Ilona Maher earned her highest scores of the season on last night's "Dancing with the Stars" semifinal episode, securing a spot in the show's finale next week.
The rugby star and Olympic bronze medalist from Burlington, Vermont, danced in the show's eighth round of competition Tuesday night.
For Tuesday's show, each star performed two routines to styles they had not done yet, including one Latin-style dance and one ballroom style dance.
For their first dance, Maher and her pro partner Alan Bersten danced a paso doble, and their second dance was a Viennese waltz.
Before finding out she would be advancing to the show's finale, Maher said she wasn't ready for the experience to be over.
"I'm a tough rugby player who loves to lift weights and run through people," Maher said. "So making it to the finale would only reinforce the message that you can be elegant and graceful and not hold yourself back from trying things that you want to because of how you look or how people perceive you."
Here's how she did.
What songs did Ilona Maher dance to on 'DWTS' last night?
For their first dance of the night, Ilona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten danced a paso doble to “Unholy (Orchestral Version)” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
"The paso is a very powerful dance, and Ilona is extremely powerful on the rugby pitch," Bersten said ahead of the performance. "This should be a winning dance for Ilona, as long as she refines her arms and her leg movements and stays fully in control."
For their second dance, Maher and Bersten danced a Viennese waltz to “golden hour” by JVKE, who is from Rhode Island. Maher said she wanted to dedicate the routine to Bersten and the relationship they created throughout the competition.
"We truly created something special. And honestly, I think I've found a friend for life," Maher said.
How did Ilona Maher score on 'DWTS' last night?
Ilona Maher scored a 57/60 on "Dancing with the Stars" last night, earning her highest record of the season.
For her paso doble, she earned a 28/30, with Derek Hough giving her a ten and Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli giving her nines. For her Viennese waltz, Maher scored 29/30, with Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli giving her tens and Derek Hough giving her a nine.
She came in third place for the night.
Who got eliminated on 'DWTS' last night?
On last night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars," none of the remaining stars were eliminated. All five advanced to compete on next week's finale episode.
The judges scores and viewer votes from the semifinal round will carry over into next week and count towards each star's finale total.
How to stream 'DWTS' or watch it live
"Dancing with the Stars" airs on Tuesday nights live on ABC and Disney+. It is also available for next-day streaming on Hulu.
The next episode — the three-hour season finale — will air Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. EST.
