After an electric season premiere, the reality of the competition finally set in during Week 2 of Dancing with the Stars season 34. In the second week of the competition, the first eliminations of the season sent home two of the lowest-scoring couples, as we bid farewell to NBA All-Star Baron Davis and Actor Corey Feldman.
Following a celebration of One Hit Wonders, Week 3 turned its attention to TikTok by challenging the 12 remaining couples to performance dances set to the songs responsible for some of TikTok’s most iconic trends. It seems only fitting that season 31 champion social media influencer Charli d’Amelio returned to join the opening number of the night, a night in which the teams tackled a variety of routines including Cha Cha, Foxtrot, Jazz, Salsa, Samba, Tango and Quickstep.
By the end of the night, the couple with the lowest combined judges’ scores and viewer votes will be eliminated from the competition, leaving only 11 couples standing heading into Week 4!
Keep reading for a full recap of Dancing with the Stars season 34 Week 3, including a breakdown on each couple’s scores and commentary from the judges, as well as spoilers for the Week 3 elimination!
(Note: The most recent updates appear at the bottom of this recap, so scroll all the way down to get the latest updates as the night unfolds.)
Dancing with the Stars TikTok Night Performances
For Week 3, Dancing with the Stars celebrates TikTok in a unique way. Rather than having the couples pull inspiration from viral TikTok dances, they instead danced to viral TikTok songs. Here’s a breakdown of the songs, dances, scores and judges feedback for the 12 remaining couples.
Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
TikTok Week Song: “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” by Carl Carlton
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Score: 19/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 7
- Derek Hough: 6
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judges’ Feedback: Bruno was impressed by Jen’s performance, but wanted cleaner movements on her finishes. Carrie Anne echoed this, pointing out Jen’s hyperextensions with her movements. Still, she loved seeing Jen having so much fun and the joy when she dances. Derek also agreed with his fellow judges, calling it a great performance which showed growth, while encouraging her to work on being quicker in her turns.
Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong
TikTok Week Song: “Work From Home” by Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign.
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Score: 18/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 6
- Derek Hough: 6
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judges’ Feedback: Carrie Ann praised Lauren on the way she moves and how in tune she is with her body, but admitted she wants to see a bit more pop and to hit her moves harder. Derek confessed to looking forward to Lauren’s performances every night, as there’s something beautiful about how she moves. He did agree with Carrie Ann in hoping to see more fire in her Latin routines, noting if she can bring that fire, she’ll be here for a long time. Bruno likened dancing to performing a song, that you have to bring that punch to certain aspects of the performance in order to bring the punch.
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
TikTok Week Song: Foxtrot
Dance: “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter
Judges Score: 21/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 7
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 7
Judges’ Feedback: Derek praised Danielle for the simplicity and grace she brings to the ballroom. One note he shared was to work on her arm movements, but he loved the control she brought to the routine. Bruno noted he loves a good student, praising her for her growth week to week in what he called an elegant and stylish performance. He also loved how they worked in the TikTok inspiration without letting it take away from the style of dance. Carrie Ann called the routine beautiful and uplifting, encouraging her to work on her body contact to help push her from the middle of the pack to the top of the leaderboard.
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
TikTok Week Song: “Anxiety” by Doechii
Dance: Tango
Judges Score: 24/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
- Derek Hough: 8
- Bruno Tonioli: 8
Judges’ Feedback: Bruno called Jordan’s growth astonishing as he celebrated what he called her best dance yet this season. Carrie Ann praised Jordan for being vulnerable and loved how smooth and fierce she was in the dance. Derek was really impressed with the framework of the routine with the height difference between Jordan and Ezra and praised Jordan for turning anxiety into artistry.
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
TikTok Week Song: Foxtrot
Dance: “YUKON” by Justin Bieber
Judges Score: 23/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 7
- Derek Hough: 8
- Bruno Tonioli: 8
Judges’ Feedback: Carrie admitted that she was torn on scoring the routine, in noting there is a beginning and an advanced group in the season. While Dylan is in the beginner group, he’s really learning the technique, which is really going to be the key to winning the season as he’s an amazing student. Derek called the routine smooth as silk and was impressed with Dylan’s control and stride in the Foxtrot. After challenging him to be a leading man, Derek praised Dylan for indeed becoming a leading man in the routine. Bruno summed the routine up as being 50 shades of Foxtrot, praising his technicality.
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
TikTok Week Song: “Gnarly” by KATSEYE
Dance: Tango
Judges Score: 21/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 7
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 7
Judges’ Feedback: Derek called the routine badass. He praised Elaine for being such a performer and always igniting the floor with energy. The one thing he challenged her with was working on her frame. Bruno also encouraged her to work on her framework in the performances, but praised her for the ability to always get the character right. Carrie Ann called the performance incredible and powerful; however, she expressed concerns with her being too independent and noted she feels there is some disconnect with their chemistry on the dance floor.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
TikTok Week Song: “Shake Ya Ass (Radio Edit)” by Mystikal
Dance: Samba
Judges Score: 24/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
- Derek Hough: 8
- Bruno Tonioli: 8
Judges’ Feedback: Bruno really loved how she brought the bounce of the Samba to the routine. Carrie Ann noted that Whitney was on fire and ate that dance up, praising her for the control she showed in the routine. Derek was speechless, calling the performance mesmerizing, and loved the combination of true Samba with TikTok flair.
Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold
TikTok Week Song: “like JENNIE” by JENNIE
Dance: Jazz
Judges Score: 22/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 7
Judges’ Feedback: Carrie Ann loved how Scott took her note last week about taking up more space in the dance and owned the floor, dubbing him the king of TikTok Night. Derek called the routine red-hot with Scott shining in the performance. Bruno agreed, noting that Scott was on fire and in his comfort zone in the routine.
Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko
TikTok Week Song: “Shake It To The Max (FLY) [Remix]” by MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea
Dance: Samba
Judges Score: 22/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 7
- Derek Hough: 8
- Bruno Tonioli: 7
Judges’ Feedback: Derek admitted that Hilaria is technically in a league of her own. He was impressed with her performance, calling her Samba rolls among the most beautiful they’ve seen on the show. Bruno loved that it was a true classic Samba with all the content, but he did admit he wanted to see more bounce. Carrie Ann called Hilaria a sensational dancer and noted the late Len Goodman would have loved her performance.
Andy Richter and Emma Slater
TikTok Week Song: “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan & Hozier
Dance: Foxtrot
Judges Score: 18/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 6
- Derek Hough: 6
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judges’ Feedback: Bruno loved the natural charm Andy brought to the routine. While he admitted there is still work to be done, he’s taking steps in the right direction and put much more content into the performance this week. Carrie Ann pointed out that Andy is why the show started: giving people with no dance experience the chance to learn to express themselves through dance. Derek noted he wished the audience at home could have been in the room to experience the energy in the ballroom when the beat dropped and the dance began.
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
TikTok Week Song: “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman
Dance: Salsa
Judges Score: 22/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 7
Judges’ Feedback: Carrie Ann kept things a bit brief on her feedback, simply calling him a great performer. Derek called the performance strong and assertive, but noted that he felt the dance was a bit rigid and stiff for a Salsa. Bruno agreed that while the performance was wonderful, it was lacking.
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
TikTok Week Song: “Pop Muzik” by M / Robin Scott
Dance: Quickstep
Judges Score: 23/30
- Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 8
Judges’ Feedback: Derek loved the way Alix glided effortlessly across the floor in a fresh and fun performance. He did note he wants to see her work on the frame. Bruno called it a sparking performance and called her a contender. Carrie summed it up as being her best dance so far this season.
Who went home on Dancing with the Stars in Week 3?
After a pair of less than shocking eliminations in the first elimination of the season, TikTok Night ended with a stunning elimination. At the end of the night it was Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui and her partner Brandon Armstrong who were sent home.
Lauren was understandably shocked by the news, summing up her feelings on being eliminated as being "pissed." It was an understanding feeling to have as she was a standout, despite falling to the bottom of the leaderboard in Week 3.