With the finale quickly approaching, โDancing With the Stars: The Next Proโ is narrowing down its list of remaining contestants to just four after the latest elimination.
In Episode 6 of the competition series, out Aug. 17, the five potential pros โ Adele Zaikman, AJ Pritchard, Allen Genkin, Nina Mayster and Selena Hamilton โ were tasked with their most difficult challenge yet: teaching an amateur.
As all โDancing With the Starsโ fans know, helping a partner with limited dance knowledge learn a routine in a short amount of time is one of the most important skills a pro needs to possess.
Pro and two-time winner Witney Carson, who won the Mirrorball Trophy with host Robert Irwin last โDWTSโ season, was announced as the guest judge for this weekโs episode. She arrived in the ballroom and performed a seductive routine before explaining the challenge. (Her appearance comes as Carson announced that she is currently expecting her third child and will still compete on the upcoming fall season of โDWTSโ alongside partner Guillermo.)
โThis is a proโs most testing role, and being great at it is just nonnegotiable,โ she told the contestants. She informed them that they would each be paired with a โDWTSโ fan and teach them a ballroom routine in just two days.
Dancing together this weekโฆ
- Adele and social media influencer Anthony Riccardo dancing the tango
- AJ and social media influencer Bailey McKnight dancing the Viennese waltz
- Allen and social media influencer Zaira Yzabelle dancing the waltz
- Nina and social media influencer Jay Wyson dancing the foxtrot
- Selena and social media influencer Jeremy Urann dancing the quickstep
While all the influencers had some dance experience, none of them had any previous ballroom training.
Read on to find out which contestants made sure their partners nailed the choreography, and which dancer was eliminated.
What Happened During Episode 6 of โDWTS: The Next Proโ?
Seconds into rehearsals, each contestant demonstrated their unique coaching styles.
Adele told Anthony and the cameras that she sets a high bar for herself and her partner. He noted her strict instructions when chatting about his progress.
Selena, who has a background as a commercial dancer, revealed that she had never taught a quickstep before. Jeremy voiced concerns that the routine didnโt highlight any of his skills. So, Selena added some twists and turns to show off his personality and strengths.
As for Allen, he opted for a more gentle teaching style. He said he wanted to keep his routine simple to help Zaira, who shared she was used to faster steps.
โAJโs teaching style is fast,โ Bailey said in her confessional interview. He shared that he has nearly 20 years of teaching experience and knows what each student needs to succeed.
Unlike her fellow competitors, Nina spent her first day with Jay perfecting his frame instead of going over the choreography.
After the second day of rehearsals, which included a check-in from Witney and judges Mark and Shirley Ballas, the influencers enjoyed a night out. Witney joined them and asked how confident they felt about their routines on a scale of one to 10. Jeremy was the most confident (8) and Anthony was the least confident (4).
On performance day, Nina and Jay were up first. Shirley complimented Jayโs personality but said there were โfundamental issuesโ with the hold and footwork. Mark agreed that the frame was incorrect. Witney said she enjoyed the fun hip-hop moments in the routine but noted that Nina couldโve managed her time better in rehearsals.
Adele and Anthonyโs performance followed. Mark applauded Adeleโs โambitiousโ routine. Shirley said she liked that Adele was fierce and fair, but pointed out that her teaching style couldโve used more โfun.โ Witney said she was shocked by Anthonyโs performance considering he was lacking confidence the night prior.
Taking the ballroom floor next were AJ and Bailey. Witney loved the routine but said she wished AJ wouldโve included an emotional moment. Mark said it was clear Bailey felt comfortable. Shirley said they โabsolutely killed it.โ
Up fourth were Allen and Zaira. Shirley told the two that their partnership was โfilled with beautyโ even though some of the footwork wasnโt perfect. Witney said she noticed the trust between Allen and Zaira. Mark praised Allen and said he did a fantastic job.
Selena and Jeremy were the last pair to take the stage. Witney complimented Jeremyโs energy and said that although she liked Selenaโs choreography, it was lacking enough quickstep content. Mark agreed with the feedback and said that a quickstep should travel around the ballroom floor. Shirley said the โcharacterโ of the quickstep was missing.
Who Was in the Bottom 2?
The two dancers in jeopardy were Nina and Selena. Mark said both dancers did well but they lacked โfloor craft.โ He said their dances shouldโve covered more space on the ballroom floor to allow their partners to shine. Shirley said it seemed both ladies lacked ballroom knowledge.
Who Was Eliminated on Episode 6 of โDWTS: The Next Proโ?
Shirley revealed that Nina had danced her final dance.
โIt sucks. It hurts. But … I havenโt cried like this in a while,โ Nina said in her last confessional. She said she was leaving the competition better than she arrived and knows her worth now. She thanked the judges for their time and knowledge.
What Will Happen Next Week?
In Episode 7, which will air Aug. 24, the show will welcome multiple โDWTSโ pros for the semifinal. The top four contestants will have to perform two dances, one with a pro and another with a fellow contestant.
The teaser suggested that some contestants will butt heads with the pros while others will thrive.