Viral Hits Night of “Dancing With the Stars” saw the celebrities a little shakier after just one week of preparation before competing.
Before the premiere episode, the stars had several weeks of rehearsals to prepare their dances, but for Week 2 the pressure was on. Several stars stumbled over their steps and faltered compared to their first week routines.
The second year of Viral Hits Night saw a routine from each of the 14 stars to a popular hit of their choice, including “Heated Rivalry” breakout “All the Things She Said,” “Girls” from the “Off Campus” soundtrack and “Animal” by Katseye.
The couple with the least amount of combined votes and judges’ scores, Giada De Laurentiis and her partner Alan Bersten, were sent home in the Week Two elimination.
Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough revealed halfway through the show that the show had already surpassed the amount of votes from both nights last week. With thirty minutes left in the broadcast, they said they had passed 50 million votes. By the end of the episode, voting had surpassed the Season 34 finale’s record.
Jenna Dewan opened the show with high energy kicks and flicks with her jive to “Animal” by Katseye. She and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy took the feedback from Carrie Ann Inaba that their partnership was lacking in Week One and brought the heat for Viral Hits Night. Bruno Tonioli called the performance a “scorcher” and said she did not miss a beat. Inaba commended the actress for her “connected resistance” before giving “The Rookie” star some of the highest scores of the night.
“Summer House” star Ciara Miller came back strong after her vulnerable Week One performance. The reality star shared that she knew if she started crying at the judges panel she wouldn’t be able to contain it. This week she performed a tango to “No Broke Boys” by Disco Lines & Tinashe with Brandon Armstrong. Inaba exclaimed that the reality star had “entered the building” this week, and Hough said that overall it was a job well done.
Tyler Cameron went back to his “Bachelorette” roots with his sultry salsa to “Girls” by The Kid LAROI. The routine paid homage to Belmont Cameli’s viral dance to the song from “Off Campus.” The routine included one-handed lifts and death-defying drops, but the judges wanted more technique. Derek Hough said it felt more like a cabaret routine than a salsa.
Julia Stiles and her partner Ezra Sosa performed an emotional tango to “The Door” by Teddy Swims. Hough wanted to see the movie star take her foot off the brakes with this week’s routine. The “Save the Last Dance” star said he wanted to stay open and vulnerable. Inaba said that Stiles seemed a little stiff in her routine and wanted to see more from the movie star.
Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson performed a foxtrot to “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams. Inaba said that the routine was an immense improvement from the baseball player’s routine last week. Olson kicked off the night of competition in Week One and said that he wanted to make Banana Nation proud as the competition went on.
Giada De Laurentiis struggled a little bit with her salsa routine with her partner Alan Bersten. Her package showed that she and her partner got overwhelmed in rehearsal this week and both needed patience. Hough wanted more power and commitment from the Food Network personality in her salsa to “Bella Ciao” by Becky G. Inaba said the routine was shaky.
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood hit a few roadblocks in his tango to “12 to 12” by sombr. His partner Rylee Arnold said in their package that the tango is intense, passionate and technical and the podcaster is none of those things. Tonioli said there were a lot of mistakes in the routine, but the good bits were excellent. Inaba said the routine was such a shame because he was interpreting the music, but his mistakes made the whole routine go wrong.
Ezra Frech wowed the ballroom with his cha-cha routine to “Low” by Flo Rida. The paralympian said he and his partner Daniella Karagach had to make some adjustments to work around his prosthetic, but his routine emerged as a standout for the night. The paralympian hit the splits and served some stank face while he dropped it low during his routine.
“What the Frech, man!” Inaba exclaimed following his performance. “You demand us to watch and you demand excellence of yourself.”
“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Tatyana Ali brought elegance to the ballroom with her foxtrot to “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish. She expressed that she was so grateful to be saved by the fans last week and that the support was overwhelming. Hough called her foxtrot with Jan Ravnik “breathtaking” and magical. Tonioli complimented the actress for her soft and gentle quality.
Figure skater Amber Glenn brought the heat with her tango to “All the Things She Said” by Harrison. She was inspired by the song’s boom in popularity after “Heated Rivalry.” Tonioli complimented her partner Pasha Pashkov for the difficulty and technique in the routine. Inaba said the routine gave her shivers. Hough called the routine the best tango of the night.
Guillermo Rodriguez emerged as another fan favorite with his paso doble routine to “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna. He told his partner Witney Carson that his dream was dance to a Rihanna song while on the show. His assisted knee walks were a hit with Inaba. Hough said that he was blown away by the routine, but the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” star still received all 4s.
Hanson lead singer Taylor Hanson felt the pressure this week with his cha-cha routine to “Cake By the Ocean.” The performance was his first in the Latin dance style, and he said it was harder to pick up for Week 2. Hough wanted him to focus on the extension through the shoulders if he came back. Tonioli commended Hanson and his partner Britt Stewart for taking risks with the content.
“Glee” star Harry Shum Jr. and partner Jenna Johnson performed a Viennese waltz to “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls. The actor said he was inspired by the viral 90s TikTok trend to the song. Coming from the hip-hop world, Shum Jr. said he struggled with working on his frame. His performance included a guttural scream as he brought himself back together to perform the ballroom dance. Inaba said that the routine felt out of balance with some really free moments but other timid moments in hold.
Reality star Maura Higgins did not buckle under pressure for her Week 2 dance. The “Traitors” star topped the leaderboard last week with her routine. She said that the cha-cha was a much harder style to compete in, and she even got teary in rehearsals. However, Higgins did not show it on the ballroom floor. The judges said she played it safer than last time, but her commitment to technique showed through.
The hosts teased a Mariah Carey and yacht rock theme nights to come as the competition begins to heat up. See below for the full leadership scores for the night.
LEADERBOARD: Week 2
- Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy: 21
- Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach: 21
- Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov: 21
- Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: 19
- Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong: 18
- Jackson Olson & Emma Slater: 18
- Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik: 18
- Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson: 18
- Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess: 16
- Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa: 16
- Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold: 15
- Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart: 15
- Giada De Laurentiis & Brandon Armstrong: 12
- Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson: 12
