โ€˜Dancing With the Starsโ€™ Season 35 Premiere Night 2 Premiere: Recap, Scores as Julia Stiles, Maura Higgins Perform

โ€˜Dancing With the Starsโ€™ Season 35 Premiere Night 2 Premiere: Recap, Scores as Julia Stiles, Maura Higgins Perform


The ladies of โ€œDancing With the Starsโ€ gave it their all during night two of the Season 35 premiere.

After the Sept. 15 episode saw the elimination of Conner Leavitt and partner Adele Zaikman, it was time for the female celebrities to take the ballroom floor and perform their hearts out.

Just like night one, the couples showed off their skills to a No. 1 song from the year they were born. And just like the night before, one couple was eliminated at the end of the episode.

Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough kicked off the night by greeting the audience and viewers before introducing judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.

They then reminded viewers that Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson landed at the top of the leaderboard after night one. Ribeiro also shared that the voting issues from the previous night had been resolved, meaning fans could vote via text and online.

Hereโ€™s a recap of what went down on night two of the Season 35 โ€œDWTSโ€ premiere, including the dances and scores of each couple.

What Did Each Star Dance to and What Was Their Score?

  • Tatyana Ali with partner Jan Ravnik will perform a jive to โ€œKnock on Woodโ€ by Amii Stewartโ€” SCORE: 12/30
  • Giada De Laurentiis with partner Alan Bersten will perform a tango to โ€œVenusโ€ by Shocking Blue โ€” SCORE: 16/30
  • Jenna Dewan with partner Val Chmerkovskiy will perform a tango to โ€œCall Meโ€ by Blondie โ€” SCORE: 19/30
  • Amber Glenn with partner Pasha Pashkov will perform a cha cha to โ€œSmoothโ€ by Santana ft. Rob Thomas โ€” SCORE: 18/30
  • Maura Higgins with partner Mark Ballas will perform a foxtrot to โ€œBlack Velvetโ€ by Alannah Myles โ€” SCORE: 21/30
  • Ciara Miller with partner Brandon Armstrong will perform a foxtrot to โ€œExhale (Shoop Shoop)โ€ by Whitney Houston โ€” SCORE: 15/30
  • Sarah Jane Nader with partner Hailey Bills will perform a jive to โ€œSk8er Boiโ€ by Avril Lavigne โ€” SCORE: 14/30
  • Julia Stiles with partner Ezra Sosa will perform a quickstep to โ€œ9 to 5โ€ by Dolly Parton โ€” SCORE: 18/30

Who Is At the Top of the Leaderboard?

After night two, Maura Higgins and partner Mark Ballas sat at the top of the leaderboard, earning a 21 out of 30. They received the same score that top pairing Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson were given night one.

Mark Ballas and Maura Higgins went from being Faithfuls on "Traitors" to partners on "DWTS."
Mark Ballas and Maura Higgins went from being Faithfuls on “Traitors” to partners on “DWTS.”Disney/Andrew Eccles

Was There An Elimination?

Yes, just like after night one when โ€œSecret Lives of Mormon Wivesโ€ star Conner Leavitt was eliminated, one female dancer was eliminated during the second night.

After all the votes were tallied, it was announced that Sarah Jane Nader and partner Hailey Bills were eliminated.

SARAH JANE NADER, HAILEY BILLS
โ€œDancing With the Stars” contestant Sarah Jane Nader and partner Hailey Bills.Andrew Eccles / Disney

What Happens Next Week?

โ€œDWTSโ€ returns next week Tuesday, Sept. 22, with the remaining 14 couples taking on a new style of dance.