Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro cut its field from five contestants to four after the Aug. 17 Episode 6 elimination, sending the competition into its semifinal stretch with one more name gone and one more week of pressure to come.
The episode mattered because the remaining contestants were not just dancing; they were being judged on whether they could teach. Witney Carson, announced as the guest judge, said that is a pro’s most testing role and that being good at it is nonnegotiable. She and the contestants were asked to pair with DWTS fans and teach them a ballroom routine in just two days, which made this round feel less like a performance check and more like a test of whether real pros can pass on the craft under a clock.
That was the point of the challenge, and it explained why Carson’s presence carried extra weight. She won the Mirrorball Trophy with host Robert Irwin last DWTS season and said she is now expecting her third child, but she still plans to compete on the upcoming fall season of DWTS alongside partner Guillermo. Her return put a familiar face in the judging seat while the show pushed its remaining hopefuls toward the semifinals.
The routines also exposed a few cracks that a polished stage performance might have hidden. Selena Hamilton, who had dance experience, said she had never taught a quickstep before, and Jeremy said her routine did not highlight any of his skills. Allen Genkin chose to keep his work simple so he could help Zaira, while AJ Pritchard leaned on nearly 20 years of teaching experience. Nina Mayster spent her first day with Jay working on his frame instead of the choreography, a choice that fit the week’s real assignment even if it left the dancers with less room to show off.
After the second day of rehearsals, Carson checked in with Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas and asked the contestants to rate their confidence from one to 10. Jeremy was highest at 8, while Anthony was lowest at 4. The judges’ comments did not leave much doubt about where the pressure still sat: Shirley Ballas said Jay had fundamental issues with hold and footwork, Mark Ballas said the frame was incorrect in Nina and Jay’s performance, and Carson praised the fun hip-hop moments there even as Ballas and Shirley Ballas marked the technical flaws. She also applauded Adele Zaikman’s ambitious routine and said Adele was fierce and fair, then said she was shocked by Anthony’s performance after his low confidence the night before.
That leaves the show in a narrower, harsher place than it was a day earlier. Four remaining contestants are now set for the semifinals, but the episode text does not identify which four moved on or which contestant was eliminated. What it does make plain is that this round was designed to separate dancers who can perform from dancers who can teach, and the next elimination will have to do the same thing again.
