The ballroom was red hot on Tuesday evening during the semi-finals of Dancing with the stars while the five remaining couples delivered two standout performances: a ballroom routine and a technical Latin dance.

Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson started the evening off strong, earning a perfect score for their foxtrot to “I Won’t Dance” by Erin Boheme with District 78.

The routine brought Graziadei to tears and prompted judge Derek Hough to call it “the best foxtrot I have ever seen.” They followed it up with a powerful paso doble to John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s ‘Come Together’, continuing their momentum.

Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong wowed the judges with their salsa to Jason Derulo and Michael Bublé’s “Spicy Margarita,” but a small mistake in their foxtrot to Hozier’s “Too Sweet” darkened their evening.

Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten brought the drama with their paso doble to ‘Unholy’ by Sam Smith and Kim Petras. They transitioned with a graceful Viennese waltz to JVKE’s “Golden Hour,” where they were praised by the judges for their versatility.

Maher was visibly moved as Inaba encouraged her, saying: “Never doubt your right to be here in the semi-finals.”

Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson impressed with their Viennese waltz to John Mayer’s “Gravity,” with co-host Julianne Hough earning praise for Amendola’s storytelling.

“It’s new to me, but (dance) is a great quest for artistry,” Amendola said before he and Carson’s salsa to Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin’s “I Like It.”

Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold delivered a tango to the Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition,” but technical missteps left the judges disappointed. Their cha-cha to “Bailar” by Deorro featuring Elvis Crespo brought more energy, but it wasn’t enough to fully redeem their performance, leaving them with the lowest scores of the evening.

In a surprising twist, the judges chose not to eliminate anyone. Instead, their scores will carry over to next week’s three-hour season finale, where one couple will win the mirrorball trophy.

The rich, complicated history of Latin dance

Choreographer Lyrik Cruz, best known for his work iCarly, Ugly Betty And Jane the Virginspoke to Yahoo Entertainment about the deep connection between Latin dance and cultural storytelling – a connection he believes Hollywood often overlooks.

“Latinos are often not recognized for their contributions to hip-hop music (or) even to the explosion of house music,” Cruz said. The lack of recognition, he explained, is why authentic Latin American dance strives to “educate the public about culture and history.”

Cruz described Latin dance as a “celebration of bodies” and “creating a fantasy.” As for technique, he said dancers should prioritize the “quality of their movements, rather than making everything so sexualized.”

Los Angeles-based dancer and choreographer Tracy Silver told Yahoo that while Latin dance has “been appropriated for a long time” in its portrayals on TV and film, its enormous contribution to pop culture is undeniable.

Pointing to examples like Westside story And Saturday night feverwhich combined Latin dance with contemporary and disco styles, Silver said Latin dance is “more about rhythm than form.”

Expanding on the idea of ​​cultural narratives, Cruz highlighted the emphasis Latin American dances place on women, a tradition he traces back to indigenous communities such as “the Aztec and Taino cultures.”

“In Latin culture, we have always honored women: our mothers, our grandmothers,” Cruz explained. “Women have always been the queen of dance,” he added. “That concept, for those who are choreographers, is still the same.”

The season finale of Dancing with the stars airs November 26 at 8pm ET on ABC.

How did the stars perform?

Judges: Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli

Chandler Kinney and pro Brandon Armstrong: Safe

• Ballroom song: “Too Sweet” by Hozier

• Ballroom score: Carrie Ann 9, Derek 10, Bruno 10

• Latin dance song: “Spicy Margarita” by Jason Derulo and Michael Bublé

• Latin score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 10

Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson: Safe

• Ballroom song: “I Won’t Dance” by Erin Boheme featuring District 78

• Ballroom score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 10, Bruno 10

• Latin dance song: ‘Come Together’ by Lennon & McCartney.

• Latin score: Carrie Ann 9, Derek 10, Bruno 9

Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten: safe

• Ballroom dance: Viennese waltz

• Ballroom song: “Golden Hour” by JVKE

• Ballroom score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 10

• Latin dance song: “Unholy (orchestral version)” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras.

• Latin score: Carrie Ann 9, Derek 10, Bruno 9

Danny Amendola and pro Witney Carson: Safe

• Ballroom dance: Viennese waltz

• Ballroom song: “Gravity” by John Mayer

• Ballroom score: Carrie Ann 9, Derek 9, Bruno 9

• Latin dance song: ‘I Like It’ by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin

• Latin score: Carrie Ann 9, Derek 9, Bruno 9

Stephen Nedoroscik and pro Rylee Arnold: Safe

• Ballroom song: “Sweet Disposition” by the Temper Trap

• Ballroom score: Carrie Ann 10, Derek 9, Bruno 9

• Latin dance song: “Bailar” by Deorro with Elvis Crespo

• Latin score: Carrie Ann 8, Derek 8, Bruno 9

Who has been eliminated so far?

• Week 2: Anna Delvey and Tori Spelling

• Week 4: Reginald VelJohnson and Eric Roberts

• Week 5: Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko

• Week 6: Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy

• Week 7: Jenn Tran and pro Sasha Farber

• Week 9: Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach

• Week 10: All pairs are safe