ET breaks down all the best choreography moments in the ballroom Monday night!
Dancing With the Stars' Trio Night was full-on fun!
With special appearances from past winners, like reigning mirrorball champion Rashad Jennings and season one winner Kelly Monaco, there was a tremendous amount of talent in the ballroom during week eight of the dance competition show.
Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to one dancing duo -- Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke -- before the five other couples were announced that they'd be advancing to next week's semi-finals.
Now, ET's breaking down all the memorable choreography moments from last night's performances!
INDIVIDUAL DANCES
Drew Scott & Emma Slater - Waltz, "Both Sides Now (Torch Songs)" by Years & Years
Dance highlight: This week, Emma challenged Drew to be vulnerable as he performed a piece dedicated to his fiancee, Linda Phan. Our favorite moment happened at the 1:02 mark, when Drew assisted Emma in a gorgeous arabesque spin.
Judges' score: 22/30. "It's your frame -- the frame is constant... this has to be constant throughout, and it's not. But, I enjoyed the emotional journey you took us on." - Len Goodman
ET's score: 24/30. As the semi-finals approach, we want to see more advanced moves from Drew. He's definitely improved, but is still having a hard time using his arms to their full extent and keeping that frame intact. We also felt like he was holding back a little during this performance. But, if he's able to take the judges' critiques into consideration, we think Drew has the ability to really surprise us next week. He's a hard worker, that's for sure!
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Victoria Arlen & Val Chmerkovskiy - Argentine Tango, "Down" by Marian Hill
Dance highlight: Ooh la la! Sexy and sassy, a side of Victoria we haven't seen before, and one we'd love to see more of as she advances to the next round of the competition. There were super sharp movements, and we felt like the routine was crisp and clean throughout. We loved the powerful lift at 0:48, and that beautiful ending at 1:08. Way to go!
Judges' score: 24/30. "It's all about maintaining the character thoughout the dance." - Bruno Tonioli
ET's score: 26/30. Victoria revealed in a teaser clip before her dance that she was suffering a spasm in her right side, but you wouldn't have known she was in pain by watching this performance. As she enters week nine of DWTS, we'd like to see her up her performance factor. Over the last two weeks, it appears she's lost a little bit of confidence out there, but we know she can bring it back with help from Val.
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Lindsey Stirling & Mark Ballas - Samba, "Morning Drums” by Gregor Salto
Dance highlight: Lindsey, the lion. Mark, the tamer. We love a themed dance, and this one was fierce and fun all the way through! From the circus ring, to incorporating a hula hoop as a prop, to the hip thrusts and booty shaking, this piece was energetic and just what we needed from #TeamSTARK after Lindsey's challenging time on the show last week.
Judges' score: 26/30. "I love the creativity, it was so cutting edge and bizarre ... I thought it was a fantastic samba." - Carrie Ann Inaba
ET's score: 28/30. Lindsey really worked on getting her spirit back this week, and we felt it was a strong comeback. But moving forward, we think she could improve on her performance factor a bit in order to beat out competitors like Jordan Fisher and Frankie Muniz.
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Frankie Muniz & Witney Carson - Viennese Waltz, "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran
Dance highlight: This was the "perfect" example of how a partner should lead his lady across the ballroom. Frankie was light on his feet, smooth with his movements and showed off that signature smile at all the right moments. Watch the full routine in the video above!
Judges' score: 26/30. "It was like being in a star-lit dream sequence ... very, very polished performance." - Bruno Tonioli
ET's score: 28/30. Frankie continues to surprise us week after week, and we've enjoyed watching his journey on the show so far. We want him to stay in the competition, and we think he has a solid chance at making it to the finals. Our advice to Frankie? Stay out of your head and remember how far you've come -- you've got this! Be confident.
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Jordan Fisher & Lindsay Arnold - Quickstep, "Chuck Berry" by Pharrell Williams
Dance highlight: Jordan really wants to get Lindsay her first mirrorball trophy (she's the only pro left this season without one!), and after watching this dance, we could see that happening. Jordan and Lindsay looked like they were dancing as one last night, proof that they're coming closer and closer to a victory. The quickstep isn't easy, but Jordan made it look effortless. So effortless, in fact, that it's impossible for us to pick just one highlight.
Judges' score: 30/30. "That was incredible! It was brilliant, it was sassy... it was just, brilliant and sassy." - Carrie Ann Inaba
ET's score: 30/30. A standing ovation from Len Goodman is rare on DWTS, so you know this dance was excellent. As we've said in the past, we love this partnership because Jordan challenges Lindsay to take her choreography to the next level. We've already seen Jordan deliver some amazing performances this season, and we can't wait to see what he'll do next. But in order to stay on top, he's going to need to showcase skills we haven't seen before. Lindsay, let's see what else you can bring out of him!
Celebrity/fan reaction:
TRIO DANCES
Drew & Emma + Rashad Jennings - Cha Cha, "Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown
Dance highlight: A disco-inspired cha cha for a dance with last season's mirrorball champ? We were digging this theme, and it was awesome to see Rashad back in the ballroom. Our favorite moments were their ripple at 0:23, the dance break at 0:53 and watching Drew jump over Rashad at 1:02.
Judges' score: 25/30. "I loved the funky, disco feel. I feel like keeping up with Rashad is [not easy]." - Bruno Tonioli
ET's score: 25/30. Despite having Rashad as his "swag coach" this week, we felt Drew came up a bit short. Dancing side by side with someone like Rashad isn't easy, and at certain points, Drew seemed to get lost in the shuffle. We found ourselves watching Rashad over Drew, which shouldn't happen in a trio dance.
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Victoria & Val + Laurie Hernandez - Jive, "Magic" by B.o.B (feat. Rivers Cuomo)
Dance highlight: As Val noted in his pre-taped interview package, Laurie brought fresh energy to their performance this week and it was nice to see "a student teaching another student." We thought this routine was cutesy and fun, with our favorite moments happening at 0:42 and 0:56.
Judges' score: 24/30. "It wasn't a gold medal performance, but you're definitely on the podium." - Len Goodman
ET's score: 26/30. Laurie is a ball of energy and such a great performer, so like Rashad with Drew, Laurie seemed to overshadow Victoria here. But we have to give Victoria a few extra points for sticking it out and dancing through her muscle spasms. We noticed she had to switch out of her ballroom shoes and into a pair of sneakers for the live show, which is difficult when you've been rehearsing in heels all week.
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Lindsey & Mark + Kristi Yamaguchi - Jazz, "Let’s Face the Music and Dance" by Seth MacFarlane
Dance highlight: It's not easy to match the natural elegance of a graceful, former figure skater, but we thought Lindsey nailed it. Her arm extensions were nearly flawless, her posture was on point and her performance was just as sharp as Mark and Kristi's in our opinion. While we loved everything about this routine, one of our favorite moments occurred at the 1:12 mark.
Judges' score: 28/30. "Tonight, all three of you together, there was this incredible synergy. It was like I paid money to see that dance." - Carrie Ann Inaba
ET's score: 29/30. And THIS is how a trio dance is done! With some of the other routines, we felt like the dancers were separated, dancing on their own a little too much, having those "solo" moments. But with Mark's choreography, he was able to make the girls appear like they've been dancing together as a group all season long. Well done!
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Frankie & Witney + Alfonso Ribeiro - Jive, "Good Place" by Leo Soul
Dance highlight: From the dancing down the steps at 0:10, to the ripple at 0:52 and Alfonso breaking out the Carlton at 0:55, Witney jam-packed this routine with strong content, and it WORKED!
Judges' score: 27/30. "There's something about Witney that brings out the best in you two ... you didn't overpower each other. Great performance!" - Bruno Tonioli
ET's score: 27/30. In her pre-taped interview package, Witney said Frankie and Alfonoso "kinda dance the same," and we could see that in their routine. They were together, their similar facial expressions were fun to watch and we agree with Bruno that they didn't overpower each other, as some of the other dancers did last night.This was one of our favorite trio dances of the night!
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Jordan & Lindsay + Corbin Bleu - Salsa, "Que Viva La Vida" by Wisin
Dance highlight: Just when we thought the trio dances couldn't get any better, #TeamFishUponAStar pulled off THIS amazing routine, with help from Corbin. It was incredibly fast, there were double pirouettes at the 0:41 mark, lifts at 0:32 and 0:58, and we felt like we were watching a piece from the DWTS Live Tour. All three are pros in our opinion, and this piece was a great way to end the night!
Judges' score: 30/30. "You guys learned from each other and were even better." - Carrie Ann Inaba
ET's score: 30/30. Jordan, Lindsay and Corbin were the perfect combination for a trio dance, and as Bruno pointed out, this routine will certainly go down in DWTS history as one of the best. They were so in sync with each other and the piece was entertaining from the second they stepped out on the dance floor. 10's across the board.
Celebrity/fan reaction:
Are YOU excited for season 25 of Dancing With the Stars? Which team do you think had the best dance? Let me know on Twitter (@desireemurphy_ ) or in the comments section on our #AfterTheStars reaction show! And be sure to follow all of our DWTS coverage all season long, right here on ETonline.com.