learn
right at the beginning that there was a double elimination to take
place during the show, but the leader board's lowest scorer Billy Dee
Williams – whose face expressed fear of being sent home – was saved
almost immediately, and went on to dance a 15-point tango with Emma
Slater that judge Len Goodman said "didn't have enough attack."
Before getting to the unfortunate two who were forced to
bid adieu, here's a recap of how the night went overall:
Drew Carey and Cheryl Burke
were the first couple declared safe, and continued to woo judges and
the audience with a lovable 21-point jive that was critiqued for
footwork and posture, but praised by
critic Bruno Tonioli for getting the "crowd going beautifully."
The next couple saved was Danica McKellar and birthday boy
Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who danced a 24-point samba that was praised
overall by judges, with just a little transition critique from Tonioli.
Also seeing the light of another week is
Olympic gold medalist Meryl Davis and
partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
The duo danced a high-intensity, 25-point swing routine that Tonioli
raved was a "swinging acrobatic extravaganza." Fellow judges Carrie Ann
Inaba and Goodman also enjoyed the number, but said there were a few
mistakes.
Former
Full House star
Candace Cameron Bure and partner Mark Ballas, who will also
continue
in the competition, didn't get the same positive reaction from the
judges this week as they did prior. Inaba critiqued the 21-point rumba
for looking too much like a contemporary, while Goodman said, "I know
you were trying to make it into a romance, but it didn't come off like
that, unfortunately."
Paralympian Amy Purdy,
also moving ahead in the contest, performed yet another jaw-dropping
routine with partner Derek Hough. Despite missing an arm pass in the
24-point swing dance, both Goodman and Inaba praised the pair for a job
"well done."
While each dance up to this point brought its own original flare, it was
James Maslow's salsa with Peta Murgatroyd
that brought on the sexy, and landed themselves a spot in next week's
competition. The former Nickelodeon star bared his picture-perfect abs
that got an especially big stamp of approval from Inaba, who put the
young musician in the same category as legendary
DWTS contestants, including Gilles Marini.
The couple ended up with 25 points for their routine that was
overall praised, but slightly critiqued by Goodman for losing "a little
quality of the dance" based on lack of hip action.
Next up was last week's top scorer Charlie White, who, once
again, didn't fail to impress the critics with a 25-point tango,
alongside partner Sharna Burgess. "You looked like Baryshnikov out there
tonight," hailed Inaba.
Following White's dance, NeNe Leakes, Cody Simpson and Sean Avery were each forced to dance before learning their fate.
Leakes brought her usual upbeat self to the ballroom with
partner Tony Dovolani, where the duo danced a 21-point jive that Tonioli
critiqued for lacking sharpness, but praised for being "great
entertainment."
Avery and Karina Smirnoff did a 21-point salsa that judges commended for being an improvement from last week's routine.
Tween heartthrob Simpson
and partner Witney Carson tangoed their way onto the stage and landed
22 points for a number that Goodman wished had been "more compact and
tight," and Inaba insulted for a height difference that seemingly caused
Simpson to be "struggling."
Of the three pairs, it was Avery and Smirnoff who were sent packing.
"Sean was amazing," the veteran dance pro, who praised her
partner's "determination and hard work," said after hearing the hard
news. "I wish we had an opportunity to see more of his personality."
But they weren't the only ones sent away. Earlier in the
telecast, swimming sensation Diana Nyad was eliminated with partner
Henry Byalikov.
"For nine years I wanted to be on the show," Nyad told the crowd
after learning her fate. "It's joy, it's freedom. I only wish this
superlative, handsome young man – He's elegant and he's brilliant and I
wish I could have given him a couple more weeks."