'Dancing With the Stars' Season 20 Episode 7 Recap: 'The Hunger Games' Actress Willow Shields Eliminated
Willow Shields, the youngest-ever contestant on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," was sent home on Monday because of a "lack of support by the voting fans," the Los Angeles Times reported. The elimination came after the actress and her partner, Mark Ballas, scored 37 out of 40 points for their futuristic dance to the sound of "Electric Feel," Entertainment Weekly noted.
"With the dark lighting and their stealthily masked ensembles, you could barely tell the pro from the 'Hunger Games' star," the website judged. But Shields' fate was yet another reminder that on "Dancing With the Stars," winning over fans is just as important as impressing judges.
The remaining seven couples, too, performed different dance styles to songs from different time periods during "Eras Night," which has become a tradition on the ABC show, the Los Angeles Times recalled.
Riker Lynch and Allison Holker showed some "fancy footwork" and earned 37 points with their 1920s-style, baseball-themed quickstep, while Chris Soules and Witney Carson were left with 31 points for a 1940s foxtrot, which head judge Len Goodman said needed some polishing. A bouncy 1960s jive worked out well for Rumer Willis and Val Chmerkovsky, who took home 35 points, and Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess performed a -- in Goodman's words -- "strong and clean" 1970s jazz number that earned the couple 36 points.
Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson, meanwhile, heated things up with what the Los Angeles Times called a "super sexy '80s Argentine tango" worth 31 points. "The chemistry you guys have is incredible," judge Carrie Ann Inaba noted, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Nastia Liukin and Derek Hough, finally, faced the toughest challenge because the professional dancer had suffered a fall during a rehearsal for the "Dancing With the Stars" 10th anniversary special, the Los Angeles Times recalled. With a broken toe, a doubly sprained ankle and additional bruises, Hough was in no condition to hit the floor.
The Radio City Music Hall star was temporarily replaced by Sasha Farber, who managed to lead Liukin to the night's high score with a subway-themed modern Charleston worth 38 points.
"I'm so proud of you," Inaba told the former Olympic gymnastics all-around champion, according to Entertainment Weekly. "Tonight, you were dancing. That's the only thing that was different -- you were just dancing," the judge added.
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