judges enjoyed the improvement and the humor included in the dance, especially when Bones revealed a picture of Goodman on his t-shirt under his outfit. For this routine, the judges gave Bones a score of 24 out of 30.
Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten were the next up and they are currently dating. Ren decided to dedicate their Waltz to “Water” by Bishop Briggs to Bersten. The judges gushed over Ren’s beautiful performance and Carrie Ann Inaba called it her best dance, though she did make note of a lift, which is one of Inaba’s pet-peeves. Judge Len Goodman criticized Bersten for not putting enough Waltz content in the routine. The two ended up with a score of 28. For their second routine, the couple had a do-over of their Jive routine from week 1 as well. Their theme for the dance tonight was aerobicizing and Bruno Tonioli was their mentor. Tonioli called the performance brilliant. For their second dance score, they got a perfect score of 30.
Grocery Store Joe Amabile and Jenna Johnson performed a Contemporary routine, dedicated to the women in his life, including his girlfriend Kendall Long, his grandmother and his mom. The two danced to “This Year’s Love” by David Gray.” Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said that she was so impressed and there was fluidity in his movements. Goodman, on the other hand, said that Amabile didn’t do much in the routine, but he did a good job for what he did do. Judge Bruno Tonioli seemed to echo Goodman’s comments. Their score for this routine was a 22 out of 30. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba picked Amabile’s lowest scoring dance, the Quick-Step, for his second routine. His second go at the routine was definitely an improvement from his execution of it during week 1 of the season. The judges couldn’t help but gush over Amabile’s dedication and evolution on the show. The judges ended up giving Amabile his highest score yet – 24 out of 30.
Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke were the next team up. Di Pace dedicated the Argentine Tango to his mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer this year and she beat it. They danced to “Libertango” from Forever Tango. The judges were head over heels for the performance, especially Len Goodman. It was no surprise that they earned a perfect score of 30. Their second dance was the Salsa routine from week 1. And, Judge Bruno Tonioli showed up in a sheer black shirt with sequins to help them prepare. Di Pace and Burke killed it, causing a flurry of excitement among the judges. And, host Tom Bergeron couldn’t help but to poke fun at Tonioli’s sheer shirt. Len Goodman said if Di Pace didn’t end up in the finals, he’s going to go home and “pickle me walnuts”. Their second dance earned another perfect score for them.
My heart is broken. This couple was without a doubt the BEST of this season. So wrong. #DWTS
Evanna Lynch and her pro partner Keo Motspe also took on a Contemporary dance tonight, performing to “Stand Up for Something” by Andra Day. The dance was dedicated to a friend of Lynch’s and the dance was deemed powerful by the judges. The performance earned the duo a perfect score – 30 out of 30. Motsepe started to cry, overcome with emotion. For their second dance, Len Goodman helped the couple with their redo of a Foxtrot performance, dancing to “Rewrite the Stars” from The Greatest Showman soundtrack. The judges loved the dance but wondered if there was a small error in the performance. Their second score of the night ended up as a 28 out of 30.
Milo Manheim and Witney Carson dedicated their Argentine Tango to Manheim’s mother, Camryn, who is a single mom and famous actress in the industry. The duo performed to “Pray for Me” by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar. The judges compared Manheim’s set to Di Pace’s from earlier on, but were still in awe of his performance. Their score for this dance was a 27 out of 30. The last performance of the night was by Manheim and Carson. Carrie Ann Inaba was their redo dance mentor and the duo did not fail to deliver a fiery Cha Cha. Inaba gushed over the routine but said that there was something a little too wild about his movements. Goodman had similar comments, but also enjoyed the performance and said he hopes to see Manheim in the final. Tonioli was much more excited about the performance and didn’t have one critique. The second dance earned Manheim and Carson a score of 28 out of 30.