Dancing With the Stars’ top six contestants competed on Monday night to crack into the semifinals with Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller serving as this week’s guest judge. This week’s twist was that the stars had to take on a dance with one of their competitors.

Dancing With the Stars Recap

Charlie White and Sharna Burgess, after learning they were safe, danced a quickstep. Sharna has found the ice dancer’s niche since his inspiring job in the Mary Poppins Disney routine. They delivered a sweet performance that once again showed he’s a top contender for the Mirror Ball trophy, although the judges – including Abby – pointed out some technical issues with his footwork. Scores: 10+10+10+10=40

In jeopardy after her performance last week with a broken rib, Danica McKellar took on a tango with Val Chmerkovskiy. Danica, determined to prove she’s better than she showed last week, nailed the Black Swan-inspired choreography. Scores: 10+9+9+10=38

Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy danced a rumba this week. Maksim gave the routine a story of a couple in a dysfunctional relationship. As the routine continued from an emotional scene at a dinner table, it became apparent that it was more contemporary than rumba, which would hurt them in the scores no matter how good they were. Abby shocked them by scoring the routine an 8. Scores: 9+9+8+10=36

Candace Cameron Bure and Mark Ballas performed a foxtrot that, like Meryl and Maksim’s rumba, told the story of a dysfunctional couple. This couple, however, made a joke of their dysfunction in a silly routine choreographed by Mark. It didn’t necessarily play to Candace’s strengths, but the judges thought she showed a lot of improvement. Scores: 9+9+9+9=36

James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd, who are still fending off speculation about whether or not they’re a couple, danced a romantic Viennese waltz. Abby praised James’ sex appeal, but Len Goodman and Carrie Ann Inaba pointed out that his technique was lacking. Scores: 8+9+10+9=36

Amy Purdy, recovered from her injury last week, took on an Argentine tango with Derek Hough. Derek wisely choreographed a routine with a solid story that allowed him to twirl Amy around to keep her off her feet as much as possible. The judges, inspired by Amy’s resilience, found it hard to criticize her. Scores: 10+10+10+10=40

Danica and Val and Meryl and Maksim danced a samba together. Initially, the couples were paired off as usual, but then the two contestants – Danica and Meryl – danced together briefly. Neither woman seemed to want to leave her pro, which made it slightly hard to watch. Scores: 8+9+8+9=34

Candace and Mark and Charlie and Sharna were well suited to take on a contemporary routine together. When Candace and Charlie danced together, the professional ice dancer performed a number of lifts that impressively showcased his pure strength. Scores: 9+9+10+10=38

Amy and Derek and James and Peta took on a jive together. It was an altogether fun performance that showcased both Amy and James’ talents. Though James’ dancing was solid, he did seem a bit unsteady when matched with Amy. Scores: 9+10+10+10=39

In the end, it came down to Candace or Danica going home this week. Unfortunately for the former Wonder Years star it was her turn to say goodbye.

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