‘The Next Pro’ shows there’s strength on the ‘DWTS’ bench

In fact, the stripped-down “Pro” has a way into the dancers’ lives without tearful confessions or noticeable defeats.

While producers may have toyed with the idea of the contestants living together like some Bravo reality show, they were wise to ignore the late-night chats and fights.

In the semi-finals of “Pro,” the four were paired with real pros and expected to perform. Then, for the second dance, they partnered with another contestant. And the results, as judge Shirley Ballas would say, were perfection. The dances were great to watch and captivating. Any of the four would work on “DWTS” (and could be better than some of the regulars).

Allen Genkin, a 36-year-old dance studio owner, got the short straw and was sent home, leaving AJ Pritchard, Adele Zaikman and Selena Hamilton to duke it out in next week’s finals.

The women got praise for representing the next generation of “DWTS” dancers (what that means, we have no idea), and Pritchard was nudged about his quest for perfection.

Pritchard, however, wasn’t backing down. He owned the description and embraced pro Rylee Arnold’s description: “a thinker.”

Hamilton and Zaikman got plenty of adjectives from Shirley and Mark Ballas and guest judge Kym Johnson. They would work in a pro capacity. But, as we’ve said repeatedly, Pritchard has the experience (he’s already on the British version of “DWTS”), the social media numbers (he smokes the competition) and the ability (Shirley Ballas nudges him about his strict regimen).

If he doesn’t win next week, he’ll be on backup in case someone is injured.

We think he’s already working with his celeb and will be a force, particularly if he gets a partner who can dance.

It’s AJ for the win.

“The Next Pro” is a good choice, too. It’s a show that could be even more fun if it put existing pros on the chopping block and let them duke it out. Imagine those competitions.