Duluth actor Daniel Durant eliminated from 'Dancing with the Stars'

DULUTH — Daniel Durant's final act was a frisky samba with big hip shakes and bigger grins, but the Duluth actor fell short of advancing to the finale of "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday.

Durant was eliminated from the Disney+ competition alongside fellow actor Trevor Donovan in the semifinals in the episode that pushed contestants to perform two pieces of choreography. The final four stars face off next week: social media personality Charli D'Amelio, actor Wayne Brady, drag artist Shangela and Gabby Windey from "The Bachelorette." Winner takes the Mirrorball trophy. '

"This week, learning two full dances is tough already and the samba was like 'Wow,'" Durant told host Alfonso Ribiero. "[Stewart] taught me how to move my hips and the rhythm changes — I struggled for hours. But finally I felt like it was easy.

"So I got to have fun with it. I had fun tonight."

Durant's samba was a fitting finale. He and partner Britt Stewart, dressed in vibrant prints set against bold blue, were playful in the dance set to "Light It Up" by Major Lazer — selected because it is ASL interpreter Gabe Gomez's favorite song. The sassy dance showed off Durant and Stewart's chemistry and gave off strong Saturday-night-at-the-club vibes.

"You looked like you were having so much fun," said judge Bruno Tonioli. "You were giving us hips, you were giving us thrusts. The samba is very difficult because you have to maintain that elusive bounce. It's one of the hardest dances to do and you did it very well."

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said Durant had swagger and Derek Hough said he was in awe of his technique. Len Goodman, who announced during the show that he is retiring from judging, said it was fantastic.

Durant and Stewart's first ballroom dance of the night was a Viennese waltz set to "Surprise Yourself" by Jack Garratt. The couple glided and spun and cut across the floor.

"You really are Prince Charming," Tonioli said. "I think everyone here has fallen in love with you. That was beautiful, it was fluid, you were sailing across the floor."

Throughout the season, Durant has stayed steady within the mid-to-upper pack of contestants. He danced barefoot to "Both Sides Now" — the theme from the Academy Award winning movie "CODA." He did the tango to "Barbra Streisand" and did the foxtrot for unofficial judge Michael Buble.

Durant and Stewart advanced to the semifinals with a jazz performance to "Enjoy the Silence." Midway through, the song dulled and then was muted, giving viewers an idea of what it's like to dance without music.