Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription.
Whether it’s a romantic connection or you’re just creating a vibe, believable chemistry is so important to a performance because you have to sell the story to your audience. And that’s the challenge that got a dance couple sent home this week, in the fourth episode of DWTS: The Next Pro when Jenna Johnson came to guest judge.
After last week’s episode sent a dancer home because of a medical emergency, combined with this week's couple elimination, we’re now at the halfway point, with the initial 12 contestants narrowed down to six. Meaning fans are that much closer to the September 15th premiere of Dancing with the Stars Season 35 on the 2026 TV schedule. But a new dark horse has risen up in the competition, as one of the contestants was called out by host Shirley Ballas, aka The Queen of Latin.
Picking two of the world’s most passionate dances – the Rumba and the Argentine Tango – the judges gave the dancers the directive to send pulses racing while creating something that feels intimate. After a round of DWTS: The Next Pro speed dating, where everyone partnered with each other to see how things felt, Adele Zaikman picked A.J. Pritchard, Selena Hamilton picked Erik Linder, and both Nina Mayster and Stephani Sosa picked Allen Genkin, leaving it in his hands to choose Nina.
Tristen Sanders let Stephani know he was bitter about not getting picked by her in the first place. But as the pairings went on excursions together to form bonds outside of the rehearsal studio, they were thankfully able to work things out.
Getting into your own head as a dancer can kill the emotion of any routine and it can cause disconnect in a partnership. The rehearsals with Jenna Johnson were all a bit bumpy as the contestants were finding those connections with each other, so going into the final performances, it felt like any of the pairs could win or lose.
Selena And Erik's Steamy Dance Wowed The Judges
Response was mixed for Stephani and Tristen, whose Rumba didn’t quite come together on every level, and Nina and Allen, whose Argentine Tango mixed more styles of dance than they were asked to do. Adele and A.J.’s Rumba routine worked because they’re both technically skilled and, honestly, Adele is the kind of superstar dancer that can find chemistry with anyone or anything.
But it was Selena and Erik who left the judges speechless and fanning themselves with their Argentine Tango. There was a confidence and intensity in their performance that allowed them to soar above in the competition this week, and Erik was specifically applauded with a standing ovation from Shirley Ballas, who declared him the new frontrunner.
Ultimately, the judges decided to eliminate Tristen and the teary-eyed Stephani, whose brother Ezra Sosa is a pro on DWTS. There were no bad performances this week, which proved not just just how talented all the contestants are, but also how it’s only going to get harder until the winner is announced.
Even if you haven’t watched Dancing with the Stars in the past, The Next Pro is a great place to start because you can then follow the winner into the new season when it debuts. As the series continues with new episodes on ABC on Mondays, we keep getting one step closer to learning all of the celebrities officially confirmed for Dancing with the Stars Season 35.
