The real test takes place tonight for the five remaining dancers on “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” on ABC. We are on the hunt for the next pro dancer to debut on “DWTS” Season 35. For tonight’s episode, they’ll be doing what the pro dancers on “Dancing With the Stars” do: teach ballroom to novices. “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Witney Carson will be serving as guest mentor and judge tonight. Watch with us during our “DWTS: The Next Pro” 2026 live recap below and find out with us who got eliminated on “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” tonight.
Teaching Ballroom on ‘DWTS: The Next Pro’
It was all about trying to make a viral moment on this “Dancing With the Stars’ spinoff last week, as the dancers were tasked with adding a wow moment from “DWTS” into their routine and then coming up with their own wow moment. It was all about going viral, but the journey did end for one of the dancers.
For tonight, the contestants will be paired with a “DWTS” superfan for this week’s theme, which is all about teaching ballroom to people who have no clue how to dance it. Host Robert Irwin will be reunited with his Season 34 dance partner, Witney, as she serves as guest judge and mentor. In the end, another dancer will be sent home. Who will it be tonight? Find out with us during our Live Recap below!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD: THIS LIVE RECAP WILL BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE EPISODE, SO DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ SPOILERS.
August 17 Live Recap – Week 6
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Week 6 Begins
We are back in the ballroom. The Top 5 are present. In come Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas before Robert Irwin introduces this week’s guest judge/mentor: Witney Carson, who comes out with an amazing performance.
For this week’s challenge, they have to tackle the most fundamental skill they’ll need on “Dancing With the Stars”: teaching an amateur. They will each be dancing a ballroom routine with fans of “DWTS.” They will have two days to teach them. At the end of this challenge, one of them will be going home.
The fans are social media influencers. They may have dancing experience, but no ballroom experience. The partners and dance styles are:
- Adele – Partnered with Anthony Riccardo. They will be dancing a Tango.
- AJ – Partnered with Bailey McKnight. They will be dancing a Viennese Waltz.
- Allen – Partnered with Zaira Yzabelle. They will be performing a Waltz.
- Nina – Partnered with Jay Wyson. They will be dancing a Foxtrot.
- Selena – Partnered with Jeremy Urann. They will be performing a Quickstep.
Rehearsal Time
The partners are in place, so it’s time to get to rehearsals. Adele is all about perfection, and she is very strict with Anthony. Jeremy wants to do a lift, but ballroom doesn’t normally allow that. Selena wants him to be heard, so she works in a move to keep him happy and heard, which he loves.
Allen and Zaira seem to be moving fast, as he said they are halfway done. She said he is a great teacher. For AJ, Bailey said his teaching style is very fast. Nina is bringing in props and tools to teach Jay, but he is worried that she hasn’t taught him any Foxtrot yet.
The first night, the dancers discuss how they love teaching, and it seems to be bringing life back into them. Nina realizes she was so focused on posture that she may have put Jay behind on choreography.
One Day to Performance
We have one more day of rehearsals on “DWTS: The Next Pro.” For this day, Witney, Mark, and Shirley will stop by the rehearsals to see how the dancers are as teachers. For Adele, they are thinking she is giving Anthony a lot of steps in a short amount of time.
The judges say AJ is being very clear. Shirley said she loves it, and it’s everything she wants to see. They said Allen is comfortable, and he knows what he’s doing. They like the flow of things and want him to amp up the details and make her shine.
For Selena, they think she is doing well. However, there isn’t much quickstep in the routine. For Nina, they said she should be cleaning up things, not still teaching him things. Witney said she hasn’t used the time wisely.
Night Before Performance
The fans meet with Witney. She wants some honest feedback to see how the dancers are doing as coaches. For Nina, Jay said they spent a lot of time on posture.
For Allen, Zaira had nothing but positive things to say, and he made her feel comfortable. Jeremy said Selena took his suggestions and worked them in.
Witney asked them to rate how they feel about their routines and confidence. Anthony was only a 4, with Jay and Bailey being a 5, Zaira was a 7.5, and Jeremy was an 8. Witney is worried about Anthony and his lack of confidence coming from Adele.
Show Night on ‘Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro’
The dancers and their partners are back in the ballroom. The judges are in place, so time to get to these routines!
Nina & Jay
They have a strong connection. It’s slower, but that’s expected. He is having fun out there, and it’s cool to see.
Judges’ Feedback: Shirley said congratulations and welcome to the show. There were some fundamental issues when it comes to foxtrot. The hold was incorrect. He did have a go at doing some basic steps. Mark said it’s a sneaky, hard dance. The frame, as they were so close together at times. Witney said she lived for the hip-hop moments, and it was brilliant of Nina to put in. Time management is extremely important in this role.
Adele & Anthony
He seemed very focused. The frame did seem off at times, but this was intense and I think they looked good together.
Judges’ Feedback: Mark said it moved; it had dynamics. He appreciated the no-nonsense rehearsals. Shirley said she took risks with the choreography and she loved it. Witney said that was impressive, and she noticed a pro trick by Adele. She said Adele can do the job.
AJ & Bailey
He was definitely leading on this one, but she made it work. They had a good frame, and it was a good routine.
Judges’ Feedback: Witney said that was so good, it was so beautiful. It was technically sound. She wanted an emotional moment. Mark said it’s crystal clear he knows his craft. It traveled and flew. Shirley said what he did in two days was miraculous. The assignment was coaching, and he killed it.
Allen & Zaira
They seem to have a good frame and movement across the dance floor. It’s sweet and simple, and I liked it.
Judges’ Feedback: Shirley said she loved it. This was a partnership just filled with beauty. They didn’t quite get their feet together at times. Witney said she loved that performance, and they built confidence and trust. Mark said solid, brother. Great energy in rehearsals. They did a fantastic job.
Selena & Jeremy
I feel the quickstep is a hard dance for anyone, but to bring it out tonight is extra pressure. They were having so much fun, and this had those feet moving.
Judges’ Feedback: Witney said he lights up the room. His energy is amazing. She loves Selena’s jazz background, but it was missing quickstep content. Mark said it was quick, but it needed to get around the floor. Shirley said the assignment was to coach. She appreciates what they performed, but she wants to see quickstep.
Results on ‘DWTS: The Next Pro’
The judges have discussed the dancers. They are back on the dance floor. Shirley said they learned a lot tonight from all of them. The judges have confirmed, and the two dancers in jeopardy of being eliminated tonight are:
- Nina
- Selena
Mark said they both did a good job. They both lacked a little floor craft. With that being said, the dancer eliminated tonight on “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” is Nina.
DisneyWhat do you think of the results tonight?
