Briar Nolet and Jake Monreal have been eliminated from "Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro" after the competition's inaugural episode. The pair, who formed a close bond during their time on the show, were the first contestants to be ousted from the series.
Nolet, a commercial dancer who previously toured with Jennifer Lopez, stumbled during her samba performance. Despite the slip, judges Shirley Ballas, Mark Ballas, and guest judge Derek Hough acknowledged her resilience, though they advised her to focus on technique. Monreal, a contestant with prior experience on "Dancing With The Stars: Junior" and "So You Think You Can Dance," was eliminated due to perceived a lack of musicality in his jive performance, despite his stage presence.
Both Nolet and Monreal expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete, viewing their selection as validation of their potential to join the "Dancing With The Stars" family. They also emphasized the value of receiving critiques from esteemed judges.
Reflecting on her samba performance, Nolet described an immediate determination to continue despite her slip. "I just felt very determined to keep going," she stated. "Once I came out of that back handspring, I was like, 'oh, heck no, I’m not going down.' Even though I was frustrated with myself, I wasn’t gonna let the slip deter me."
Monreal acknowledged the judges' feedback on his jive, stating he respects their expertise and is using their comments for self-improvement. "If people with that amount of expertise are telling you something, you should probably listen," he said.
Nolet and Monreal found camaraderie with their fellow contestants, noting the intense environment of the competition fostered a strong bond. They referred to each other as "family" and expressed support for the remaining dancers.
New episodes of "Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro" air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.