Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli Disney/Eric McCandless
Five couples left it all on the ballroom floor trying to earn a spot in the Dancing With the Stars finale during the Tuesday, November 19 semifinals.
The celebrity contestants and their pro partners each performed one Latin-style dance and one ballroom-style dance during the episode. Chandler Kinney and her partner, Brandon Armstrong, kicked things off with a spicy salsa routine.
“You danced like you were already in the finals,” Derek Hough told Kinney, 24, after the routine. “The lifts and tricks [were] so slick.”
Carrie Ann Inaba added, “There is a new side of you that’s coming out.”
Next up were Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, who earned their first perfect score of the season for their Foxtrot. Hough, 39, called it “one of the best if not the best” Foxtrots he’d ever seen a male celebrity do on the show.
“Fred Astaire is high-fiving you right now,” Hough said. “The frame was so pristine it could’ve been hung in a gallery.”
The judges had plenty of positive feedback during the semifinals, but not every couple could advance to the finale … or so most of Us thought. At the end of the evening, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold and Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten stood waiting to hear which of the two duos had made it to the finale when cohost Alfonso Ribeiro announced a shocking twist.
“All of you [are]!” Ribeiro, 53, said, to the delight of both pairs. Nedoroscik, 26, and Arnold, 19, promptly fell to the floor with relief.
Prior to the elimination results, or lack thereof, the episode had several inspiring moments. After Maher, 28, and Bersten’s Paso Doble, Inaba, 56, told Maher how proud she is of her progress.
“Ilona, don’t you ever doubt your right to be here in the semifinals. You are the one who has come the furthest in this competition,” she said. “You started with the lowest scores. You have proven your worth in so many ways.”
The celebrity contestants aren’t the only ones who have grown this season. Hough pointed out that he’s seen Armstrong, 30, who has been a DWTS pro since season 27, flourish throughout his partnership with Kinney.
“When I was a pro on the show there were partners that I had that brought the best out in me and made me a better dancer and a better choreographer, and I really feel like Brandon, you have really grown on this season,” Hough said. “I really believe that [Chandler] has brought out something beautiful in you.”
All five couples will compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during next week’s season 33 finale. Keep scrolling to see all the performers’ scores from the semifinals:
Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong
Dances: Salsa and Foxtrot
Songs: “Spicy Margarita” by Jason Derulo and Michael Bublé and “Too Sweet” by Hozier
Scores: 29 and 29
Overall score: 58
Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson
Dances: Foxtrot and Paso Doble
Songs: “I Won’t Dance” by Erin Boheme and “Come Together” by Lennon & McCartney
Scores: 30 and 28
Overall score: 58
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten
Dances: Paso Doble and Viennese Waltz
Songs: “Unholy (Orchestral Version)” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras and “Golden Hour” by JVKE
Scores: 28 and 29
Overall score: 57
Danny Amendola and Witney Carson
Dances: Viennese Waltz and Salsa
Songs: “Gravity” by John Mayer and “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin
Scores: 27 and 27
Overall score: 54
Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold
Dances: Cha Cha and Tango
Songs: “Bailar” by Deorro featuring Elvis Crespo and “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap
Scores: 25 and 28
Overall score: 53