“Dancing With the Stars” continued its two-night premiere event with the ladies of Season 35 before one contestant was sent home.
The women danced a variety of ballroom styles, performing a routine to a song of their choice from their birth year. Night Two included music from Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston and Avril Lavigne. The Pros opened the show with a captivating number to “Love Sensation” by Madonna, which was choreographed by Mandy Moore.
Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro revealed that Tuesday night was the series’ highest rated premiere in six years with nearly 7 million viewers.
The judges reminded everyone that scores are going to start lower so that there is room to grow before dishing out their scores for the night’s dances. One woman was sent home after the night of dancing. Sarah Jane Nader and her partner Hailey Bills were eliminated on Night Two of competition.
The episode also included an introduction to the Season 35 troupe, a number from judge Derek Hough’s national tour and a tease of what’s to come for the men’s dances next week.
Night Two was immediately followed by the “DWTS After Party” hosted by former Mirrorball Champion Robert Irwin with Dylan Efron serving as a correspondent.
For a full recap of all of the night’s dances, keep reading.
Tatyana Ali kicked off Ladies’ Night with a few bumps in her jive. She performed with her partner Jan Ravnik to the 1979 hit “Knock on Wood” by Amii Stewart. The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alum reunited with her on-screen brother Alfonso Ribeiro before performing her upbeat routine. The judges were candid that her dance was not quite up to snuff, but they were optimistic that she would come back for Week 2.
Amber Glenn brought her competitive spirit to the ballroom Wednesday night for her cha cha routine with partner Pasha Pashkov to “Smooth” by Santana ft. Rob Thomas. The Olympic gold medalist shared that she was not used to working with a partner, but her partner Pashkov said that the opportunities were limitless with the figure skater. Her fiery routine, which included a solo section and an aerial jump, impressed the judges. Bruno Tonioli just said that the athlete needs to refine her technique.
“Summer House” alum Ciara Miller shared that she had a difficult year coming out of the Amanda-West drama and was ready to reclaim her story on “DWTS.” The reality star performed a foxtrot to “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston. Tonioli said she had sophisticated elegance but wanted more control and continuous flow. Inaba was brought to tears watching Miller take the stage.
“I can see the pain that you have,” she said. “This is the beautiful thing about dance is that it gives you a place to express that.”
Giada De Laurentiis proved that it’s never too late to become a dancer with her tango to “Venus” by Shocking Blue. The Food Network chef had zero dance experience before stepping into the rehearsal room with her partner Alan Bersten. Carrie Ann Inaba could barely believe that it was the chef’s first ever dance. Hough called the dance a little careful but said she had all of the ingredients. De Laurentiis got emotional as she talked about her daughter inspiring her to get out of her comfort zone and come onto the show.
“10 Things I Hate About You” star Julia Stiles proved the haters wrong with her quickstep to “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton. The late country music icon cleared the song weeks before her death, so Stiles said it was an honor to pay homage to her with the routine. Inaba said the routine was clean but she wanted her to extend lines a little more. Hough told the “Save the Last Dance” star that the haters online could “eat it” after her high-scoring routine with Ezra Sosa.
Maura Higgins wowed the judges with her “Traitors”-inspired foxtrot to “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles. Her former co-star Mark Ballas did not hold back on the content for the amateur dancer. Their routine paid homage to her time on the Emmy Award-winning reality show, including hooded traitors and her Birkin bag. Inaba called the routine mesmerizing, and Tonioli said that he had never seen movement quality like that. Hough added that expectations are high now.
Sarah Jane Nader and her partner and first-time pro Hailey Bills performed a jive to the 2002 hit “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne. The “Love Thy Nader” star wanted to showcase a queer couple in the ballroom, so she asked specifically to have a female partner. The couple did not quite grab the attention of the judges, though. Inaba said that the routine was out of sync the whole time. Tonioli loved the attitude but needed tighter timing from the couple.
Jenna Dawan concluded the night’s competition with a bang. The former professional dancer and “Step Up” star performed a tango to “Call Me” by Blondie with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Dawan said she was nervous for the high level of expectations placed on her but rose to the occasion. Inaba knocked a point for a lift in her routine, but other than that the judges were impressed by her routine and looked forward for what’s to come the rest of the season.
LEADERBOARD: Week 1, Night Two
- Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas: 21
- Jenna Dawan & Val Chmerkovskiy: 19
- Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov: 18
- Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa: 18
- Giada De Laurentiis & Brandon Armstrong: 16
- Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong: 15
- Sarah Jane Nader & Hayley Bills: 13
- Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik: 12
