Dancing with the Stars 34 Recap: 2025 Week 2 Live Blog
Hey everyone!
Welcome to week two of season thirty-four of Dancing with the Stars. It is “one hit wonder” night and a double elimination looms at the end of the show! Which two couples will be forced to hang up those dancing shoes?
Last week, fourteen new couples hit the dance floor. It proved to be quite a good night of competition, especially for week one! Granted, we have a few people who have dance experience so the bar was set high quite early on.
At the top of the leader board tied for first are Whitney & Mark and Robert & Witney. At the bottom are Andy & Emma and Corey & Jenna. Your votes from last week will be added to tonight’s votes and combined with the judges scores over the two weeks to determine which couples are eliminated!
Everyone is performing a new unlearned routine. They are dancing to songs that were at one point a hit but the artists behind them are known only for that momentary success. Carrie Ann Inaba returns tonight and joins Derek and Bruno at the judges table.
Remember, VOTING begins at the top of the show and concludes after the final dance of the evening.
A bit of an abbreviated opening routine by the troupe members choreographed by Emma Slater. Julianne and Alfonso are announced pretty quickly. We have a lot to get through tonight so no time to mess about. Nice to see Carrie Ann back on board.
Because we are strapped for time, the third judge to speak in each critique tonight will sum up their thoughts with a one word response. Yes, you heard that right.
Alix & Val – Jive
A very high octane routine there and performed well. The kicks and flicks could have been a tad sharper and Alix needs to watch those arms and make sure they are not flailing about. But overall, kudos to keeping up the energy and looking great doing so.
Carrie Ann calls it incredible. She says she is fun and fresh. Derek says it was a difficult routine. He wanted to see some more kicks. Bruno sums it up with the word breakthrough.
Carrie Ann- 7 , Derek- 7 , Bruno- 7 = 21/30
VOTE for Alix & Val at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting ALIX to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Danielle & Pasha – Cha-Cha-Cha
Fun routine! It needed a dash more energy as it seemed a bit slow at points. And Danielle needs to finesse her steps to look more natural. Some of that came off very “teacher has taught me this step”. The end was a bit of a mess up but there was some nice cha-cha-cha content in there and Danielle did a decent job.
Bruno loved it but wants her to be weary of her shoulder. He did enjoy how cheeky it was. Carrie Ann feels she is sophisticated when she dances. She counsels her to breathe throughout the routine. Derek’s one word is good.
Carrie Ann- 7 , Derek- 6 , Bruno- 6 = 19/30
VOTE for Danielle & Pasha at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting Danielle to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Andy & Emma – Tango
Oy. I don’t want to be too critical but that was rough. It wasn’t sharp enough. The frame and hold was weak. And Andy was quite off musically. He needed some more practice I feel in order to get that tango down because it was very lacking. I am glad he is having so much fun on the show though. He’s a funny and cool guy.
Derek says Andy captures the essence of the show. He mentions the things that need work. Bruno calls the tango entertaining and a bit frightening. Carrie’s one word is improved.
Carrie Ann- 6 , Derek- 5 , Bruno- 5 = 16/30
VOTE for Andy & Emma at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting ANDY to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Lauren & Brandon – Foxtrot
Wow. Good job! There was a lot of foxtrot in there and it was well executed. Some fine rise and fall and nice frame and posture. It flowed very nicely and Lauren looks beautiful. Very happy with what she did there.
Carrie Ann says Lauren draws people in when she dances. She loves the partnership. Derek says it was soft and beautiful. Bruno’s one word is classy.
Carrie Ann- 7 , Derek- 7 , Bruno- 7 = 21/30
VOTE for Lauren & Brandon at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting LAUREN to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Jordan & Ezra -Jive
Dang. Now that was a terrific jive. So much energy. The kicks and flicks were on point and I must compliment Ezra’s choreography. That was a lot of fun to watch but still very technical and Jordan really stepped up to the plate.
Bruno says Jordan is going for gold. He felt it was stronger than last week. Carrie Ann gets up from her chair and is shouting YES about a hundred times. She says Jordan reminds her of Tina Turner. Derek’s one word is content.
Carrie Ann- 8 , Derek- 7 , Bruno- 7 = 22/30
VOTE for Jordan & Ezra at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting JORDAN to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Corey & Jenna – Cha-Cha-Cha
Oh boy. Listen, when you need the troupe to come in and dance with you this early on, you know it is a bit of a problem. I love the performance quality (he is an actor after all) but Corey was very stiff. That cha-cha-cha needed to be a little more loose and flowing. It was almost as though Lurch from The Addams Family was dancing. I’m not sure Corey has it in him to improve much on the technical side.
Derek says sometimes it is just being memorable. Bruno says technically it was unique and unforgettable. He is not quite sure about the cha-cha-cha. Carrie Ann’s one word is committed. Those judges remarks were kind and you can tell they didn’t love the routine but wanted to be nice in those critiques.
Carrie Ann- 5, Derek- 5, Bruno- 5 = 15/30
VOTE for Corey & Jenna at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting COREY to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Jen & Jan – Quickstep
Nice! A lot of content in that and the legs were moving fast and furious. For the most part, Jen kept up with Jan very nicely. I enjoyed the very traditional quickstep moves and I thought her posture was good for almost the whole dance. It is a hard type of dance for week two but Jen handled it well.
Carrie Ann says Jen is very good but she tells Jan to be careful on the lifts. UH-OH. The lift police is making a comeback. Derek says this week was better than last week and he enjoyed the frame and body contact. He cautions her on her left shoulder. Bruno’s one word is twinkle toes. Okay then.
Carrie Ann- 8 , Derek- 7 , Bruno- 7 = 22/30
VOTE for Jen & Jan at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting JEN to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Robert & Witney – Tango
Another really good routine from Robert. Witney is the perfect partner for him because she not only puts in technical steps that made this look like an actual tango but she adds a modern flair that Robert clearly excels at. I think it is is safe to say Robert is already looking like a guaranteed finalist this season and could even potentially win it all.
Bruno says Robert was powerful, clean, and clear. He wasn’t sure about the stuff out of the tango. Carrie Ann is shocked it is only week two. She loves Robert’s charisma. Derek’s one word is crikey. LOL. Australian lingo.
Carrie Ann- 8 , Derek- 7 , Bruno- 7 = 22/30
VOTE for Robert & Witney at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting ROBERT to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Elaine & Alan – Jive
Oh wow. The Toni Basil shows up at rehearsal. After all, this is a dance to her song. That’s so cool. Elaine is doing a decent job with this jive. Those kicks could be a little sharper and she needs to match Alan a bit more. She’s great from a performance standpoint and a lot of fun to watch and root for. It was a really good attempt at a very fast paced and high octane dance.
Derek is so impressed by Elaine’s dancing. He says it was a difficult routine and to watch her hands and arms, especially on the turns. Bruno says Elaine knows how to sell it. He loves her versatility. He wants her to tighten her core. Carrie Ann’s doesn’t have one word- she just squeals basically. Okay.
Carrie Ann- 7 , Derek- 7 , Bruno- 7 = 27/30
VOTE for Elaine & Alan at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting ELAINE to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Baron & Britt – Samba
Fun samba! Not that great from a technical standpoint. It wasn’t bad but those samba moves need work. We also needed a bit more actual samba. I fear Britt doesn’t think Baron can do a lot of steps so she does some modern choreography to make up for it. Baron is a decent dancer and I think he can actually improve as the competition goes on. He has that potential for sure.
Carrie Ann says it was tough. She liked the smooth quality but she feels he lost it in the middle and never recovered. Derek enjoyed some of the steps. He agrees on the mistake but felt Baron covered it well. Bruno’s one word is smooth.
Carrie Ann- 6, Derek- 6, Bruno- 6 = 18/30
VOTE for Baron & Britt at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting BARON to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Whitney & Mark – Cha-Cha-Cha
Wow. What a routine. That was a cha-cha-cha on steroids. And Whitney kept up from start to finish. Mark put it in some amazing side by side steps as well which definitely showed off Whitney’s personality. This was a step up from last week and she was already good last week. She’s on the radar with Robert right now as an early favorite.
Bruno says Whitney is no one hit wonder. He loved how fast it was with so much content. Carrie Ann says Whitney just lights the ballroom on fire. She notes a little mistake in the middle. Derek’s one word is… well, no word. He just claps once.
Carrie Ann- 7, Derek- 7, Bruno- 8 = 22/30
VOTE for Whitney & Mark at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting WHITNEY to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Hilaria & Gleb – Tango
That was a tango? I’m sorry Gleb but you need to keep in line with the actual dance and give Hiliaria proper steps. What we saw was good, no doubt, with some really strong work in terms of posture and frame. It flowed in a very organic way as well. But that needed to be more of a tango than it was for me. I feel like Gleb missed the mark there.
Derek calls it amazing and incredible. He was even okay with them breaking hold. Bruno loved the blend of power and elegance. He loved the staccato moments. Carrie Ann’s one word is lift. Yup, the lift police are back and ready to pounce. I roll my eyes sometimes when Carrie Ann starts up with that.
Carrie Ann- 7, Derek- 7, Bruno- 7 = 21/30
VOTE for Hilaria & Gleb at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting HILARIA to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Dylan & Daniella – Samba
You know what, I have to give Dylan credit. He went for it. Those hips were moving and they even included some samba rolls. Readers of this blog know I love me some samba rolls. Now, it wasn’t perfect and Dylan isn’t a natural dancer and it shows. But he makes up for that in determination and personality. So while it wasn’t a stellar samba, it was very fun and very commendable and Dylan is another one you want to root for.
Carrie Ann says Dylan is like a beginner but with expert hips. She loves that he is learning technique. Derek feels it was a little wild at times but compliments the samba rolls. He wants to see a bit more power moving forward. Bruno’s one word is snake hip wonder. So, three words.
Carrie Ann- 7, Derek- 6, Bruno- 7 = 20/30
VOTE for Dylan & Daniella at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting DYLAN to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
Scott & Rylee – Cha-Cha-Cha
There was some really excellent moments in that cha-cha-cha. I thought Rylee put some really cool moves in there to make this a memorable routine. Sometimes Scott could stand to loosen up a bit. He also tends to want to rush ahead of the music from time to time. But overall, there was so much more positive about this than negative and a definite step up from last week. Scott has potential to do very well on this show.
Bruno says it was better. He wants him to keep going the same way. Carrie Ann feels he needs to take up even more space on the dance floor but it was an improvement from last week. Derek’s final word of the night is blue. Well, after that song, it is the only true word to end the night.
Carrie Ann- 6, Derek- 6, Bruno- 6 = 18/30
VOTE for Scott & Rylee at dwtsvote.abc.com and/or via texting SCOTT to 21523. Note- only US residents can vote using text method.
ELIMINATION TIME!
Well, after two weeks of competition, it is time for our double elimination.
The couples who are safe are– Danielle & Pasha, Dylan & Daniella, Elaine & Alan, Scott & Rylee, Jen & Jan, Robert & Whitney, Jordan & Ezra, Lauren & Brandon, Alix & Val, Whitney & Mark, and Andy & Emma.
The final safe couple is Hilaria & Gleb.
Corey & Jenna and Baron & Britt are ELIMIANTED!
Aww. Well, no real surprise there with Corey but a bummer with Baron. He deserved some more time. He wasn’t great but had potential and could have improved. It is unusual to see an athlete leave so early.
Next week- it is TIK TOK night. We are really leaning into the age of social media with that theme. It should be interesting. Thanks to everyone who watched and read the blog tonight. I’ll see y’all in a week’s time for week three of Dancing with the Stars!
Judges Scores For Week 2 (Out Of 30)
Jen & Jan- 22
Jordan & Ezra- 22
Robert & Witney- 22
Whitney & Mark- 22
Alix & Val- 21
Elaine & Alan- 21
Hilaria & Gleb- 21
Lauren & Brandon- 21
Dylan & Daniella- 20
Danielle & Pasha- 19
Baron & Britt- 18
Scott & Rylee- 18
Andy & Emma- 16
Corey & Jenna- 15