Lauren Alaina Staves Off Elimination on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ [WATCH]
Lauren Alaina took two turns on the dance floor during Monday night's (Nov. 11) episode of Dancing With the Stars. The country singer and her dance partner, Gleb Savchenko, performed twice -- as did all six remaining contestants -- during a week of competition devoted to the music of boy bands and girl groups, and staved off elimination for another week.
For their first dance, Alaina and Savchenko performed a quickstep to the Supremes' "Can't Hurry Love." Prior to her performance, Alaina called her time on DWTS the "perfect recipe for healing my broken heart": In early 2019, the singer called of her engagement to longtime love Alex Hopkins, and shortly before starting Dancing With the Stars, she broke up with her boyfriend, comedian John Crist.
Alaina and Savchenko's quickstep earned mixed reviews from the DWTS judges, including guest judge Joey Fatone, an *NSYNC member and former contestant on the TV dancing competition. However, the judges awarded them 34 of a possible 40 points.
Alaina and Savchenko's second dance was a rumba to the Backstreet Boys song "I Want It That Way." The pair got a visit from the band's AJ McLean during rehearsals for their performance, which earned 36 out of a possible 40 points.
"The growth is phenomenal," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Alaina after the pair's dance. "There's such a beautiful confidence and sensuality that is being exposed here."
Alaina and Savechenko were one of the bottom two couples when all the votes from the judges and viewers were tallied on Monday night; however, the show's judges chose to save them and eliminate former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Alaina and Savechenko will, therefore, be competing in the Dancing With the Stars semi-finals next Monday (Nov. 18).
In addition to Alaina, Season 28's Dancing With the Stars cast includes actor James Van Der Beek, former Bachelorette contestant Hannah Brown, comedian Kel Mitchell and more. The show pairs celebrities with professional dancers, with the pairings competition in an elimination-style competition until a winner is crowned at the end of the season.
Alaina is far from the first country artist to compete on Dancing With the Stars: Wynonna Judd, Chuck Wicks, Sara Evans, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Jana Kramer also previously appeared on the show. Kellie Pickler won the show back in 2013, while country radio DJ Bobby Bones won the show's 27th season in 2018; in fact, it was Bones who convinced Alaina to accept the competitor spot.
These Country Personalities Have All Been on DWTS, Too: