Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro features 12 of the best dancers from across the world vying for a spot in the ballroom Dancing With The Stars Season 35. While each competitor is worthy in their own way of one day being in the ballroom, there can only be 1 winner. The competition kicked off with the shocking double elimination of contestants Jake Monreal and Briar Nolet. Known from his time on Dancing With The Stars: Junior and So You Think You Can Dance, Monreal was ousted from the competition due to lack of musicality during his jive performance despite his incredible presence on the dance floor. Nolet, a commercial dancer who went on tour with Jennifer Lopez shortly after her stint on World of Dance, suffered an unfortunate slip during her samba. Despite her fall, judges Shirley Ballas, Mark Ballas and special guest Derek Hough praised her tenacity while urging to go home and work on her technique.
“Of course, both Jake and I wish we could have stayed to the very end,” said Nolet, but was quick to note that “everything happens for a reason.” Monreal knows that just being chosen to compete on DWTS: The Next Pro was a win in itself. “That meant that someone thought we may have what it takes someday to be a part of the DWTS family,” he said. The experience clearly meant a lot to both Nolet and Monreal. Even though the judges had mixed feelings about both of their performances, Nolet pointed out that it was “a win to receive critiques.” Monreal agreed, adding that “if people with that amount of expertise are telling you something, you should probably listen.”
Nolet and Monreal hopped on a Zoom with Decider to talk about their time of the show, praise their fellow competitors and reveal why they are like “family” to each other now.
DECIDER: Briar and Jake, unfortunately, your journeys on DWTS: The Next Pro were far, far too brief. How do you look back at the experience with some distance?
BRIAR NOLET: Of course, both Jake and I wish we could have stayed to the very end. I do believe that everything happens for a reason. I got to leave after I already made a forever family. All our fellow contestants are so deserving of everything good that’s going to come their way. It was also such a win to receive critiques from the judges. It sucks to have gone home so soon, but I’m so grateful for the experience.
JAKE MONREAL: We already won by getting the opportunity to go on The Next Pro because that meant that someone thought we may have what it takes someday to be a part of the DWTS family. I’m eternally grateful. This experience really meant a lot to me. It’s something special. I gave each stage of the competition—including the training beforehand—everything that I could have. I’m proud of what I left out there.
Jake, for the first challenge, you were paired with AJ Pritchard for the jive. I know he was skeptical of you at first because of your age. What was it like working with him?
JM: He was the utmost professional. I knew him from Strictly Come Dancing so I knew that he would be one of the toughest competitors in the house. When we got paired up together, I was like, “all right, good, I’m excited for this.” I wanted to show that I could compete with somebody at his level. I know the age thing was something that was brought up a little bit. It was funny watching him around the house with his night mask and his pajamas. It was very, uh, 30+ coded [laughs], but I shouldn’t say that.
Briar, you were paired with Stephani Sosa for the samba. What was that experience like?
BN: Stephani’s such a doll. She has a nice background of ballroom, Latin and commercial experience. It was great to be able to learn from her and to work with her. Because she had that commercial background, she’d understand certain terminology I’d use. She helped me drill the moves over and over again. I worked hard to remember the choreography and tried to focus on the technique that I’d been learning for the last year and a half.
The samba is a very difficult dance. But once I sat down with Stephani and we started to talk, she managed to calm me down. It was good for us both to focus on what was important, which was fundamentals and technique. Stephani and I were able to help each other and get to the level we needed to be at. We kept each other grounded.
You both had the opportunity to be coached by Derek Hough. What makes him such a great mentor?
JM: He has this energy about him whenever he walks into the room. It’s pretty incredible. He makes you want to dance. He makes you feel better about being there. He sets the tone and sets the standard, which is what all the best teachers I’ve worked with do.
BN: He genuinely wanted the best for each and every one of us, no matter if he already had personal relationships or not. He just wanted everyone to feel comfortable. Derek’s a bit of a goofball. He is the best of the best, but he is very humble and down to earth. He just wanted it to be fair competition for everyone, which is all you can ask for in a mentor that’s working with every competitor.
Briar, unfortunately, you suffered a slip during your samba. Can you walk me through what was going through your mind at that moment?
BN: Going into that moment, I was obviously very high on adrenaline and energy. After that slip happened, I just felt very determined to keep going. I’m a sweet girl, but when I perform, I can get very competitive with myself. Once I came out of that back handspring, I was like, “oh, heck no, I’m not going down.” Even though I was frustrated with myself, I wasn’t gonna let the slip deter me. I still had the rest of the solo and the side by side with Stephani. I just had to lock in and keep going.
I’ve said it a million times, but everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t change the way that I went about preparing, before or during the competition. I can sleep at night knowing that there was nothing more I could have done. After I slipped, I pushed myself to finish out strong and do the best I could.
I think you handled yourself with incredible grace.
BN: Thank you.
Jake, you felt pretty good about your jive, but both Derek and Mark Ballas had notes about your energy and musicality. Did you think those were fair comments?
JM: I respect the both of them so much as performers, choreographers and teachers. I’m taking to heart any comments they give me. I’m using that critique to better myself. If people with that amount of expertise are telling you something, you should probably listen.
Briar, Shirley Ballas praised your presence, but both she and Derek urged you to work on your technique. How did you feel about feedback you’d receive?
BN: There’s no such thing as perfect. I can be proud of what I did, but also accept criticism with an open mind. There’s always room to improve. Especially being newer to ballroom, it was an honor to perform in front of those three judges and get notes from them. As soon as I got back home, I had a meeting with my coaches and figured out the best way to go forward if my goal is still to be a pro on Dancing With The Stars. I took the judges’ comments and applied them to my training.
Both of you did not want to be the first to go home. You didn’t want to go home at all! You both took being eliminated with such grace. Were Robert Irwin, the judges and your fellow contestants there for you?
JM: The Next Pro environment is such a pressure cooker that we all formed a deep bond with each other almost immediately. On top of the competition, we were also living together! Right after I got eliminated, I felt the love and support from everyone. Robert said some very nice things to me afterwards. Obviously, being eliminated was not what I was hoping for. I was hoping to win and be the next pro. Like Briar said, everything happens for a reason. It wasn’t my time just quite yet. And it’ll be my time at some other point.
BN: Timing is everything. If anything, this experience will make us even more prepared for when the opportunity to be a DWTS pro hopefully presents itself again. Plus, there were so many wins. Jake and I are now a part of this wonderful family with the other dancers. We bonded even more after we were eliminated on the same night. He’s like a younger brother to me now. We still talk all the time.
JM: Briar was talking about this a little earlier, but getting eliminated alone must have really sucked. I was really lucky to have Briar. I wouldn’t want to get eliminated with anybody but Briar, if that makes any sense [laughs]. We were really there for each other. It’s crazy how these bonds form.
BN: Totally. And as much as it sucks going home, there were no hard feelings. We are rooting for each dancer to do well and succeed.It’s exciting to see where we all go from here.
New episodes of Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro air Mondays at 8PM ET on ABC.
