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Who Was Eliminated On ‘Dancing With The Stars?’ Semi-Finals Recap And Scores

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During Tuesday night’s Dancing With the Stars Semi-Finals, the pressure was on as the remaining couples fought to secure their spots in the coveted final. Each of the six pairs performed two routines to iconic Prince hits, honoring the Prince of Funk. However, the evening ended with a shocking elimination of one of the season’s strongest dancers.

Prince Night kicked off with an electric opening number to “Let’s Go Crazy,” choreographed by Luam Keflezgy. Then, the six pairs — Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten and Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa — performed two routines to Prince’s most beloved hits.

ForbesHere Are The ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Prince Night Songs And Dances For The Semi-FinalsBy Monica Mercuri

The first dance was a style they hadn’t yet performed this season, while the second gave the contestants a chance to show how far they’ve come since the premiere. The two dances help prepare them for the finale, which typically includes a redemption routine and the highly anticipated freestyle. But only one couple can take home Season 34’s Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Read on for the DWTS Semi-Finals scores, what the judges said about each routine and which talented pair was unfortunately sent packing.

Dancing With the Stars Season 34 Prince Night Scores

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten

Dance 1 – Foxtrot

Scores: 27/30 (Carrie Ann 9, Derek 9, Bruno 9)

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten’s first dance was a Foxtrot to “I Wanna Be Your Lover” by Prince.

Carrie Ann kicked off the commentary by saying Elaine deserves to be in the Semi-Finals. While she noted that nothing was “wrong” with the routine, she wants to see Elaine “push” a little more. Derek called their performance a beautiful and incredible foxtrot, but he agreed with Carrie Ann and encouraged the actress to fight with more intensity in her second dance. Bruno concluded by saying Elaine always knows how to sell the character she’s playing, but he also urged her to push harder.

Dance 2 – Paso Doble

Scores: 30/30 (Carrie Ann 10, Derek 10, Bruno 10)

Elaine and Alan took the stage again later for a Paso Doble to “When Doves Cry” by Prince.

Carrie Ann ran over and gave Elaine a hug. “That was amazing!” she yelled, before bowing down to her on the ballroom floor. Derek said it was a proper, beautiful Paso Doble, but more impressively, she brought the spice and fight during the second round. “That is what we’re talking about. You fought for that dance.” Bruno added that it was an authentic Paso Doble, exactly as it should be done.

Total for both rounds: 57/60

Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy

Dance 1 – Argentine Tango

Scores: 28/30 (Carrie Ann 9, Derek 10, Bruno 9)

First, Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy performed an Argentine Tango to “Little Red Corvette” by Prince.

Derek started off by saying he loved the routine and that Alix had the potential to make it all the way to the end of the competition. Bruno called her a “red goddess” and said the shapes, lines, and bodywork were top-notch, though he noted there was one moment that could have been sharper. Carrie Ann concluded by saying that, out of all the competitors that night, Alix had shown the most steady growth. She did notice that Alix’s shoulders came up at one point, and she might have lost control of the dance.

Dance 2 – Viennese Waltz

Scores: 30/30 (Carrie Ann 10, Derek 10, Bruno 10)

For their second dance, Alix and Val danced to a Viennese Waltz to “Purple Rain” by Prince.

Derek said the show has transformed Alix into a beautiful dancer, and he has no doubt he’ll see her in the final next week. Bruno added that she delivered exactly what he wanted — the perfect combination of motion and emotion — praising her ability to stay connected and fully immersed in the performance. Carrie Ann rounded out the feedback by acknowledging the difficulty of this season, saying that a performance like this would go down in history. She called the routine “passionate” and “beautiful.”

Total for both rounds: 58/60

Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas

Dance 1 – Cha Cha

Scores: 29/30 (Carrie Ann 9, Derek 10, Bruno 10)

First, Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas performed a Cha Cha to “1999” by Prince.

Bruno started off by saying their Cha Cha was content-packed, with strong execution, precision, placement and a high level of difficulty. However, Carrie Ann said she felt Whitney was too focused on technique, which hindered the routine, though she still called it a “wonderful Cha Cha.” Derek followed by telling Carrie Ann she was out of her mind. “That was literal perfection,” he said, adding that the dance got better as it went on.

Dance 2 – Viennese Waltz

Scores: 29/30 (Carrie Ann 9, Derek 10, Bruno 10)

For their second dance, Whitney and Mark danced a Viennese Waltz to “Slow Love” by Prince.

Carrie Ann said it was her absolute favorite performance. “It felt so authentically you.” She noted there was a bit of a hop, but added that what Whitney did out there is something no one can take away from her. Derek commended Whitney for sharing her ambition and dreams. “You show up, and you deliver, and you dance.” Bruno called her immensely talented and praised her quality of movement in the Viennese Waltz.

Total for both rounds: 58/60

Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach

Dance 1 – Tango

Scores: 27/30 (Carrie Ann 9, Derek 9, Bruno 9)

Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach performed a Tango to “I Would Die 4 U” for Prince.

Carrie Ann said the Tango was impressive and smooth, but she noticed a misstep in the footwork. The real issue, she added, was that he didn’t feel the music enough. Derek praised Dylan’s strong frame and his improvement throughout the season, but pointed out that in the Tango, it’s all about heel leads, and he didn’t see enough of them. Bruno concluded by saying Dylan’s butt was beautifully under control, calling the routine clean, clear and sharp.

Dance 2 – Cha Cha

Scores: 28/30 (Carrie Ann 9, Derek 9, Bruno 10)

Dylan and Daniella took to the dance floor again to perform a Cha Cha to “1999” by Prince.

Bruno started off by acknowledging Dylan’s hard work and applauding his hip action and foot placement. Carrie Ann followed by saying she liked the attack this time, though his arms sometimes got a little small. Derek said the knee slide, arm placement and all the details were amazing. “You should be so proud,” he added.

Total for both rounds: 55/60

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa

Dance 1 – Jive

Scores: 27/30 (Carrie Ann 9, Derek 9, Bruno 9)

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa performed a Jive to “Raspberry Beret” by Prince.

Derek dubbed their Jive “pure Prince funky fun” that was fresh and fantastic. However, he wanted to see more attack and fight in the dance. Bruno added that the routine was high-energy and fun, but because it was so fast, they lost a little bit of timing. Carrie Ann called it the best performance of the night, but she noted one misstep, so she couldn’t give it a perfect score.

Dance 2 – Argentine Tango

Scores: 30/30 (Carrie Ann 10, Derek 10, Bruno 10)

In their next routine, Jordan and Ezra danced an Argentine Tango to “U Got the Look” by Prince.

Derek said their dance was a top performance, praising their lines and smooth tricks. Bruno called Jordan powerful, focused, and strong, noting that she was even leading Ezra at some points. Carrie Ann concluded by saying Jordan was in a class of her own and always takes the biggest risks. “Tonight, that was the bomb,” she said.

Total for both rounds: 57/60

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson

Dance 1 – Jive

Scores: 30/30 (Carrie Ann 10, Derek 10, Bruno 10)

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson kicked things off with a Jive to “Baby I’m a Star” by Prince.

Bruno said that for Prince Night, only a superstar Jive would do, and Robert delivered. He added that the routine was well done, energized and entirely in control. Carrie Ann continued by saying that this is how you show everyone you deserve to be in the finale. “That was insane!” she exclaimed, noting how clean the routine was. Derek pointed out that it was a great example of dancing with your full body, adding that the Jive had it all. They earned their second perfect score of the night.

Dance 2 – Viennese Waltz

Scores: 29/30 (Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 10)

Robert and Witney also performed a Viennese Waltz to “WOW” to Prince.

Bruno said Robert was like Tom Cruise, calling the dance so thrilling that he wanted to see the sequel. Carrie Ann added that he always delivers such fun, strong performances, and that tonight he drew everyone in a different way. “I’m so proud of you,” she said, giving him a hug. Derek then gave a group hug to his fellow judges before calling it a furious Viennese Waltz danced with every fiber of Robert’s body, though he noted that his frame was a bit iffy.

Total for both rounds: 59/60

Dancing With the Stars Semi-Finals Leaderboard

Here is the final scoreboard for the Dancing With the Stars Prince Night Semi-Finals, which includes scores from the couple’s two partner dances.

  1. Robert Irwin and Witney Carson — 59/60 (First place)
  2. Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy — 58/60
  3. Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas — 58/60
  4. Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten — 57/60
  5. Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa — 57/60
  6. Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach — 55/60 (Last place)

Who Was Eliminated During The Semi-Finals Of Dancing With the Stars?

In a shocking twist, Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas were eliminated during the Dancing With the Stars Season 34 Semi-Finals after receiving the lowest combined total of judges’ scores and viewers’ votes from Prince Night.

When asked how it felt to be part of the show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star said she “already feels like a winner.”

“This show has meant the absolute world for me. It’s changed my life, and I will forever be so grateful for the friendships I’ve made and for this experience. Thank you so much.”

Meanwhile, Ballas, who came out of retirement to dance in Season 34, said he had the best time and thanked everyone who tuned in, as well as the entire cast and crew.

The DWTS Season 34 finale airs Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will be available to stream on Hulu and ABC.com the next day.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2025/11/18/who-was-eliminated-on-dancing-with-the-stars-semi-finals-recap-and-scores/