LOS ANGELES -- It's a double dose of dancing - leading up to a double elimination! The end is in sight for the six remaining couples on season 20 of "Dancing With the Stars." But they were all put to the test for this round.
First, an individual dance that viewers helped shape via social media suggestions (yes, everyone wants Chris Soules to take his shirt off and they want Kym Johnson and Robert Herjavec to kiss). For the second dance, an additional pro dancer is invited in for a trio number. The big news: our first perfect score of the season!
We won't find out which two couples are eliminated until the Tuesday night results show.
Here's a rundown of the night's dances, from highest to lowest score:
RUMER WILLIS - 40 out of 40 for Rumba; 40 out of 40 for trio; 80 out of 80 total
Rumer and Val Chmerkovskiy seemed to fall a little bit out of sync these past few weeks so they decided to take a breath and remember the bond they formed early on in the season. In the "America's Choice" voting, fans asked to see a classic, ultra-elegant Rumba and the couple was very excited with that assignment. Their refocusing worked and they were given the first perfect score of the season! Head Judge Len Goodman thought the dance was simple and beautiful. Carrie Ann Inaba called their partnership "perfection." Julianne Hough felt the dance was raw, filled with content and "pure gold" and Bruno Tonioli loved the stylish, refined dance. Their perfect score for the Rumba set the bar pretty high. Could they repeat for the trio dance? With Artem joining them for the Paso Doble, of course they could! Rumer held her own with these two powerful guys (after joking in rehearsal that they needed to be shirtless, to which Val answered, "We are not pieces of meat"). Julianne applauded their creative choices and the fact they did not use gimmicks tonight; they simply danced, and danced brilliantly. Carrie Ann called the routine superior. Len said brilliant!
RIKER LYNCH - 39 out of 40 for Viennese Waltz; 39 out of 40 for trio; 78 out of 80 total
America wanted to see Riker and Allison Holker do a proper ballroom dance so they asked for the elegant Viennese Waltz. Allison tried to get it into Riker's head that this competition isn't just about learning steps, it's also performing, being in character and showing some raw emotions. He has a hard time wrapping his head around that concept, but pulled it off when he needed to in the ballroom! Len thought the dance was big and bold, yet kept clarity of movement. He also asked to see more "in hold" (which brought boo's from the crowd), but Len said he was an old guy and the traditional stuff is what he wants to see. Riker's trio dance had the addition of Brittany and he wanted it to be a party. It was a jazz number that saw Riker leading the way. Carrie Ann said he hammered the routine (to which Tom Bergeron quipped "someone else is hammered"). Len felt like it was a happy hour, and we all have reason to be happy.
NASTIA LIUKIN - 36 out of 40 for Paso Doble; 40 out of 40 for trio; 76 out of 80 total
Derek Hough is still on the mend (but did dance in the trio round) so Sasha Farber stepped in for another week. The public selected the Paso Doble and one fan face-timed with the group about her gladiator-themed idea. Len liked the passion, drama and intensity, but didn't think there was enough actual Paso Doble in the routine. Julianne said they were out of sync a few times, and Carrie Ann agreed about the disconnect but applauded Nastia for handling the situation of having to train with two different partners. Nastia, Derek and Sasha knock it out of the park with their trio Jive routine. The choreography reflected what Nastia's been having to do, literally ping-pong back and forth between two partners. Len gave them a standing ovation, which caused Derek to waddle over with his broken toe and give Len a kiss. Julianne called the routine the most creative she's ever seen on the show. Bruno used the words "total genius from first to last frame," and Carrie Ann thought it was beyond brilliant.
CHRIS SOULES - 34 out of 40 for Contemporary; 30 out of 40 for trio; 64 out of 80 total
Chris and Witney Carson were clearly shocked at NOT being in jeopardy last week. He actually thought Tom Bergeron had made a mistake! But clearly the fans like what they see and the fan support has energized Chris' commitment to the competition. The couple actually surprises one group of fans that sent in some suggestions via Twitter. One thing people were vocal about: no shirt for Chris! All the judges consider Chris to be most improved in the cast, with Julianne adding they are pulling out all the stops at just the right time. The trio round didn't go quite so well for Chris. His Paso Doble was a little stiff, and Carrie Ann thought Witney and Lindsay overwhelmed him. Julianne had an issue with the placement of his butt. Now that's getting technical! But at least we know where she was looking!
NOAH GALLOWAY - 31 out of 40 for Tango; 32 out of 40 for trio; 63 out of 80 total
America asked for a military theme for Noah's dance, but he explained that as a veteran, it would be considered disrespectful if he wore his dress blues as a "costume." Good to know! Their look seemed a bit inspired by "An Officer and a Gentleman," with Noah looking handsome in a proper white suit. Len thought the performance was good, but wants to see a little more intensity. Bruno called him a white knight who takes on any challenge, and Carrie Ann thought the routine was innovative and elegant. She thanked Noah for continuing to push boundaries. In the trio round, they add Emma Slater to the mix and figure out how to do a sexy salsa. Julianne thought it was hot, hot, hot. Bruno called the "arm-ography" very clever. And then he fell out of his chair.
ROBERT HERJAVEC - 33 out of 40 for Contemporary; 29 out of 40 for trio; 62 out of 80 total
There's one main thing the fans are clamoring for with Robert and Kym Johnson - that these two need to kiss. Just get it over with already! The "are they or aren't they" thing is getting old, right? They play it up with their Contemporary routine (even dancing to the song "Champagne Kisses") and then, yup, right in the middle, we have a kiss. Carrie Ann and Julianne both thought there was a special magic to the dance. Bruno called it free, light, soft and gentle, and Len said he's a fan. Jenna joined the couple for a trio Samba dance. Robert said there's no downside to dancing with two beautiful women! Their theme of being 90's supermodels was fun, but Robert got a little lost with his footwork. Both Len and Julianne said the dance was messy, but fun. And Bruno said he personally appreciated the Italian style they embodied, but while the style was there, the Samba was not.
One-third of this cast is eliminated on Tuesday's results show: two couples will be sent home, and four couples will move on to the semifinals.