(S10E16) It's the semi-finals on 'Dancing with the Stars' and everyone tried their best to bring their A-game. The contestants had to perform two new dances: one ballroom, one Latin.

In the Latin Round, there's a solo for the celebrities. While Evan and Nicole do their best to fight for first, the real battle is between Erin and Chad for the last spot in the finals. Since each of the remaining celebrities won the audience vote at least one week, this one will be the deciding factor.

Bruno reminds us that live television can be interesting by having an odd day with Erin's critiques. He accidentally holds up the 10 paddle for the Viennese Waltz and then gets censored during his critique for the Paso Doble. Luckily with only one week to go, Bruno can go take a vacation.
Ballroom Round

Erin & Maks - Viennese Waltz - Erin wants to make sure that she makes it into the final, Maks adds more pressure because he thinks that Erin has been his best partner since Misty-May Treanor had to withdraw from an injury. I found Erin's pant-dress outfit to be a very interesting fashion choice, but other than the kicks, one wouldn't even notice that it wasn't a dress. By having the pants, it shows that her lines were strong and her legs were in the right places. I thought that Maks wasted a bit too much time for the opening and end sequence.

Len thought she made a breakthrough. Bruno loves her fluidity and continuity of movement. Carrie Ann loved watching Erin grow. She saw some nerves in the ankles, but tells Erin that she did a great job. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Nicole & Derek - Argentine Tango - Derek had neck and back pain during the rehearsals making Nicole nervous and tense. He continued to teach and dance the rest of the week. As the couple danced, I loved how Derek and Nicole went down the stairs with Nicole wrapped around him. I cringed every time Derek whipped his neck thinking that he'd cause a re-injury. Nicole's movements were sharp and she had ease in her assisted jumps. Derek really has a good eye on creating interesting shapes for the audience.

Bruno thought she was a divine enchantress. Carrie Ann was brought to tears by how amazing the performance was. She commends Derek's choreography. Len thought it was better than his grandmother's apple pie. Score: 30 (10,10,10).

Chad & Cheryl - Waltz - Chad is trying to do his best to make it into the finals and gets stressed out very easily. As the couple begins, Cheryl glides effortlessly as Chad tries his best to keep a strong frame. His arm extensions are probably his best the whole season. Cheryl does a lot of the work looking amazing as she twirled around and made sure she didn't lift her leg at the end sequence.

Carrie Ann thought he nailed the waltz; he had posture and fluidity. Len knows that Chad has no dancing background and applauds him for producing a strong performance. Bruno knows how harsh the judges have been and the waltz proved why they were so tough. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Evan & Anna - Foxtrot - Evan admits that he's not the type to let go, but with both the Paso and the Foxtrot the dances need performance value. Anna wants to find Evan's inner happiness. Evan stares at his baby nephew for inspiration to create joy. Evan has an interesting opening with a very figure skater-esque opening. Evan decently has a very happy expression and bounce to his step. I thought it was interesting to see how much of the dance wasn't in a hold, but both sections were really strong.

Len saw the artistry, musicality, and the joy. He thought it was great overall. Bruno loved the vitality of the performance. Carrie Ann completely felt the connection and loved the entertainment. Score: 29 (10,9,10).

Latin Round

Erin & Maks - Paso Doble - We learn that Erin was gawky tall and took some small dance instructions. Erin's father influenced her to be part of television. We also get Erin's side about the stalker scandal, though the hoopla with Elisabeth Hasselbeck was ignored. Erin's solo was cut a little short because of an incorrect camera angle, but it didn't look much like a paso from what we did see. I loved the clothing change to create that classic Paso Skirt. The performance was interesting to watch because of Maks' choreography. There were a few seconds of wobbliness, including Erin's high kicks and the end pose where Maks couldn't hold her.

Bruno loved the standard of dancing and the performance was stunning. Carrie Ann thought it was amazing because she found her power. Len thought the paso wasn't traditional enough and the solo wasn't a paso. Score: 29 (10,9,10).

Nicole & Derek - Cha-Cha - Nicole grew up in Hawaii with her ohana, but moved to Kentucky. Nicole was a perfectionist even at young age. Nicole starts the dance with her solo doing her mostly Pussycat Doll inspired motions with a chair; very sexy but not enough Latin motions. The chair continues for a few more bars with Derek, but afterwards they got to the traditional cha-cha choreography. While I wasn't a big fan of the lip-syncing, the rest of the dance was solid and an interesting use of the song.

Carrie Ann loves the natural execution and congratulates her. Len loved the solo was a good dance, but not a cha-cha. He thinks that she deserves to be in the final. Bruno thought she was the queen of the cha-cha. Score: 29 (10,9,10).

Chad & Cheryl - Samba - Chad hailed from the rough areas of Miami with Chad's grandmother, but has become a great father for his children. The dance has the fun-factor of a samba and he was in the moment. I still think in comparison to Evan, Chad doesn't move enough. His solo looked really awkward as he jiggled forward and slid.

Len thought that Chad had the toughest of the Latin dances and he did a great job. Bruno saw the spirit and the sparkle that the samba needed. Carrie Ann knows that his technique was still below the other dancers, but he has strong charisma. Score: 25 (8,8,9).

Evan & Anna - Paso Doble - Evan grew up outside of Chicago and became a skater because of his grandmother's influences. His biggest hurdle is that he's shy, but he has great personal ethics. With a very interesting paso song choice, Evan finally gets into a really strong character. His solo is more interesting to watch than the other three because he knows how to use his limbs correctly. The performance was an intense and amazing way to end the night.

Bruno loved the strength and passion. Carrie Ann loved how his power came from the gut. Len loved that Evan dominated the professional in the paso and thought it was fantastic. Evan gets big hugs from Kate Gosselin and Donny Osmond as he goes to the aquarium. Score: 30 (10,10,10).

Final Scores

Nicole & Derek - 59 (30 + 29)
Evan & Anna - 59 (29 + 30)
Erin & Maks - 56 (27 + 29)
Chad & Cheryl - 51 (27 + 25)

I will be really disappointed if Erin gets the boot because of Chad's large fanbase. I really don't want to watch four dances from Chad next week knowing that Evan and Nicole would pull all stops especially seeing that the two tied for first this week. Who do you think will be eliminated? Leave comments below.