Five couples survived the “Dancing with the Stars” semifinals on Tuesday after Utah influencer Whitney Leavitt was eliminated from the show despite being at the top of the leaderboard for most of the season.
The semifinals episode was Prince Night, during which each of the couples did two dances to some of the music icon’s greatest hits. For their two dances, each couple tackled a new dance style and also revisited a style they had done earlier in the season.
Six couples competed in the semifinals and now with Leavitt out, the remaining five will move on to the season finale.
The five celebrity contestants who have made it to the show’s finale are: Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Elaine Hendrix, Dylan Efron and Jordan Chiles. The finale will be next Tuesday at 7 p.m. MST.
Utahn Whitney Leavitt goes home in a shocking elimination
Despite topping the leaderboard multiple times this season, Utah influencer and “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas were eliminated.
“I already feel like a winner,” Leavitt said after her elimination. “This show has absolutely meant the world to me. It’s changed my life. I’ll forever be so grateful for the friendships I’ve made, to have this experience, thank you so, so much.”
Leavitt and Ballas were tied for the second highest total score of the night from the judges, but because they didn’t get enough audience votes, they were sent home.
The pair’s first dance of the night was a cha-cha to 1999. They had previously done a cha-cha during the show’s One-hit Wonder Night to the song “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry. The dance earned them a score of 29 out of 30.
Their second dance was a Viennese waltz, which they had not yet done, to “Slow Love.” The performance got a score of 29 out of 30.
Leavitt and Ballas’ total score for the night was 58 out of 60.
Who are the show’s 5 finalists for Season 34?
The remaining five couples will be competing in the season finale next week — here is a look at each of their dances from the semifinals.
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and his Utah pro partner Witney Carson earned the highest total score of the night, 59 out of 60.
Their first dance was revisiting a jive, which they previously performed during the first week of the season to the song “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf. Their Prince Night jive was to “Baby I’m a Star.”
This dance earned them a perfect score of 30 out of 30.
The pair then did a Viennese waltz for the first time to the song “WOW.” Their second dance earned them a score of 29 out of 30.
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
Social media personality Alix Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy’s first performance was an Argentine tango to “Little Red Corvette.” This dance earned them a score of 28 out of 30.
Their second dance was a Viennese waltz, which they had done before, to the song “Purple Rain.” Earle and Chmerkovskiy previously did a Viennese waltz during the show’s Disney Night, dancing to the song “Once Upon a Dream” by Lana Del Rey from “Maleficent.”
Their Viennese waltz earned them a perfect 30 out of 30 for a total score of 58 out of 60.
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
Actress Elaine Hendrix’s first dance of the night with her partner Alan Bersten was a foxtrot to “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” They had done a foxtrot once before during the show’s Dedication Night to the song “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole.
Their Prince Night foxtrot earned them a score of 27 out of 30.
Their second dance featured them tackling a paso doble for the first time to the song “When Doves Cry.”
Hendrix and Bersten received their first perfect score of the season for the paso doble. Their total score for the night was 57 out of 60.
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa first performed an Argentine tango to “U Got the Look.” This dance earned the couple their first perfect score of the season.
Sosa and Chiles also did a jive, which they previously performed during the show’s One-Hit Wonders Night to the song “Maniac” by Michael Sembello. Their Prince Night jive was to the song “Raspberry Beret” and it earned them a score of 27 out of 30.
Their total score for the night was 57 out of 60.
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
The lowest scoring couple of the night was reality TV star and content creator Dylan Efron and partner Daniella Karagach. Efron’s brother Zac, an actor known for his roles in “High School Musical,” “17 Again” and “The Greatest Showman,” was in the audience for the first time this season.
Efron and Karagach’s first dance was a tango to “I Would Die 4 U.” This danced earned them a 27 out of 30.
The couple then revisited a cha-cha which they had done during the season premiere to the song “Milkshake” by Kelis. Their second cha-cha was to the song “Kiss,” and it got them a score of 28 out of 30.
Karagach and Efron’s total score for the semifinals was 55 out of 60.