Courtesy of celebdirtylaundry.com

The semi-finals have arrived!!

We’re VERY close to crowning the brand new champion of Dancing With The Stars, and with the report that Alfonso Ribeiro couldn’t make it through rehearsals, one had to wonder if he could make it through.

First up last night (Nov. 17), there were brand new performances followed by rounds of the same song, only this time set to an acoustic number.

Right into the action, though:

1. Sadie & Mark – Quickstep

Kicking off the night was last week’s perfect scoring trio couple and Sadie really brought it to the ballroom. Her energy exploded the second the music hit, and Mark really threw in a lot of content. Sadie kept up with him, though, and the number was so much fun to watch.

They received four 9’s…..and a 10 FROM LEN!!

It seems Mr. Goodman has taken a liking to Sadie!!

2. Tommy & Peta – Jazz

The fact that these guys are still here makes me SO happy, because they’ve clearly got the support of the fans and Tommy’s personality is his strongest suit. Yes, sometimes the numbers could be better, but it’s also about growth and he’s grown considerably. For their jazz number, the 2 once again brought out the camp factor, and Tommy really showed why he belongs here. See, the difference with Tommy and former contestant Michael Waltrip is that Tommy legit looks like he’s trying. I never got that from Michael.

The judges praised his work ethic (without even mentioning the dance itself). Len even told Tommy that HE couldn’t have kept up with Tommy. They scored four 7’s, giving them 28 out of 40.

3. Bethany & Derek – Samba

Former champion Hough was getting a tad frustrated during rehearsals, which was a change for him. The routine started off with a cute little moment that included other pro, Sasha, but it was all Derek and Bethany once it really kicked into gear. The routine was full of amazing choreography, which made the rehearsal problems seem like nothing.

The judges all enjoyed the number, but felt that Bethany was capable of more than what the routine gave her. Still, they received four 9’s from the judges.

4. Janel & Val – Paso Doble

Watching the two this week was very different, thanks to a report circulating that they’re dating off-camera. Their paso definitely showed the chemistry between them, because it was INCREDIBLE!!

The two exploded onto the ballroom and really used every trick in the book to deliver a high octane number. Carrie Ann was nearly flying out of her seat with excitement, and Julianne called their performance “ONE”, saying that they’ve never been more in sync.

PERFECT SCORE!!

5. Alfonso & Witney – Argentine Tango

Moment of truth.

We were shown the rehearsal footage of when Alfonso hurt his back, and he was actually instructed by a doctor not to do any of the rehearsals.

Would that affect their routine?

You could definitely tell by the way Alfonso was moving that he was being extra careful, but this was still crazy good!!!

If you hadn’t known about the injury or watched the show, you never would have noticed. Yours truly loved this routine so much. The judges really applauded him for him pushing through, and it even brought Alfonso to tears, but part of that was because of the pain.

They still scored four 9’s!!

Time for unplugged!!

1. Sadie & Mark – Argentine Tango

The most interesting part of the routine actually featured Mark dancing with his guitar, which added a whole different level to the performance. Julianne picked up on the guitar bit, which gave Sadie a chance to stay true to herself, which kept some of the sensuality out of it. I really did enjoy this.

The judges loved the number, and rewarded the couple with three 9’s and a 10 from Julianne.

2. Tommy & Peta – Rumba

Wow.

Not much to really say about this performance, except that it was absolutely GORGEOUS.

The judges all applauded Tommy once again, which eventually brought Peta to tears. The best part of the night was their reaction when they received two 9’s from Carrie Ann and Julianne and 8’s from Bruno and Len. Absolutely magical.

Whether Tommy makes the finals or not, he should be DAMN proud of himself!!

3. Bethany & Mark – Contemporary

Every time….without fail…..contemporary numbers will reduce me to tears.

And this was no different.

Absolutely breathtaking routine, and the frame was a perfect addition. Derek’s choreography never ceases to amaze me and I loved every bit of it.

PERFECT SCORE!

4. Janel & Val – Argentine Tango

Could they score ANOTHER perfect score?

The magical number included some incredible lifts, one that I was sure Val was going to slip, but fear not. These two are perfection on the floor and this was no different. Their chemistry poured through, but Carrie Ann was not impressed with the lifts. Len picked up on it, but it didn’t exactly bother him. The other judges praised the routine, and they went on to receive two 9’s and two 10’s.

5. Alfonso & Witney – Contemporary

The routine kicked off when some of his co-stars from Fresh Prince applauded his work ethic, and then it happened:

My favorite routine of the NIGHT.

You would NEVER know Alfonso was nursing a back injury because this was absolutely flawless!!!! Alfonso and Witney slayed the ballroom. This was beyond what I expected, and they received three 10’s and a 9 from Len.

Unfortunately, it was time for results, and we needed 4 couples going to the finals:

ALFONSO & WITNEY!!!!

Followed by Bethany and Derek!

This meant it was all down to Sadie/Mark and Tommy/Peta. Who would go home just a week shy of the finals?

Tommy and Peta.

The “old stoner” (his words HA!) should definitely be proud of himself, because he made America damn proud!!

Next week folks, TWO-NIGHT finale!!!

Who do you want to win?

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