'Dancing with the Stars' : Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas Go Home

"I had an awesome time and an awesome partner," Palin said

Photo: Adam Taylor/ABC

On Monday night’s Dancing with the Stars, Kelly Monaco cried tears of joy and relief after she completed a dramatic, high-scoring contemporary number with partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Meanwhile, Karina Smirnoff shed tears of a different kind following her hip-hop routine with Apolo Ohno.

Smirnoff, who began crying immediately after the dance, apologized for a mid-performance slip and fall. While the judges praised Ohno for going on with the routine like a “true professional,” the pair only earned 34.5 out of 40 points, placing them third from the bottom on the leader board.

At the end of Tuesday night’s elimination, did Smirnoff and Ohno kiss the ballroom goodbye, leaving perennial low scorers Kirstie Alley and Bristol Palin safe yet again?

Not the case. Bristol and Mark are heading home.

“We did it. We made it to week four and I’m happy with that. I had an awesome time and an awesome partner,” Palin said. “I wish everyone the best of luck.”

Joining them in the bottom two were Kirstie and Maks, while Karina and Apolo were declared safe.

Next week the remaining couples will dance twice, performing an individual routine and a team freestyle.