What To Know
- Week 2 of Dancing With the Stars Season 35 featured the contestants dancing to viral hits.
- The couples were dancing for scores from the judges and votes from viewers.
- At the end of the episode, the pair with the lowest combined scores and votes was eliminated.
Week 2 of Dancing With the Stars brought your favorite viral hits to the dance floor! During the two-part Season 35 premiere in Week 1, both new pros Adele Zaikman and Hailey Bills were eliminated with their celebs, Conner Leavitt and Sarah Jane Nader, respectively, but the show went on for the other 14 couples.
Throughout the September 22 episode, the celebs and their pro partners took the ballroom floor to wow the judges with dances to songs that have found popularity on social media, including “All the Things She Said” by Harrison, which went viral after being featured in Heated Rivalry, and “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, which had everyone in their feels after watching Barbie.
Scroll down for a complete recap of the episode.
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy — 21/30
After Carrie Ann Inaba‘s feedback last week about Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy’s teamwork, Dewan was determined to make a splash with a jive to “Animal” by KATSEYE. Bruno Tonioli raved, “What a way to start the show,” calling Dewan “a sexy beast [who] did not miss a beat.”
Inaba explained, “Tonight, what I saw was connected resistance.” She later added, “I’m excited because it was so good.” For Derek Hough‘s one-word response, he shared, “Fast-fierce-fantastic.” (We’re sure the hyphens were in there.)
After their dance, Dewan told Julianne Hough that she really wanted to show Inaba how strong their partnership could be. With 7s from all three judges, Dewan finished with a 21/30.
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong — 18/30
Last week, Ciara Miller got vulnerable on the dance floor, with Inaba declaring that she could “see” her. Ready to work on their frame, Miller and Brandon Armstrong took to the floor with a tango to “No Broke Boys” by Disco Lines and Tinashe.
While Miller’s heel got caught, Inaba cheered, “Ciara has entered the building!” According to Hough, the duo still needs to watch their frame, but he thought that Miller was absolutely radiant. During his one(ish) word statement, Tonioli shared, “Beautiful, my darling.”
With 6s across the board, Miller got 18/30, exclaiming that she was incredibly grateful.
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess — 16/30
Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli), is that you? For their Week 2 dance, Bachelor Nation’s Tyler Cameron and pro Sharna Burgess danced a salsa to “Girls” by The Kid LAROI, which went viral after the song was featured on Off Campus. Trust us, Cameron’s moves were just as hot as the Briar U hockey star’s.
As Cameron and Burgess teased earlier in the week, his shirt did come off, and the Bachelor star did do the Off Campus fist-to-hips dance move. “You were lifting Sharna up like a He-Man sword,” Hough explained before calling out the content. “It felt more like a cabaret than a salsa.” Tonioli added, “I have to agree with Derek” after calling Cameron a “Terminator.” As Inaba briefly put it, “Agreed, but impressive”
Dedicating their dance to the girls and the gays this week, Cameron received a 6 from Inaba and 5s from the guys, getting a 16/30.
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa — 16/30
According to actress Julia Stiles, she is reclaiming her relationship with being open and vulnerable in the public eye by being on Dancing With the Stars. She and Ezra Sosa took on the tango for Week 2 with “The Door” by Teddy Swims.
Tonioli told Stiles, “Some beats were very, very good but at times there were stumbles, and you know that.” Agreeing, Inaba shared, “What’s beautiful about you is your posture… But it’s also working against you.” Derek’s “one” word was “good performance.”
With a 6 from Hough and 5s from Tonioli and Inaba, Stiles received a 16/30 from the judges.
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater — 18/30
After landing a collection of 5s last week, Jackson Olson is “determined” to do better. This week, Emma Slater challenged Olson to his first ballroom dance in frame, a foxtrot to “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams.
Praised for a “smooth” foxtrot by Alfonso Ribeiro, Olson received rave reviews compared to last week. “Whoa, improvement,” Inaba told Olson. “You settled into it. The partnership is working.” Hough added, “I was really impressed by your frame,” explaining how important it is to maintain that form. For Tonioli’s one word, he told them, “What we all feel — charmed.”
With 6s across the board, Slater was “ecstatic” to see a one-point bump from each judge. Olson received an 18/30.
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten — 12/30
After surprising everyone, including herself, Giada De Laurentiis hoped to surprise herself again with a salsa (and her first lifts) to “Bella Ciao” by Becky G. Both De Laurentiis and pro Alan Bersten appeared to have a tearful rehearsal process this week that Julianne Hough referred to as “healthy friction.”
Derek Hough pointed out a few missteps during their dance, sharing that De Laurentiis is still a little timid. As Tonioli put it, “You gave me salsa without spice, that is a problem.” He added, “You have to let it go. I can see you thinking.” Unfortunately, Inaba’s word for De Laurentiis was “Shake-y.”
The full panel was booed as they gave 4s across the board. De Laurentiis received a 12/30, which she called “disappointing.”
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold — 15/30
Content creator Connor Wood hoped to go viral with his tango with Rylee Arnold to “12 to 12” by Sombr. Telling Wood he was going to be brutally honest after the duo made a few noticeable mistakes during their dance, Tonioli explained, “There were a lot of mistakes tonight, and you know that… But the good bits were excellent.”
“That’s such a shame,” Inaba commented, giving multiple compliments before addressing their pitfall. “It’s a mistake, which is why our scores must be what they are.” For his one word, Hough shouted out Wood’s grandmother, with whom he went viral for the first time, saying, “Grandma Mimi.”
Still, Wood received 5s across the board, with a 15/30.
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach — 21/30
After coming in third last week, Daniella Karagach challenged Ezra Frech to what she called the most difficult dance: The cha-cha. Together, they took the floor in shades to dance to “Low” by Flo Rida. “This ballroom was torn down tonight,” Ribiero exclaimed after their dance concluded.
“What the frick, Ezra Frech!” Inaba exclaimed, calling their dance “down and dirty,” before adding that the track star “demands excellence from himself.” Recalling his season with Paralympian Amy Purdy, Hough shared, “I am just in awe of you, my friend.”
With 7s from all the judges, Frech received a 21/30.
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik — 18/30
Preparing a foxtrot to “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish with Jan Ravnik, Tatyana Ali looked back at overcoming harsh words from critics in her past. After a misstep through her off her game last week, Ali brought it for Week 2.
“You were absolutely beautiful,” Hough told Ali. “That was breathtaking.” Tonioli commented on the vulnerable dance sharing, “It had such a soft and gentle quality… Beautiful storytelling.” He joked, adding, “The footwork, I assume, was good, but it was lost in the fog.” Inaba’s one word was “touching.”
Ali received 6s across the board, with an 18/30.
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov — 21/30
Making an iconic reference to Heated Rivalry and her personal connection to the series having come out in 2019, Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov danced a tango to “All the Things She Said” by Harrison, who was in the ballroom DJing the song.
“Best tango of the night, period,” Tonioli declared. “That was phenomenal,” Inaba told Glenn. Referencing her struggles with the partnership as a solo performer last week, Inaba confirmed, “This partnership is working.” In lieu of a single word, Hough gave Glenn a handshake.
With 7s from all the judges, Glenn received a 21/30.
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson — 12/30
After coming at the bottom of the leaderboard last week, Guillermo Rodriguez brought his passionate side with a paso doble to “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna.
After their dance, Inaba told Rodriguez, “I have so much love for you. I appreciate that you just didn’t rely on schtick in that dance,” calling his reference to Val Chmerkovskiy’s viral knee-slide “the knee-slide for seniors.”As Hough put it, “I was actually really blown away… Really fun. Just keep that up.” Of course, Tonioli’s word for their dance was, “Olé!”
With 4s from the whole panel, Rodriguez received a 12/30.
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart — 15/30
After dancing a quickstep last week, Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart performed a cha-cha to “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE. As Hanson put it, cha-cha is “very demanding.”
“Focus on the shoulders, elbows, wrists,” Hough suggested, while overall complimenting his performance. Tonioli told Hanson, “I like the fact that you went into the kind of Dirty Dancing-mode.” That said, Tonioli reminded the singer, “Your feet cannot be turned in.” For her single word, Inaba told them their dance was “frenetic.”
With 5s across the board, Hanson earned a 15/30.
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson — 18/30
Harry Shum Jr. shared that it was an absolute dream to top the leaderboard during Week 1. Now, the Glee star is dancing a Viennese waltz to “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls with Jenna Johnson.
“Let it all out, darling. It’s better out than in,” Tonioli explained. Commenting on the Viennese waltz, he advised, “It’s like flying. Overall, it wasn’t bad.” Inaba complimented Shum, explaining, “You are an amazing performer,” adding that she feels lucky to watch him dance up close. That said, she explained that their dance felt “out of balance.” For his single word of feedback, Hough told the duo that their dance was “Beautiful.”
With 6s from all three judges, Shum received an 18/30.
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas — 20/30
Introduced to a “new level of cardio,” Maura Higgins danced a cha-cha with Mark Ballas to “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. The couple shared the final dance of the night, after tying with Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson for the highest score last week.
Inaba told Higgins, “Last week you were on top of the leaderboard, but everyone here is still in process.” While there were some technical errors, she explained, “I see you, dedicated to learning the technique.” Hough shared that their cha-cha was “very back-weighted,” explaining that her hips were out of position. In far more than one word, Tonioni told the entire cast that it was a fantastic show.
Inaba and Hough gave Higgins 6s, and Tonioni gave her a 7. She received a 20/30.
Who was eliminated?
At the end of the night, the results were revealed. Announced in no particular order, the six couples first called safe were: Tatyana Ali/Jan Ravnik, Jackson Olson/Emma Slater, Ezra Frech/Daniella Karagach, Ciara Miller/Brandon Armstrong, Taylor Hanson/Britt Stewart, and Amber Glenn/Pasha Pashkov.
The next five safe were Maura Higgins/Mark Ballas, Jenna Dewan/Val Chmerkovskiy, Harry Shum Jr./Jenna Johnson, Connor Wood/Rylee Arnold, and Julia Stiles/Ezra Sosa.
The final three left on the floor were Tyler Cameron/Sharna Burgess, Giada De Laurentiis/Alan Bersten, and Guillermo Rodriguez/Witney Carson.
The couple eliminated was … Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten.
Dancing With the Stars, Season 35, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+