Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Ep 2 Recap

RHAP: We Know Reality TV

Friends of Rob Has a Podcast

Tv & Film, After Shows, Tv Reviews

4.7 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2026

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Ep 2 Recap

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Put on your dancing shoes because Matt Liguori and Sasha Joseph are here every week to break down Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.

Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro returns as hosts Matt Scott and Sasha Joseph dive into episode 2, where aspiring pros are challenged to tell meaningful stories through dance. With each pairing made up of one male and one female dancer, only one from every duo faces elimination, leading to tense rehearsals and difficult decisions. Brandon Armstrong joins as guest judge and mentor, sharing his journey and emphasizing the importance of emotional connection on the ballroom floor.

This episode centers on the unique dynamics created by the storytelling theme, from personal tributes to cultural representation and even moments where things unravel between partners. The drama peaks with Benji and Nina’s struggle to align on their piece, echoing the broader challenge of balancing technical skill with clarity and partnership. Judges Shirley Ballas and Mark Ballas offer pointed feedback, highlighting who stands out and who still has ground to cover, while Robert Irwin’s increased role adds heartfelt perspective.

Benji and Nina struggle with unclear direction and communication, which influences both rehearsal and performance
Brandon Armstrong’s mentorship focuses on connecting emotionally with the audience, offering actionable notes to pairs
Judges critique routines for both story and technique, challenging dancers to step out of their comfort zones
Alan’s moving tribute to his late mother sparks a discussion on vulnerability and impact, enhanced by Robert Irwin’s personal reflections
The episode explores how the editing, casting, and elimination format affect star power and visibility within the cast

Who steps up with the storytelling challenge, and who risks fading into the background as the competition heats up? How will shifting dynamics and upcoming group dances shake the game moving forward?

Listen in for sharp insights and compelling analysis from Matt and Sasha as they break down the emotion, strategy, and turning points of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.

Chapters:
00:00 Dancing with the Stars Returns
06:17 Confusion Over This Week’s Elimination
12:15 Brandon Armstrong Shares Mentorship Insights
18:59 Star Power: Selena Shines Bright
24:43 Benji and Nina’s Partnership Drama
31:29 Rumba Missteps: Benji Eliminated
36:59 Selena and AJ’s Missed Connection
41:04 Alan’s Emotional Dance for Mom
47:00 Stephanie and Tristan’s Breakout Moment
52:03 New Show Intro Unveiled
54:41 Shirley Ballas Brings Honest Judging

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Live from Hollywood, we are back here on Rob as a podcast for more coverage of Dancing with the Stars, The Next Pro.
0:24.0	Episode 2 is out.
0:25.6	We've watched it, ready to talk about it all, here on our HAP.
0:29.0	We know Dancing With The Stars.com for all things, Dancing with the Stars from us.
0:33.5	So make sure you're tuned in, subscribed, leave those comments, like the video, all that fun stuff. We're on YouTube, all the places that you're looking for us. We're here. Of course, Mac, and I'm back here with my dancing partner, podcasting partner, all the above. Sasha Joseph. Sasha, how's it going? So good. So excited. Again, it's just, I'm so glad we decided to do this.
0:54.8	Like I, it's still new.
0:56.7	So I feel like I can repeat myself.
0:58.2	It's fine.
0:58.7	But just I am excited to meet these, you know, to be pros.
1:04.3	These dancers are so fun.
1:06.8	I love the ballases.
1:09.6	Brandon killed it this episode. It's just, again, such a cute little positive show. I'm having a good time. I hope everyone else is. Yeah, truly, if you're not watching and you just want to listen to the podcast, I feel like it's a pretty easy show for us to just tell you what's going on. Obviously, you'd have to like, I don't know, connect the faces to the names in some way, shape, or form, or just hear us talking about them all. I think that to your point, like, by the time we get to the end of this show, we're going to have obviously a winner, and that winner is going to be with us for the next, however, many months on the proper season of Dancing with the Stars. So for us to have this opportunity to get to know them a little bit better and follow their
1:48.5	journey of how they got there, see them taking notes from judges, including someone who could
1:54.8	be, or multiple people, that could be their fellow pros in if Mark is back, Brandon,
2:00.3	all these people that are going to be on the show with them.
2:02.4	It's just a very interesting process to watch them getting trained to be on the show before ultimately one of the wins and is on the show.
2:08.8	So yeah, two weeks in, still having fun.
2:11.1	Yeah.
2:12.0	Again, I'll say this at the start.
2:15.0	Not happy about the elimination.
2:16.8	Actually pretty confused.
2:18.5	So we'd love to like talk through it all.
	...

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