‘Dancing With the Stars: the Next Pro’ Season 1 Semifinals Live Recap: Who Was Eliminated?

Well, fellow dancing fiends, Dancing With the Stars: the Next Pro is officially in the semifinals, and soon we’ll know exactly which aspiring pro will take their place among the Season 35 cast.

It’s been a wild ride to get to the top four, with plenty of talented ballroom experts showing off their best moves. And while any one of the remaining contestants could easily join the troupe full-time, we must paraphrase the always timely Highlander and remind you that there can indeed be only one. So, who fought their way to the top in tonight’s semifinal to secure their spot on next week’s finale? Scroll on to find out!

Who was eliminated last week?

Before we jump into all the drama of this week’s ballroom battle, allow us to catch you up on everything that happened last week. On an episode titled “But Can You Teach? Coaching Superfans with Witney Carson,” the 2026 Dancing With the Stars Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy-winning pro Witney Carson tasked the remaining contestants with teaching complete novices ballroom routines. This challenge was especially apt, as it’s a skill the winner will need should they join the main show.

Host Robert Irwin—who was also Witney’s celebrity partner on Season 34—was on hand to support the remaining contestants, and judges Mark and Shirley Ballas didn’t hold back on their critiques, expecting the best from the remaining dancers as the field significantly narrowed. Still, they were impressed by all of the routines, but Nina and Selena found themselves in the bottom two.

The judges loved the energy of Selena’s quickstep choreographed to “Such a Night” by Michael Bublé, but worried the contestant didn’t use the space enough for a traditional routine. Meanwhile, they applauded the personality in Nina’s dreamy foxtrot choreographed to “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean, but noted several unfortunately technical issues. Ultimately, the panel sent Nina home just short of the semifinals, and the final four going into this week were Adele, AJ, Allen and Selena.

For more information on last week’s episode, check out our full live recap here.

What happened on tonight’s episode?

The semifinal episode was titled “Paired With the Pros: the Semifinals With Kym Johnson.” As the title suggests, each remaining contestant was paired with an existing pro to show off their ballroom skills and hopefully secure a spot in the finale, with Kym Johnson joining as a guest judge and mentor.

The pros set to join the contestants were: Rylee Arnold, Jan Ravnik and Gleb Savchenko, as well as a returning Witney. And that wasn’t all! The contestants were also tasked with performing another number and were paired up for a foxtrot and quickstep. They then worked on their choreography, which Robert confirmed would need to be done 100% by the contestants with no input from the pros. For their part, the pros were tasked with reporting the process of working with the contestants directly back to the judges.

Allen and Witney

Allen and Witney were up first, dancing a playful jive to “Shake” by Stephen Sanchez. The panel applauded the pair, though Shirley worried Allen didn’t get “the most” out of his partner. Kym seconded Shirley, stating that she was left wanting more “Witney moments.” Mark disagreed with his fellow judges and felt like it was well done.

Selena and Jan

Selena and Jan were up next, showcasing a sultry salsa set to “La Mudanza” by Bad Bunny. The musicality brought the judges to their feet, and Mark felt Selena “nailed” the dance. Kym called Selena a “star” and loved her “clever” choreography. Shirley agreed, particularly enjoying their chemistry.

Adele and Gleb

Adele and Gleb were the penultimate pair, dancing a samba choreographed to “Magalenha” by Sergio Mendes. Before their routine began, Adele was vocal about her nerves, which the judges also noted. Kym said the routine was “like a professional number” you’d see on the main show. Mark agreed, calling it “damn near perfect. Shirley loved Adele’s use of her pro, but wished for “one or two more wow moments.”

AJ and Rylee

AJ and Rylee closed the first dance round with a cha cha set to “Little Boo Thang (Remix)” by Paul Russell. Shirley felt AJ had done a fantastic job “capturing the essence of cha cha.” Kym seconded Shirley, especially enjoying how he let his personality shine. However, Mark felt the routine was missing a little “grit,” and asked to see more of his “funkier side” in the future.

Selena and Allen

Round 2 opened with Selena and Allen, who danced a high-energy quickstep to “Valerie” by Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse. Shirley said the pair was doing “immensely well” overall. Kym said either dancer would be fun for a celebrity partner, which Mark concurred with, adding that he loved their charisma.

Adele and AJ

Adele and AJ had the final dance of the semifinal, hitting the floor with a flirty foxtrot choreographed to “Too Sweet” by Hozier. Mark said the two danced in a way that "would never go out of style," while Kym called the routine “perfection.” Shirley said they were the “new generation” of Dancing With the Stars, specifically spotlighting Adele’s abilities as a dance partner.

Who was eliminated this week?

After both rounds, the judges skipped the bottom two and jumped right to the elimination. They praised all the routines but noted that one contestant “ever so slightly underperformed,” sending Allen home just short of the finale.

When is the finale of Dancing With the Stars: the Next Pro?

The finale of Dancing With the Stars: the Next Pro will air on ABC on Monday, August 31, at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll be back in action with a live recap throughout the night!

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