We’ve reached the Semi-Finals, where votes cast now contribute to next week’s ultimate outcome. While there’s a probable frontrunner, dances from couples across the board stood out in this week’s Trio Night.
1. Laurie Hernandez, Val Chmerkovskiy and Maks Chmerkovskiy, Samba
You can argue that this approach to a trio dance doesn’t quite meet the unofficial criteria that all partners dance together as a unit — which obviously further enhances difficulty, if the content is there. But given the possible pitfalls of the style, this was at least clever and enjoyable piece of choreography danced well by Laurie.
2. James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess, Argentine Tango
The blindfold gimmick is nothing new for DWTS — though the pro wearing and maintaining it throughout were certainly two twists, and included with the intention to highlight James’s ability to lead a dance. However, the key was its failure to distract from the actual dance, which served as an excellent (and underscored) reunion piece for the duo, who were later joined by…
+ Jenna Johnson, Jive
Fortunately, jive lends itself pretty well to trio adaptation (moreso than more closed styles) and James delivered at least one of the sharpest of the season in terms of footwork.
3. Terra Jolé and Sasha Farber, Rumba
Along with their tango trio with Artem, a nice send-off for Terra, who would have made a worthy member of the top four.
Honorable mention to Calvin Johnson, Lindsay Arnold and Witney Carson for their trick-filled salsa trio. While the decision to go heavy with moments like their three-person lift also meant some interruptions to dance flow, the moments of focused dance showed great rhythm and energy.
