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Week 8 of Dancing With the Stars season 29 aired on Monday, November 2, featuring two performances from each of the final 8 celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners.
While the episode was supposed to include a double elimination, Jeannie Mai’s sudden hospitalization and exit from the competition meant that at the end of the night, only one couple was eliminated.
So, who was sent home? And who rose to the top of the DWTS leader board? Read on to find out.
BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW. This article will be updated live as the episode airs.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 29 Week 8 Recap
With Jeannie and Brandon suddenly disqualified from competing, the 8 couples that remained in the competition for week 8 of performances were: Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem, Nev Schulmann and Jenna, Justina Machado and Sasha, Nelly and Daniella, AJ McLean and Cheryl, Chrishell Stause and Gleb, Skai Jackson and Alan, and Johnny Weir and Britt.
After earning the lowest score of all the remaining couples last week, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem came back determined to earn better scores with “no room for failure.” They danced the jive to “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and while the judges enjoyed her performance, Carrie Ann Inaba docked a point for a lift and they scored a 25 out of 30.
Nev Schulmann and Jenna took the ballroom stage to perform the Viennese waltz to “Stuck With You.” Coming off of last week’s perfect score (the first of the season), they really needed to bring it with their dance. They got a 27 out of 30.
Between the rhythm of the drums and #TeamLOCOmotion’s hips… We can’t sit still! 🙌 @JustinaMachado #DWTS
Justina Machado and Sasha danced the Samba and in spite of a slight stumble during the number, it was a great performance. They scored a 27 out of 30.
Nelly and Daniella danced the rumba in tribute to his late sister, Jackie. While he put his heart into his performance, it was not Nelly’s strongest dance and they only scored 21 out of 30.
Selling Sunset‘s Chrishell Stause and Gleb danced the Viennese waltz to Love on the Brain. The performance showed off their chemistry as a pair, but the judges did have their critiques when it came to Stause’s technique. They earned a total of 24 points out of a possible 30.
Skai Jackson and Alan danced the salsa to “Work It” by Missy Elliott. The judges gave them a 25 out of 30.
Johnny Weir and Britt danced the foxtrot to “Wonder” by Shawn Mendes. Before the dance, Weir reflected on how close his relationship is with his partner, and it shows in their full trust in one another through their dances. Weir’s frame was commended by the judges, and their performance earned a score of 27 out of 30.
AJ McLean and Cheryl dedicated their dance this week to survivors of addiction, and the performance was a deeply personal one for both of them. The judges loved the storytelling of the piece but noted the absence of some necessary rumba content. They got 8s from the judges, for a total of 24 out of 30.
For their second dances of the night, the judges scored each couple on their relay dances, giving them bonus points based on their performances against the other couples performing the same second dance.
For the Cha-Cha:
– Nev and Jenna got 3 extra points from Carrie Ann Inaba.
– Chrishell and Gleb got 2 extra points.
– Nelly and Daniella got 2 extra points.
For the Viennese waltz:
– Justina and Sasha got 2 extra points from Derek Hough.
– Johnny and Britt got 3 extra points.
For the Salsa:
– AJ and Cheryl got 3 bonus points from Bruno Tonioli.
– Kaitlyn and Artem got 3 bonus points.
– Skai and Alan got 2 bonus points.
At the End of the Night, The Couple Eliminated Was…
…Chrishell Stause and Gleb Savchenko.
Chrishell Stause and Gleb and Skai Jackson and Alan landed in the bottom two at the end of the night.
Carrie Ann voted to save Skai and Alan, and Bruno agreed, which meant that Chrishell and Gleb were eliminated. Derek said that, had he gotten to vote, he also would have saved Skai and Alan, so the vote was unanimous.
New episodes of Dancing With the Stars season 29 air on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
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