Carrie Ann Inaba’s DWTS Blog: The Scoop on Last Night’s Shocking Elimination

Okay, the word of the night from last night’s competition is “WHAT!”

Last night’s sudden and baffling elimination of Willow Shields and Mark Ballas was perhaps the biggest shocker in Dancing With the Stars history. You’d think after 20 seasons of doing this show, nothing could surprise me, but last night’s elimination was more than a shocker, it was a heartbreaker, too. Seeing Willow crying like that broke my heart. I just wanted to give her a hug. But our prayers are with her and I know her strong spirit will recover and take this experience and grow even greater.

But, as the saying goes, “the show must go on,” and there is so much more to talk about. “Eras Night” provided some surprising results and some great entertainment.

Riker Lynch and Allison Holker started the show off with a bang, reminding us in a big way that it’s week 7 of the competition, and we are looking for great performances. They did not disappoint! Judge Len Goodman gave them a 10, his first of the season, and I was impressed with the content of their quickstep. It was nonstop (and each routine was 30 seconds longer than usual, which is a lot of time, especially for a quickstep.) The routine was light and quick, and they gave us a nice solid hold, which is difficult for them because of their height difference, and an exciting array of steps, even throwing in a hip and cool tap segment. He’s turning into quite a star.

Chris Soules and Witney Carson are creeping their way into the game. Out of our remaining contestants, he’s had the lowest scores. But something interesting is happening. He’s found his way, he’s found his comfort zone and his dancing is now fueled by confidence, which is essential to this competition. And I have to congratulate him for coming out in the final dance-off round, after Rumer Willis and Val Chmerkovskiy and not being intimidated by their incredible performance. That’s what I like to see.

And speaking of Rumer Willis and Val Chmerkovskiy, their ‘60s jive was really cute. It was a nice change from last week’s in-your-face jazz routine, but a little less exciting than what I’ve come to expect from her. She never quite ignited that fire that makes her so outstanding. It was a solid performance though, and she is still a contender. We were reminded of that with her foxtrot that she performed in the dance-off. She blew the roof off the ballroom in my opinion.

Now, let’s talk about Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess and their “Super Bad” Super Awesome ‘70s jazz routine. It was two snaps up, which if you didn’t watch In Living Color, means it was a 10! This morning, I read an article that said the dance was uninspired and “the choreography was lacking,” and I really want to have a chat with that writer. Each contestant comes to the show with things they need to overcome. Noah and Sharna have their fair share of obstacles in this competition. But the brilliance of that performance was not only did Noah pull off the character and attitude of the dance, but he performed every step with perfection. And out of all the performances last night, I believe this performance came together in the best way. There was a lot of production going on around the performances last night…sometimes, in ways that distracted from the performances. This performance came together perfectly. It reminded me of “Save a Horse — Ride a Cowboy” Drew Lachey and Cheryl Burke’s winning freestyle back in Season 2, which is one of the most iconic performances in the history of DWTS. This was one of those moments. I believe we will all remember this performance for a long time. I always say, in order to get a 10, there has to be a little magic. This performance had that special magic.

Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson’s ‘80s Argentine tango had a tough act to follow indeed, but they came out and gave their best. Robert has a sweet quality to all his performances and last night took a chance with this debonair new character. It didn’t quite work but the reason why is that Robert is still uncertain of his moves. He’s not relaxing into the music and the movement, and letting it feel good like we saw from Chris Soules last week. He no longer seemed to be thinking the dance, but rather just danced the dance. And this is what I’m always looking for. Robert is almost there, but at week 7, I want to see it front and center. I want him to command the dance. I didn’t see that last night, but I’m sure he can do it. Next week, I’d love to see that from him. With the chemistry that these two have as a pair, I believe they can find a way to find his mojo.

Nastia Liukin and Sasha Farber performed a really great modern Charleston. Boy, do I feel for this girl. She’s had a tough journey this season. But her gymnastic training and mindset has helped her stay focused. Last night, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She was loose, her whole body language was different in this performance. She always executes the moves with near perfect precision, but last night, there was a new looseness and a new personal style that was evident. She was really dancing, not just executing. I thought the production value around her was a bit distracting, but even more kudos to her for being able to focus amidst the chaos. She was perfection last night.

And finally, I guess we can say that Willow and Mark went out on a high note. Their futuristic jazz performance was innovative and unique, and will be remembered for its creativity. She will be remembered for her incredible composure, her immeasurable talent and her fearless ability to tackle any creative idea and dance move that came at her. I think she is an inspiration. And if she is this inspiring at age 14, I can’t wait to see where her future will take her.

Just a reminder, don’t forget to tune in tonight for our 10th Anniversary Special! It’s a jam-packed trip down memory lane, and it’s filled to the brim with super exciting performances you will not forget.

See you next week!

Fashion Credits:

Dress by Aidan Mattox

Jewelry by XIV Karats