Week three of “Dancing with the Stars” continued one of the show’s longtime traditions: “Disney Night,” in which contestants performed routines inspired by corporate synergy (“DWTS” airs on ABC, which is owned by Disney). So who brought the Mouse House down? Scroll down for our live blog with all the minute-by-minute developments as they happen.
The list of songs and films being showcased include a lot of familiar favorites and some Disney properties less commonly featured on the show. The 14 remaining celebs will dance to the following tunes: “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid” (Monica Aldama), “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King” (Carole Baskin, of course), “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” (Kaitlyn Bristowe), “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast” (Vernon Davis), “Zero to Hero” from “Hercules” (Anne Heche), “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Skai Jackson), “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from “Mary Poppins” (Justina Machado), “Prince Ali” from “Aladdin” (AJ McLean), “Married Life” from “Up” (Jeannie Mai), “King of New York” from “Newsies” (Jesse Metcalfe), “It’s Alright” from the upcoming “Soul” (Nelly), “Angelica” from “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (Nev Schulman), “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from “Cinderella” (Chrishell Stause) and “Reflection” from “Mulan” (Johnny Weir).
Alas, basketball legend Charles Oakley won’t be among those taking the stage. He was the first celebrity eliminated last week. He and Baskin were the bottom two when judges’ scores were combined with viewer votes, but judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough voted to save Baskin. Bruno Tonioli backed Oakley, but majority rules, so Oakley was out. Who will be next? Follow along below started at 8:00pm (times listed are Eastern).
Cordell Martin, 7:59pm — Let’s go! Hoping that Skai can bounce back from last week.
Jeffrey Kare, 8:00pm — Me too.
Daniel Montgomery, 8:01pm — I’m already scared of Carole Baskin’s “Lion King” costume.
Skai Jackson and Alan Bersten (Jive)
Daniel, 8:02pm — Skai was pretty upset by last week’s stumble and scores. She was “freaking mad” in fact by how it went down, and so am I because she didn’t deserve those 5s.
Daniel, 8:05pm — Good performance, she hit her footwork, but she still looked a little spooked from last week’s mistake.
Cordell, 8:06pm — That was cute.
Jeffrey, 8:06pm — Terrific!
JUDGES — Derek isn’t head-over-heels with this performance because her weight was too far back and she looked a little stiff. Bruno appreciated that she went into it with focus, but she was a little tight and lack elasticity. Carrie Ann could tell Skai was nervous, so she should find something to focus on to deliver her performance to.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (6), Derek (6), Bruno (6) = 18 out of 30
Jeffrey, 8:08pm — I did appreciate Bruno’s words of encouragement to Skai.
Cordell, 8:08pm — Well good thing she got through two of the more difficult dancing styles
Monica Aldama and Val Chmerkovskiy (Viennese Waltz)
Daniel, 8:09pm — Like Skai, she was spooked last week by getting a 5 from the judges. But her clip showcases how devoted she is to her husband and her kids, so she’s dedicating this performance to her family.
Daniel, 8:11pm — Nice return to form for Monica, her best routine so far.
Cordell, 8:11pm — I agree.
Jeffrey, 8:11pm — I don’t know about any of you, but I think “Kiss the Girl” would’ve been a better fit for that routine than “Part of Your World.” Lovely performance though.
JUDGES — Bruno says, “You made it to shore safely,” and she danced with “confidence and connection,” but sometimes she loses her posture. Carrie Ann told her, “You were like a different person,” she was beautiful because she was so relaxed, but she needs to stay close when in hold. Derek also thought it was beautiful, but she needs to pay attention to her feet.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (7), Derek (7), Bruno (7) = 21 out of 30
Cordell, 8:13pm — Well deserved.
Justina Machado and Sasha Farber (Charleston)
Daniel, 8:17pm — “That was such a moment for the both of us,” says Justina about her foxtrot last week. She relates to her “Mary Poppins” role tonight because she took care of her younger siblings growing up. I’m super exicted to see a Charleston from her given her level of energy and enthusiasm.
Jeffrey, 8:19pm — I thought that was practically perfect in every way.
Daniel, 8:19pm — She looked a little tight on that routine, but solid effort!
Cordell, 8:20pm — Not my favorite, but fun
JUDGES — Carrie Ann “loved it,” and they were perfectly in sync, but it could have used a little more energy. Derek wanted more swivels and footwork; he also wanted more energy and sharper movements. Bruno calls her “sweetly delicious” and “addictive,” but he agrees that it needed to be sharper.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (7), Derek (6), Bruno (6) = 19 out of 30
Daniel, 8:22pm — A bit of a step down in her scores, but fair.
AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke (Quickstep)
Daniel, 8:25pm — AJ’s wife Rochelle calls him the “ultimate Disney princess dad,” and “I cannot wait to become a real-life prince for my baby girls,” he says.
Daniel, 8:27pm — He looked a tiny bit like he was galloping at times, but a really solid routine that he sold 100%.
Cordell, 8:28pm — Definitely on the upswing.
JUDGES — Derek can always rely on AJ to put a smile on his face, and his posture was good except for being a little hunched at times. Bruno “loved it,” and he agreed with Derek that AJ is “improving and refining.” Carrie Ann appreciated that he put his own spin on the routine, but his elbow dropped just a little bit.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (7), Derek (7), Bruno (7) = 21 out of 30
Daniel, 8:30pm — Tyra asked him what he would wish for if he had a genie, and for some reason he only asked for 8s. Think bigger, dude!
Jeffrey, 8:30pm — He should be wishing for a perfect score. But the score he did just receive is still pretty good.
Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe (Quickstep)
Daniel, 8:31pm — “The guy is a 30-year-old god,” says Anne about her Herculean partner Keo. She’s been crushing on her partner all season, and I love it.
Cordell, 8:33pm — It was a bit hectic for me.
Daniel, 8:33pm — She looked like her hands and arms got a little tangled in there a few times, but I like that she’s loosening up.
Jeffrey, 8:33pm — While I’m not gonna go as far to say that Anne and Keo both went from ‘Zero to Hero’ this week, I think they’ve gotten pretty close.
JUDGES — Bruno thought “the fighting was tough, but it was entertaining.” Carrie Ann thought it started great, but they lost control in the middle, and she’s gonna dock Keo a point for a lift at the beginning of the routine. Derek suggests that they try to dance the whole routine by themselves so Anne isn’t relying on Keo so much on the dance floor.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (5), Derek (5), Bruno (5) = 15 out of 30
Jeffrey, 8:35pm — Looks like the judges were just on the side of Hades right now.
Cordell, 8:36pm — Well the bottom two will be between Carole, Skai and Anne.
Daniel, 8:37pm — I thought she deserved at least one 6, oof.
Jeannie Mai and Brandon Armstrong (Viennese Waltz)
Daniel, 8:39pm — This romantic dance to “Married Life” from “Up” reminds Jeannie of her relationship with Jeezy, who she meet in 2018 and recently got engaged to. Brandon tells her they need to be less cheesy for this dance style, to which Jeannie counters that their queso has spice.
Daniel, 8:41pm — Great routine by Jeannie with a great sense of character and mood and movement
Cordell, 8:42pm — Loved it. Her best performance.
Jeffrey, 8:42pm — Breathtakingly sweet.
JUDGES — Carrie Ann thinks their balance is incredible as a couple, but she needs to work on her turns. Derek calls the dance “beautiful” and her frame was “fantastic.” It was her “best performance.” Bruno says she “captured the essence of the film … pure storytelling.”
SCORES — Carrie Ann (7), Derek (7), Bruno (8) = 22 out of 30
Daniel, 8:44pm — Jeannie is so excited about the 8 from Bruno that she grabs the paddle and hugs it. Well, that paddle is gonna need to be disinfected hard now. That would be just the worst way to get COVID.
Nelly and Daniella Karagach (Foxtrot)
Daniel, 8:48pm — Time for Disney to introduce its new Oscar contender. The show introduced “Remember Me” from “Coco” and “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II” before those films were released. Now it’s “It’s Alright” from the new Pixar film “Soul.”
Daniel, 8:50pm — A really sweet effort, but foxtrot definitely isn’t Nelly’s comfort zone. He looked a little awkward.
Jeffrey, 8:51pm — The song from “Soul” — lovely. The routine — Okay at best.
Cordell, 8:52pm — He’s starting to come out of his shell.
JUDGES — Derek thought it was “really good” for his first ballroom dance, and his frame was pretty good, but he got a little ahead of the music at one point. Bruno thought it was a proper foxtrot, but he needs to stop bringing up his shoulders. Carrie Ann thinks Nelly is a very natural dancer, but she wants him to stop being so safe.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (6), Derek (6), Bruno (6) = 18 out of 30
Carole Baskin and Pasha Pashkov (Samba)
Daniel, 8:57pm — Carole is performing the hardest routine on the show in an outrageous lion outfit. She loved watching lions roaming free in “The Lion King,” which makes her sad because the big cats she cares for were bred in captivity and cannot live in the wild, so she takes care of them as best she can.
Daniel, 8:59pm — That wasn’t … good, but I like how Pasha choreographs the routine to her skill level and makes her look about as good as possible.
Jeffrey, 9:00pm — I’m still trying to make sense of what I just saw.
Cordell, 9:01pm — No comment. It’s the end of the road for her tonight
JUDGES — Bruno has never seen a samba like it, but she just walked through it without enough bounce. Carrie Ann could feel that Carole danced the routine with a lot of love, but it was lacking most of the other necessary elements. Derek thanks Carole for loving and protecting big cats. He gives a 10 for the hair and makeup, but there wasn’t much bounce or rhythm.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (5), Derek (4), Bruno (3) = 12 out of 30
Jeffrey, 9:02pm — Whoa! Talk about an all-time low.
Daniel, 9:02pm — But Carrie Ann thought it was no worse than Skai’s samba last week, oy
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev (Rumba)
Daniel, 9:03pm — Let’s see how Kaitlyn compares to Simone Biles, who also danced to “How Far I’ll Go” a few seasons ago. The song itself is a weird fit for the rumba, though.
Cordell, 9:05pm — Will we see the first 9?
Jeffrey, 9:06pm — I hope so, because that was stunning!
JUDGES — Carrie Ann thought it was the best dance of the night by a mile. It had the essence of the rumba while dancing in her bare feet like in the Pacific islands. Derek wanted to see her in shoes that would have showed off more of the rumba footwork and hip action, but he lets it slide because of her ankle injury. Bruno thought it reminded him of the shape of water.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (8), Derek (7), Bruno (8) = 23 out of 30
Daniel, 9:08pm — I wasn’t as wild about it as Carrie was, but it was indeed beautiful.
Vernon Davis and Peta Murgatroyd (Quickstep)
Daniel, 9:10pm — Vernon was thrilled for the opportunity to play the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast,” but he’s a little crestfallen to find out he’s actually going to be the candlestick. Buck up, Vernon, rock that candelabra!
Daniel, 9:12pm — His technique wasn’t perfect, but that was so damn infectious. His smile really lit up the room.
Cordell, 9:13pm — I agree Daniel.
Jeffrey, 9:14pm — Good, but not great.
JUDGES — Derek tells him, “Real men play candlesticks,” but it was full of such joy that he didn’t notice the foot fumbles as much. Bruno admired his “confidence” and “light and easy action,” though he still has things to work on. Carrie Ann thought they found their balance as partners, and it was one of her favorite dances of the night.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (8), Derek (7), Bruno (7) = 22 out of 30
Daniel, 9:15pm — I don’t understand where that 8 came from. I thought he might’ve actually gotten one or two 6s.
Jeffrey, 9:16pm — Carrie Ann has certainly been very generous tonight.
Nev Schulman and Jenna Johnson (Argentine Tango)
Daniel, 9:20pm — I’m loving Nev so far, and I love the Argentine tango, so I’m excited to see him bring all the Jack Sparrow flair to it.
Cordell, 9:21pm — I think Nev is gonna bring it tonight.
Daniel, 9:22pm — Loved it, though I’m getting as much Klaus from “The Umbrella Academy” as I am Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” That might actually be an improvement, though.
Jeffrey, 9:23pm — I thought that was stylishly fierce.
Cordell, 9:23pm — Best routine of the night.
JUDGES — Bruno thought it was “another hit for Captain Jack Sparrow,” and he managed to maintain the Argentine tango while also giving the camp Jack Sparrow performance. Carrie Ann also appreciated the combination of character and technique and how they didn’t hide behind lifts. And Derek thought they “nailed it.”
SCORES — Carrie Ann (8), Derek (8), Bruno (8) = 24 out of 30
Cordell, 9:25pm — Well earned.
Daniel, 9:26pm — Interesting how the balance keeps shifting every week: Justina and Skai looked like the ones to beat, then Kaitlyn killed it on a bad foot, and now Nev is outdoing everyone.
Jeffrey, 9:27pm — Something we’ve gotta love about this season (so far).
Cordell, 9:28pm — I’m loving how competitive it is. Keeps it interesting.
Johnny Weir and Britt Stewart (Rumba)
Daniel, 9:28pm — Johnny is reminded of family dancing to a song from “Mulan.” His parents gave up a lot so he could pursue figure skating. “My parents are definitely going to know this dance is for them.”
Daniel, 9:30pm — Not sure if it was a total breakout moment, but definitely his best performance so far.
Jeffrey, 9:31pm — Very beautiful!
Cordell, 9:32pm — His best performance by a mile.
JUDGES — Carrie Ann is crying because she saw him make the transition from ice skater to ballroom dancer. Derek thought his arms and lines were “beautiful.” Bruno admired his “exquisite” shapes and extensions, and he “started to project emotion” this time.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (8), Derek (8), Bruno (8) = 24 out of 30
Daniel, 9:34pm — I think the judges are still doing the thing where they’re super stingy early on than more generous later in the night. Some of those early scores feel a little low compared to what’s happening now.
Jesse Metcalfe and Sharna Burgess (Jive)
Daniel, 9:37pm — “Newsies” was set in New York, and that’s how he feels a connection to his song, “King of New York.” He left his small town to pursue acting in the big city, booked “Passions,” and the rest is history.
Daniel, 9:39pm — I wasn’t too sure about Jesse doing a jive, but that was very solid.
Jeffrey, 9:40pm — I think I agree with that.
Cordell, 9:41pm — He tried LOL
JUDGES — Derek didn’t think Jesse felt comfortable with the timing of the routine, he got ahead of the music at times. Bruno liked it better, though, and he “played the role brilliantly” and his footwork was “light” and “nimble.” Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno about how well Jesse told the story, but she also agrees with Derek about his problems with musicality.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (7), Derek (6), Bruno (7) = 20 out of 30
Cordell, 9:42pm — A bit over-scored.
Jeffrey, 9:42pm — Indeed.
Daniel, 9:43pm — The mid-show inflation. I think if Justina had performed in the second half of the night she would’ve gotten all 7s instead of a couple of 6s.
Chrishell Stause and Gleb Savchenko (Waltz)
Daniel 9:46pm — “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” reminds Chrishell of achieving her own dreams. Like Jesse, she got started on a soap, spending about seven years on “All My Children,” but she’s worried about being a little too clumsy for the waltz. She killed the rumba last week, so I think she’s got a shot at nailing it.
Daniel, 9:48pm — Chrishell really nailed that waltz after she had me worried about her clumsiness. I guess that first week struggle really was a fluke and she might be a real contender.
Cordell, 9:49pm — She could be but she lacks personality.
Daniel, 9:49pm — She reminds me a little of Alexis Ren.
Jeffrey, 9:50pm — Not sure if that performance came together 100%. Though I loved the montage of all the Disney films playing on the background screen.
JUDGES — Bruno calls him the “belle of the ball,” and he could “feel the romance unfolding.” Carrie Ann thinks Chrishell and Gleb are “stunning, like magic together,” but she needs to work on her shoulders and an “ugly line” in there. Derek thought she was “stunning,” but she needs to keep her feet together in her turns.
SCORES — Carrie Ann (7), Derek (7), Bruno (8) = 22 out of 30
Jeffrey, 9:51pm — Now Bruno’s being the generous one with his score tonight.
RESULTS:
Daniel, 9:55pm — The safe celebs are … Nelly, Nev Schulman, Monica Aldama (I thought she might’ve been a close call, but she got a really good score tonight), Vernon Davis, Chrishell Stause, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Johnny Weir, Jesse Metcalfe (no huge surprises so far), Jeannie Mai, Justina Machado (whew, they had me worried for a second there), AJ McLean and … Skai Jackson (they would’ve made me mad if they put her in the bottom). That means the bottom two are Anne Heche and Carole Baskin, and I think it’s pretty clear what the choice will be. Should be a no-brainer.
Daniel, 9:58pm — Derek votes to save Anne. Bruno also decides to save Anne, so that seals the deal. But to make it official, Carrie Ann also votes for Anne. Carole Baskin is eliminated.
Jeffrey, 9:59pm — For the first time in a while, the consistently weaker couple has been eliminated before they ended up overstaying their welcome.
Cordell, 10:00pm — Skai has to bring it next week!
Daniel, 10:02pm — Weirdly consistent to have the two lowest scoring dancers be the bottom two for two weeks in a row now.
JUDGES’ LEADERBOARD:
1. Nev Schulman — 24
1. Johnny Weir — 24
3. Kaitlyn Bristowe — 23
4. Vernon Davis — 22
4. Jeannie Mai — 22
4. Chrishell Stause — 22
7. Monica Aldama — 21
7. AJ McLean — 21
9. Jesse Metcalfe — 20
10. Justina Machado — 19
11. Skai Jackson — 18
11. Nelly — 18
13. Anne Heche — 15
14. Carole Baskin — 12
Be sure to make your predictions so that the contestants can see how they’re faring in our racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the next episode airs every Monday on ABC. You’ll compete to win a spot on our leaderboard and eternal bragging rights. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
