A Dancing With The Stars Pro’s Poignant Thoughts On Leaving The Show

Sadly, Las Vegas Night turned out to be unlikely for one couple of Dancing with the Stars this week. Two pairs of competitors were announced in jeopardy and, as is tradition with the show, a team was sent home in the last moments of the program.

Danielle Umstead, a three-time Paralympic alpine skier, and her pro partner, Artem Chigvintsev, ended their mirror ball trophy quest after failing to get enough votes to stay in the competition.

“Thank for everything,” Umstead told Chigvintsev on air just before the credits rolled. “It’s been amazing.”

While the pair was ejected in the second week of competition, they actually danced four dances during their tenure due to the show’s schedule, which aired for two consecutive nights its first two weeks. The couple’s highest scoring dance was a cha-cha, for which they earned 19 points from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli.

Casting Umstead, who is visually impaired, was in the tradition of the show’s “outside the box” thinking. Producers haven’t been constricted by what others may perceive as limitations when it selects stars to be paired with pro dancers.

Viewers haven’t seen the last of Chigvintsev. Traditionally, ejected dancers return for “bumper” performances with the show’s dance troupe. There’s always the chance he’d step up and sub for an injured pro, if necessary.

He’s also partaking as a mentor in Dancing with the Stars Juniors, set to debut on Sunday, October 7, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.