‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2015: Patti LaBelle Eliminated In Week 6 of Season 20

— -- Music icon Patti LaBelle was voted off ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” tonight during a show featuring the first team dances of the season.

LaBelle and “Shark Tanks”’s Robert Herjavec were both in jeopardy of going home tonight based on their performances from last week’s show. Dancing with an injured knee on April 13, the 70-year-old singer earned 27 points for her waltz, which placed her at third-to-last on the leaderboard. She was voted off because she had the lowest combined total of viewer votes and judges’ scores.

“I am honored to be here as long as I have been,” she said after learning her fate. “I’ve learned so much about me.”

When co-host Erin Andrews asked her what she learned about herself, LaBelle replied: “That I can take direction. I’ve never done this before in my life. I learned a few steps, and I made a great friend in Artem,” she said, referring to her pro partner, Artem Chigvintsev.

Before tonight’s elimination, each star danced routines to classic spring break-inspired tunes, including “Hopelessly Devoted to You” by Olivia Newton-John and “Tequila” by Xavier Cugat.

Individual Routines

Patti LaBelle: Judges liked the singer’s fun quickstep, and even though she lost one of her high-heeled shoes mid-routine, she kept on going with a smile. “That is value for money, Patti. Thank you,” judge Bruno Tonioli said, mentioning the fun factor of the performance. His counterparts were similarly full of praise. “That was so much fun,” Julianne Hough said. Carrie Ann Inaba said LaBelle was “the most consistent performer. Every time you come out here, I know for sure I am going to be entertained.” Len Goodman, the head judge, added: “I don’t care who else comes on, no one will give us more fun and entertainment as you just did.” LaBelle earned an 8 and three 7s, for a total of 29 out of a possible 40 points.

Nastia Liukin: The Olympic gymnast’s rapid tango drew mixed reviews from the judges, who all praised her drive and high quality of movement, but found flaws with the overall routine. Hough said she saw “a disconnect” between Liukin and pro partner, Derek Hough. Julianne and Derek Hough are siblings. Tonioli commended Liukin’s power and determination, but said she lost the subtlety of the art form. Inaba said Liukin needed to embrace dance as a new art form, rather than continuing to relate it to gymnastics, and Goodman said there was “too much rotation, too much speed.” Liukin earned two 8s and two 9s, for a total of 34 points.

Willow Shields: Judges had high praise for the 14-year-old actress’s salsa. Tonioli said the routine was “high-spirited high school,” but he cautioned her about not shaking when she transferred weight from one leg to the other. Inaba said she loved that the dance was “sassy” but remained appropriate for the theme and didn’t verge on sexy. Goodman liked the energy, saying the routine was “full of fun and enjoyment,” and he cautioned the actress about keeping her legs flexed. Hough agreed with Goodman. Shields earned two 9s and two 8s, for a total of 34 points.

Robert Herjavec: Even though the performance had flaws, judges told the “Shark Tank” star that his jive tonight was an improvement over last’s week performance that landed him at the bottom of the leaderboard. “You didn’t miss a step, you just didn’t do it at the right time,” Inaba told Herjavec. Goodman said there was “a lot of content” in the routine. “It’s better than last week,” he said. Hough praised Herjavec for going “full out every single time,” while Tonioli urged the business mogul to keep on track and on time with his partner. Herjavec earned four 7s, for a total of 28 points.

Noah Galloway: The Army veteran and double-amputee’s rumba was praised by judges, although he himself seemed a big dejected at the end of the routine. Goodman mentioned an incident on the dance floor where Galloway’s movements came to a complete stop, but told Galloway that the performance had “lovely action and reaction.” Hough called Galloway’s hip action “fantastic,” but encouraged him to work on his arm movements. Tonioli said Galloway and his pro partner, Sharna Burgess, worked together so well that their partnership was “intuitive” and “magnetic.” Inaba told Galloway that he deserved to be in the competition and to keep his head up. Galloway earned three 7s and an 8, for a total of 29 points.

Rumer Willis: The actress’s saucy, crowd-pleasing jazz routine to Destiny’s Child “Bootylicious” caused dissent among the judges. Hough said the potential wasn’t fully met. “My expectation for you is so high beyond belief that I’ve got to be honest, I was a little underwhelmed and I felt like there was a lot of walking around,” she said. Tonioli had a different view. “I totally disagree with you, my darling,” he said, calling the performance “raunchylicious” and adding that Willis had put her own stamp on an iconic number. Inaba agreed with Hough, said that although the performance was powerful and strong, she believed it lacked elegance and fluidity. Goodman added: “I don’t like all that raunchy stuff, what you did you did great, but I don’t want to see all that. It’s a ballroom, not a bedroom.” Willis earned a 7, two 8s and a 9, for a total of 32 points.

Chris Soules: Judges praised Soules’ smooth Viennese waltz. “It’s a spring awakening for Chris,” Tonioli told the Iowa farmer who received disappointing reviews for his performance last week. Inaba said the women in the audience loved the dance. “You wooed us all, this engaged, musical dancing man,” she said. Hough said she was “blown away” by Soules’s confidence tonight. Goodman wasn’t as enthusiastic. “I loved the feel of it. I liked the romance of the whole affair, but Chris, once you got into hold your footwork … you’ve got to work on the details,” he said. “The whole feeling was great; it just lacked technique.” Soules earned three 8s and a 7, for a total of 31 points.

Riker Lynch: The R5 bandmember’s samba found favor with three of the four judges. Inaba told Lynch he made her “want to be a teeny bopper again because I’m totally fangirling out,” while Hough said she thought it was “fantastic.” Tonioli said the performance has “vibrancy, the vitality, the visual impact of the best samba, yet you still manage to put some striking individual touches,” but Goodman wasn’t as pleased. “Riker, you dance like I cook -- chuck it all in and hope for the best,” he said, adding: “What I love is your enthusiasm. I can’t give this a huge mark because – you’re moving across the floor like Spiderman some of the time. It was good. I can’t say it’s great.” Lynch earned two 10s, a 9 and an 8, for a total of 37 points.

Team DancesThe score for each team was added to each individual member’s score. The scores will help determine who goes home next week in a double-elimination.

Team YOLO: Shields, Galloway and Herjavec, with Liukin as team captain, earned three 10s and a 9, for a total of 39 points for their beach routine set to “Wipe Out.” “You guys killed it! That’s the spring break I want to have every time,” Inaba said.

Team Trouble: Team captain Willis and Lynch, LaBelle and Soules danced a classroom-inspired routine set to “Trouble”. The team also earned 39 points, along with rave reviews from the judges.

Tonight’s Scores (Individual Routine, Team Dance. Grand Total)

Riker Lynch and Allison Holker: 37; 39. 76

Willow Shields and Mark Ballas: 34; 39. 73

Nastia Liukin and Derek Hough: 34; 39. 73

Rumer Willis and Valentin Chmerkovskiy: 32; 39. 71

Chris Soules and Witney Carson: 31; 39. 70

Patti LaBelle and Artem Chigvintsev: 29; 39. 68 (They were sent home tonight.)

Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess: 29; 39. 68

Robert Herjavec and Kym Johnson: 28; 39. 67