Note: This story contains spoilers from “Dancing With the Stars” Season 34, Episode 2.
Preparing for a double elimination, the stars stepped it up on Week 2 of “Dancing With the Stars” Season 34.
Robert Irwin and Whitney Leavitt topped the leaderboard yet again on One Hit Wonder night, heating up the competition. Carrie Ann Inaba returned to the judges’ table, but there was a twist — in order to save time, only two judges could give feedback per couple with the third giving a one word critique.
Halfway through the show, host Alfonso Ribeiro announced that Episode 2 had already surpassed last week’s record of 21 million votes. In the end, actor-musician Corey Feldman and NBA All-star Baron Davis were both eliminated Tuesday night.
Alix Earle kicked off her Week 2 routine with a baby freeze in heels before completing a jive to “Mambo No. 5.” Derek Hough called Earle and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy a “powerhouse partnership” but wanted a few more kicks and flicks throughout the routine. Bruno Tonioli told the social media star the routine was a “breakthrough, my love.”
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov performed a cha cha to “Rhythm of the Night” by Corona. In her package ahead of her performance, the “Boy Meets World” star revealed she had a strained hamstring but still included a cartwheel and a full split in her routine.
Andy Richter’s partner Emma Slater opened their tango to “It’s Raining Men” as a weather girl herself. Inaba gave the comedian a big hug as she gave her one word critique “improved.” All the judges praised his apparent love for dance despite his level of inexperience.
Former Fifth Harmony star Lauren Jauregui put the ballroom at ease, according to judge Inaba, with her foxtrot to “Lovefool” by The Cardigans. Partner Brandon Armstrong said he was excited to show off his partner as an individual outside of her girl group. Hough complimented the star on her gracefulness in the foxtrot.
The ballroom was on their feet for Jordan Chiles’ jive to “Maniac” by Mark Morrison. After receiving low scores Week 1, the Olympic gymnast was determined to come back stronger with her Week 2 dance. Chiles told host Julianne Hough that she takes criticism well, and it pushes her to be better. The judges applauded her improvement with high scores to match, saying the style let her personality shine through.
The “Comeback King” Corey Feldman told partner Jenna Johnson that he would be upset to go home after just two episodes. The actor-musician performed a cha cha to “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot, entertaining the crowd with a silly routine full of booty shaking. Johnson even said they laughed all week during rehearsals, but it only earned the couple 5s from the judges.
MomTok star Jen Affleck brought her countertop dance moves to the ballroom Tuesday with her routine to “Take On Me” by a-ha. The judges said the reality star was much improved from last week but still got onto her partner Jan Ravnik for including too many lifts.
Robert Irwin wowed the judges yet again with his tango to “Move Your Feet” by Junior Senior. Though the wildlife conservationist does not have any dance experience, his charisma won over the judges. “You don’t need gimmicks. You’re good,” Tonioli said of the routine. Inaba said that she’s buying what Irwin is selling this season.
The “Parent Trap” star performed a cheerleader-themed routine to “Hey Mickey” with her partner Alan Bersten. With pigtails and all, Elaine Hendrix gave a clean jive routine. Tonioli complimented her versatility and ability to embody different characters while Hough praised the actress’ sharp movements.
NBA all-star Baron Davis choked a little in his samba to “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison. Inaba could barely critique the routine because she was distracted by so many missteps. Hough tried to pull it back together and gave his compliments to Davis’ partner Britt Stewart. His subpar performance ultimately sent him home.
Whitney Leavitt turned out a spicy cha cha to “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry for her Week 2 routine. Inaba praised the reality star for setting the competition on fire both of the opening weeks. And Tonioli was impressed by the amount of content that her partner Mark Ballas incorporated into the routine. Leavitt tied at the top of the leaderboard yet again with Irwin.
Hilaria Baldwin stunned the judges with her technique in her tango to “What Is Love” by Haddaway. Hough specifically complimented her arms and the fluidity of her movement with partner Gleb Sanchenko. Inaba did knock the couple for a little lift in the routine, but overall the judges praised the wellness creator.
After teasing his samba skills on social media, Dylan Efron lived up to the hype. Performing one of the trickiest ballroom styles with his partner Daniella Karagach, the “Traitors” star impressed the judges. Inaba said his skillset was baffling to her because he presents as a beginner but his hips look more expert level. Hough wanted to see more power and strength from the couple moving forward.
Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying danced a cha cha to “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” with his partner Rylee Arnold. The judges noticed an improvement from the a capella singer since last week but encouraged him to take up more space. Hough said the 6’3” Grammy winner needed to embrace his full wingspan and reach in future routines.
LEADERBOARD: Week 1 and 2
- Robert Irwin & Witney Carson: 37
- Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas: 37
- Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko: 35
- Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy: 34
- Lauren Jauregui & Brandon Armstrong: 34
- Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten: 33
- Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov: 31
- Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik: 34
- Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa: 32
- Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach: 30
- Baron Davis & Britt Stewart: 28
- Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold: 28
- Andy Richter & Emma Slater: 25
- Corey Feldman & Jenna Johnson: 24
“Dancing With the Stars” airs live on Tuesdays on ABC and streams on Disney+ in local time zones and the next day on Hulu.
