The competition is getting even stiffer as the couples enter the ninth week, with just one night separating the dancers from the semifinals.
Grammy Night showcased individual dances as well as dance-offs, which earned the winning couples additional points toward their overall leaderboard scores.
Because Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson earned immunity during Disney Night, they didn’t have to compete against another couple.
Each of the dance-offs also featured performances by Grammy-nominated artists.
Dance-Offs
Team USA faced off in the first dance battle of the evening, dancing a rumba to “The Boy Is Mine” by Brandy and Monica.
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach danced against Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov.
And even though they were technically competing against one another, you’d never know it.
The end of their dance featured a partner swap, with Dani dancing with Amber and Pasha with Ezra.
Ultimately, Amber and Pasha won the gold that round, earning additional points toward their individual scores.
The second matchup was between actresses Jenna Dewan and Tatyana Ali.
The couples danced a cha-cha to “The Middle” by Maren Morris.
Like judge Carrie Ann Inaba said, comparing the two was like comparing apples to oranges, with each couple putting their own spin on the dance.
However, even though Jenna and Val won the round and earned additional points, they were the 10th couple eliminated from the competition.
Finally, Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold cha-cha’d against Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas to a performance by Sheryl Crow.
The judges weren’t impressed with Connor’s moves, even though the audience clearly was.
Maura and Mark were the clear winners.
Individual Dances
Switching gears to the individual dances, most of the couples earned 9s from the judges.
So, the dance-offs and America’s votes played a major role in who was eliminated.
Jenna Dewan’s jazz routine to “All for You” paid homage to her time as Janet Jackson’s backup dancer on tour.
It was a near-perfect routine, but based on online commentary, perhaps too perfect.
A major criticism ahead of the season was Jenna’s dance background, and with her pairing against Tatyana Ali in the dance-off and a special shoutout from Janet in the ballroom, it seemed the audience had enough of the perceived favoritism.
Val’s drama earlier in the season also didn’t do any favors for The Rookie actress.
Keep reading to see how the couples and their DWTS pros landed at the conclusion of Grammy Night:
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
Argentine Tango — “Crazy in Love”
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
- Derek Hough: 9
- Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 27/30
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
Paso Doble — “Bring Me to Life”
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
- Derek Hough: 9
- Bruno Tonioli: 10
Total: 28/30
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
Despite dealing with significant rib pain, Maura took to the ballroom for her Argentine tango.
Argentine Tango — “Thong Song”
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
- Derek Hough: 9
- Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 27/30
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Fun fact: Jenna was Janet Jackson’s backup dancer for years!
Jazz — “All for You”
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 10
- Derek Hough: 9
- Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 28/30
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
Tango — “Boom Boom Pow”
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
- Derek Hough: 9
- Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 27/30 (their best scores of the season!)
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
Argentine Tango — “SexyBack”
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
- Derek Hough: 9
- Bruno Tonioli: 9
Total: 27/30
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
Salsa — “Die with A Smile”
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 10
- Derek Hough: 9
- Bruno Tonioli: 10
Total: 29/30
Next week, the six remaining couples head to the semifinals, which means they’re one step closer to winning the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy!
