DWTS 24 Week 3 Live Blog and Performance Videos

Last week, Chris & Witney were sent packing, with Charo as the last star called to be safe. Considering her scores, it is likely she is in trouble once again tonight. But who else had a rough outing last week? Mr. T and Nick also appear toward the bottom of the leaderboard and a few other couples are only a couple of points higher. On the opposite end, last week’s higher scoring couples are looking to once again keep that momentum going- hoping to remain ahead of the pack and cement their status as season twenty-four frontunners.

Let’s take a look at last week’s poll results to see where MJ readers stand heading into tonight. Only five couples managed double digit percentages in last week’s favorite partnership poll. Normani & Val have 31%, Rashad & Emma earned 19%, Bonner & Sharna have 14%, Simone & Sasha took 12%, and David & Lindsay were right at 10%. What about last week’s favorite and least favorite routines? On the favorite side, Normani & Val‘s cha-cha-cha had 38% of the vote. Rashad & Emma‘s viennese waltz scored 22%. Heather & Alan‘s jive was on the map with 12%. Also at 12% was the viennese waltz brought to you by Bonner & Sharna. For least favorite, 38% went with Charo & Keo‘s paso doble. Another paso doble, from Mr. T & Kym ended up with 26%. Those were the only two dances in double digits.

The second episode earned a “B” grade. Now, onto your predictions for tonight’s second elimination. It is Charo or Mr. T for you guys. The former with 62% and the latter with 24%. And I agree. It has to be one of them with an outside (but still slim) chance that Erika could get the boot. If Charo and Mr. T were able to wrangle enough votes from viewers (and they do fit the show’s demo), we could see somewhat of a surprise in an Erika departure. She hasn’t really had a memorable routine, her rehearsal packages haven’t done her any real favors, and she gets a bit lost in the shuffle with the big names and personalities of this cast.

Tonight, the couples are tasked to a perform in a new style, and they range from charleston to samba. At the end of the night, the second couple will be eliminated, bringing us down to ten. With all that being said, let’s do like Elvis and Viva Las Vegas…

What a fun opening. Pros, troupe, and even the celebrities in on the Vegas action. They danced in front of slots, poker tables, and even Simone ended up in a magician’s box. Mandy Moore choreographed that of course. Very appropriate for the theme and lots of energy. Good stuff. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Nick & Peta – Tango
Nick feels bad about screwing up last week. He even got a pep talk from Maks. He really gets down on himself during rehearsal. There you go Nick! Nick’s best routine of the competition. A solid tango in which Nick had control of his steps, good posture, and a nice fierceness as he and Peta did the tango around the ballroom. I didn’t see any of his usual nervousness or missed steps. This was a huge step in the right direction. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Len saw improvement. He mentions a little trouble with the frame but better than last week. Julianne felt Nick delivered. She felt at ease watching him. Bruno says it was sheer determination. He wants him to be careful not to stomp it. It should be more stalking through it and not stomping. Carrie Ann appreciates that Nick looked like it felt good.
You can vote for Nick by calling 1 800 868 3409 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 6
Julianne- 7
Bruno- 6
26/40

Mr. T & Kym – Foxtrot
Mr. T feels good but he does realize he is still lower than everyone else. Kym wants to show a different side of Mr. T this week. She feels this is the perfect dance for him. You know, I feel for Mr. T. He has so much determination and good work ethic but I just don’t think his body can keep up with his heart. He does the steps for the most part but his routines never come together as anything worth writing home about. If only he was physically able to keep up with how much his brain wants this. On the upside, he had more content in this dance that the previous two combined. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Julianne called it beautiful. Bruno loved how elegant Mr. T looks. He thought the style and feel were absolutely right. Carrie Ann felt the audience was totally behind him. She says perhaps his movements aren’t like others but use the audience. Len calls him a gentle giant. He says it had a charm and was entertaining.
You can vote for Mr. T by calling 1 800 868 3407 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 6
Len- 6
Julianne- 6
Bruno- 6
24/40

Bonner & Sharna – Charleston
Sharna is thrilled that Bonner tied with Simone. Sharna struggled a bit this week with choreography due to Bonner’s injury. He can’t do tricks or lifts which are part of the charleston. He is frustrated during rehearsals. Okay, so that wasn’t great. Sharna had way too much going on during that. The extra dancers were actually unnecessary. And Bonner had too many out of sync moments when everyone was dancing together. It also lacked a bit of energy for such a fun, old school type routine. I don’t know how the judges will come down on this but for me, Bonner’s weakest routine of the competition. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Bruno felt it needed more sharpness and energy. He also says Bonner went off time. Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno. She feels it needed to be much more extroverted. Len says it needed more freedom- too safe. He does enjoy Bonner trying to sell it though. Julianne says Bonner has to have character and performance and she wanted a bit more. Sh wants him to fake it until he becomes it.
You can vote for Bonner by calling 1 800 868 3401 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 6
Len- 6
Julianne- 6
Bruno- 6
24/40

And now, a sneak preview of Derek and Julianne’s new tour. I would normally say that this is going to make the rest of the show a bit stuck for time (resulting in rushed critiques and all) but how can one have an issue with seeing Derek and Julianne dance beautifully? Similar to the DWTS tour and Maks & Val’s tour, I would absolutely go see this if it was in my area and I had the cash. Just gorgeous stuff from start to finish here which was grounded in contemporary. We miss you Derek and we miss you Julianne as a dancer on the show! – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Heather & Maks (Alan) – Tango
Heather says it felt awesome last week, despite Alan having to fill in. She hopes Maks has a speedy recovery. Alan is a goofball in rehearsal and Maks even facetime’s in from the hospital. That was fabulous. What a strong tango. Great sharp movements, solid posture, and use of the entire dance floor. I like this partnership. Heather has taken to having a new partner easily and it shows during the dance. Really good job. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Carrie Ann calls it amazing. Len calls Heather a terrific dancer. He says Heather went all in. Julianne loved the connection between Heather and Alan. She loved it. Bruno loved it as well and mentions the variations in the dance.
You can vote for Heather by calling 1 800 868 3406 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 9
Len- 8
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 8
33/40

Charo & Keo – Foxtrot
Keo admits keeping Charo under control is difficult. Charo says she has to think before she talks. She feels America hates her because of what she did last week (the fighting with the judges and all). But she loves Keo. Charo’s best routine. No, it wasn’t perfect and we have seen many other foxtrots (this season included) that were stronger overall but I enjoyed seeing a calmer, more technical Charo who was doing a dance that required some subtlety and finesse. Now, just work more on cleaning things up! – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Len says it was a lovely routine even if it lacked a bit of technique. Julianne loves the sweet side of Charo. Bruno calls it surprisingly refreshing. Charo is being very “good” here in not speaking out or screaming. Carrie Ann enjoyed the balance in the dance. She does miss a bit of the “cuchi-cuchi.”
You can vote for Charo by calling 1 800 868 3402 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 6
Len- 6
Julianne- 6
Bruno- 6
24/40

Simone & Sasha – Quickstep
Simone says it was tough last week. Sasha says this is Simone’s type of dance. She is a bit confused about Elvis though- she didn’t even know he was in movies. Sasha dresses as Elvis in rehearsal. Wow. Anyone need a breather after that? A proper quickstep- very fast across the floor and a lot of high energy. I sort of wish Sasha put a little more footwork in there but I may not have seen it all due to Simone’s outfit. It was difficult to see what her feet were doing the whole time. I am also a bit underwhelmed at Sasha’s overall choreography this season. He used to put so many memorable routines together with Terra but he has a possible winner this season and he needs to step it up a bit. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Julianne thought the quickstep stuff was executive well. She wants her to keep pushing on the emotion. Bruno loved the speed. He does agree with Julianne on Simone needing to work on interpretation. OH NO. A LIFT. THE LIFT POLICE. Carrie Ann is ready to deduct a point. She felt it was fantastic though. Len says it had speed but control. A little body contact was lost but he liked it.
You can vote for Simone by calling 1 800 868 3412 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 8
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 8
32/40

Nancy & Artem – Samba
Nancy felt nervous last week. She feels this week’s challenge for her is to be more sassy and feel confident. Artem got to meet Ricky Martin and was a total fanboy. So cute. Nancy just wants to have fun. YOU GO NANCY! I loved that. Her best routine. She looked relax, confident, excited, and the dance was a blast. A proper samba executed wonderfully. I think this is the first time in Nancy’s journey where I felt that she did a routine people would remember at the end of the night. Good choreo from Artem here. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Bruno loved Nancy’s sassy side. He loved the full range of proper samba steps. Carrie Ann loved the dance and especially loved that no part of the dance was sacrificed. Len says to win on this show, you need hard work and Nancy has that in spades. He says it is the best dance he has seen this season. Julianne too loved that it was a proper samba.
You can vote for Nancy by calling 1 800 868 3408 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 9
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 8
33/40

David & Lindsay – Jazz
David knows what he needs to work on. Lindsay is very excited for this Magic Mike inspired jazz routine. They go see the show to get David more comfortable. Okay. I am torn with this. On one hand, I love when Lindsay does routines that will make people want to vote and that are fun to watch. However, I don’t want David to be relegated to that dancer who does nothing but fun routines that are kinda funny too because it does him a bit of disservice when he needs to be technical in other routines. This routine won’t win high points for technique and that’s something he needs to work on. But for entertainment purposes, it will be loved. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Carrie Ann says David has game. Len liked that David embraces the show. He calls and entertaining. Julianne gives David magic props. She calls it funny but really good. Bruno says it was action packed. He calls it entertaining.
You can vote for David by calling 1 800 868 3404 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 7
Julianne- 8
Bruno- 8
31/40

Erika & Gleb – Jive
Erika loves Vegas. Gleb wants the routine to have a circus feel. Erika admits the jive isn’t easy for her. A better rehearsal package for Erika. That’s the first time I felt somewhat connected to an Erika routine. Sure, the kicks and flicks needed a bit more strength (as did the overall energy) but the dance didn’t rely solely on sultriness and it had a nice flow to it. Erika looked to be having fun too which also helps the viewing audience feel like they are having fun. Kudos to her. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Len loved the tricks and eye catching moves. He wanted some more jive. A little unstable but well done. Julianne agrees with Len but loved how refreshing it was. Bruno loves her legs. But he says timing was lost a few times with those kicks and flicks. Carrie Ann agrees with Julianne. She mentions too many out of sync moments and here we go again- LIFT POLICE. CALL THE JAIL. POLICE DEPARTMENT.
You can vote for Erika by calling 1 800 868 3405 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 6
Len- 7
Julianne- 7
Bruno- 6
26/40

Rashad & Emma – Samba
Rashad is shocked he is at the top of the leaderboard. Emma knows the samba is hard. OH. This is a tough rehearsal because Emma is making it difficult. First, SAMBA ROLLS. Readers who have been following me doing this show know how much I love seeing them in a proper samba. So that gets points from me right off the bat. And I really dug Rashad’s hips here. They were totally doing everything for me. I don’t think it was technically as good as Nancy’s samba but I think Emma put enough in there that people will think very highly of it. She is a great choreographer and it is showing in all of her routines with Rashad. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Julianne loves how Rashad feels the music. She unfortunately felt as though Rashad was behind the music. But she isn’t worried about him. Bruno thinks Rashad has natural ability. But he went on the wrong foot and lost the drive of the dance and it wasn’t as clean as he usually is. Carrie Ann agrees but does like how much more technical details she is seeing. Len felt it was a bit flat footed and the bounce wasn’t there. But he felt it was relaxed and the setting was good.
You can vote for Rashad by calling 1 800 868 3411 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 7
Len- 7
Julianne- 7
Bruno- 7
28/40

Normani & Val – Foxtrot
Normani is traveling again. She says she needs to be centered and calm despite the stress. Val wants her to enjoy the journey. Normani says Val is becoming a good friend. Normani is so skilled. Each dance she has done so far this season has been aces. And I love the way she lives the dance- totally in the right theme each and every time. And she always looks great dancing. I am excited to see her and Val do something intimate soon because I think she has the capabilities at this rate to go extremely far in the competition. – Click to Watch the Performance Video

Bruno calls it fabulous. He calls it the best dance of the night. Carrie Ann, are you kidding? LIFT POLICE. LIFT. LIFT. LIFT. But she says Normani hammered the routine into the ground. Len calls Normani a fantastic dancer. He wanted more in hold though. Julianne thought it was a great way to end the night. She felt it was more than just a foxtrot.
You can vote for Normani by calling 1 800 868 3410 during the show and for 60 minutes after the broadcast in each time zone. You can also vote online at ABC.COM and/or on FACEBOOK (voting is combined via this method) from the start of the East Coast show till 8PM Eastern the following day.
Carrie Ann- 8
Len- 8
Julianne- 9
Bruno- 9
34/40

ELIMINATION TIME…

IN JEOPARDY- Charo & Keo
IN JEOPARDY- Nick & Peta

All other couples are safe.

The second couple eliminated this season on DWTS is…

CHARO & KEO

Charo says she is having a good time but she will see Bruno in the parking lot. They head to the middle of the dance floor to say their goodbyes.

Charo calmed down tonight but it wasn’t enough. I can’t really disagree with this elimination though I do think Mr. T should have joined her in jeopardy as opposed to Nick. But Mr. T has this show’s demo in his pocket and he is a sweet guy so he may last a bit. Anyways, so long to Charo. – Click to Watch the Elimination Video

And there you have it for Vegas night.

One final look at tonight’s leaderboard (scores are out of 40)
Normani & Val- 34
Heather & Maks (Alan)- 33
Nancy & Artem- 33
Simone & Sasha- 32
David & Lindsay- 31
Rashad & Emma- 28
Erika & Gleb- 26
Nick & Peta- 26
Mr. T & Kym- 24
Bonner & Sharna- 24
Charo & Keo- 24

A brand new POLLS thread is minutes away from going up (be sure to check it out and vote) and I’ll be back with you guys a week from tonight from another new and exciting episode.