With the finale quickly approaching, “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” 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 — Adele Zaikman, AJ Pritchard, Allen Genkin, Nina Mayster and Selena Hamilton — were tasked with their most difficult challenge yet: teaching an amateur.
As all “Dancing With the Stars” 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 “DWTS” season, was announced as the guest judge for this week’s 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 “DWTS” alongside partner Guillermo.)
“This is a pro’s most testing role, and being great at it is just nonnegotiable,” she told the contestants. She informed them that they would each be paired with a “DWTS” fan and teach them a ballroom routine in just two days.
Dancing together this week…
- 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 ‘DWTS: The Next Pro’?
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 didn’t 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.
“AJ’s teaching style is fast,” 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 Jay’s personality but said there were “fundamental issues” 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 could’ve managed her time better in rehearsals.
Adele and Anthony’s performance followed. Mark applauded Adele’s “ambitious” routine. Shirley said she liked that Adele was fierce and fair, but pointed out that her teaching style could’ve used more “fun.” Witney said she was shocked by Anthony’s 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 would’ve included an emotional moment. Mark said it was clear Bailey felt comfortable. Shirley said they “absolutely killed it.”
Up fourth were Allen and Zaira. Shirley told the two that their partnership was “filled with beauty” even though some of the footwork wasn’t 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 Jeremy’s energy and said that although she liked Selena’s 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 “character” 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 “floor craft.” He said their dances should’ve 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 ‘DWTS: The Next Pro’?
Shirley revealed that Nina had danced her final dance.
“It sucks. It hurts. But … I haven’t cried like this in a while,” 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 “DWTS” 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.