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There are seven remaining “Dancing with the Stars” couples, and one of them is Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy. Since the beginning of the competition, the actress and the professional dancer have been top scorers, but it was during “Whitney Houston night” when they brought the house down and secured the season’s first perfect score.
Award-winning actor and singer Billy Porter joined Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli to judge the contestants. Xochitl and Val tangoed to the rhythm of Houston’s big hit “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
What did the judges say?
Inaba and Porter described their presentation as “flawless” and “magical.” The choreography gave the duo a perfect score of 40. Sending to jeopardy to Barry Williams and Peta Murgatroyd, Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach, as well as Charity Lawson and Artem Chigvintsev.
Ultimately, it was time for Barry and Peta to exit the ballroom. “This has been the most wonderful experience of my life,” Williams told Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. “The support of friends, fans, family, and everyone here has made this a complete delight from start to finish.”
So far, Xochitl and Val’s performances have been a beautiful blend of grace, passion, and precision, showcasing their dedication and hard work in each routine. In an exclusive interview with HOLA! USA, Xochitl, and Val opened up about the secret to their undeniable chemistry.
“I’m always excited to work with a young person of influence. You know, she has a lot of young minds, young people looking at her. She is a big responsibility and also relatively new, so to be able to instill some of the things that I’ve experienced in dance and life, we became not just student and teacher but now friends and someone that I care about,” Val told our publication.
Gomez added: “Every time you acknowledge the fact that I’m your friend, I’m like that, ‘That’s adorable.’ What’s so crazy is that it’s like, I have watched the show. I’m a fan of the show, you know? So I have a lot of respect for it and Val. Once I knew that I was partnering with him, I was like, ‘Oh, man,’”
“To answer your question, Yes! There’s a lot of common ground. I share a lot of that in the things we experience culturally. It’s a pleasure,” Val concluded.
As they continue to dazzle with their incredible routines, their determination, and talent have put them in contention for the top prize, and they remain optimistic about their chances as they aim to capture the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.