“DWTS” Week 2 Recap: Latin Night Turns Up the Heat

Things heated up last night on “Dancing with the Stars.” And, no, the air-conditioning on set didn’t break—it was Latin Night, and all of the stars and the pros brought their hottest, spiciest best to the ballroom.

Of course, the “DWTS” drama also heated up. Is it just us, or has this season been—say it with us—the most dramatic season yet? We saw the uncertainty surrounding the impact of the WGA strike and the departure of former co-host Tyra Banks, and that was all before the season even started!

Last week, we also saw a brutal first-week elimination of comedian Matt Walsh and partner Koko Iwasaki, after their cha-cha failed to impress the judges. And heading into week two, it was announced that professional Artem Chigvintsev would be bowing out of Latin Night after testing positive for COVID-19.

But, luckily, all that drama hasn’t been to the detriment of the dancing. In case you missed last night’s episode, we rounded up the highlights for you.

Ariana Madix and Pasha Pashkov: Samba

We certainly don’t envy any couple assigned a samba in week two of the competition, because with the samba, naturally, comes the samba roll—one of the trickiest skills a new Latin dancer can learn. But with the help of pro Pasha, reality-star Ariana rocked the roll and her whole routine. She even got a shout-out from judge Derek Hough, who said, “Out of the gate, very impressed with that samba roll.”

Ariana and Pasha’s performance was samba goals. It was sexy, sultry, and, most of all, fun. It might only be week two, but Ariana was clearly having the time of her life out there on the dance floor, and we had the time of our life watching her perform. She received a 20 out of 30, and made it through to next week’s show.

Charity Lawson and Ezra Sosa: Cha-Cha

With Artem in quarantine, the former Bachelorette was joined by our fave (and former Dance Spirit cover star!), Ezra Sosa. And it’s a credit to both Charity and Ezra that without following the stars on social, you might not have known that Ezra was a stand-in. The pair looked completely confident and comfortable together. Yet another argument for Ezra to be promoted next season. Can you hear us, “DWTS” production team?

Charity’s performance was technical and graceful, and she brought the Latin Night energy we were all looking for. (We’re pretty sure we saw a sassy wink or two—okay, Charity!) The judges loved the content of the performance but said her movement was a little tight, something they’re hoping to see remedied in next week’s dance. She received a 21 out of 30, and was voted safe for the evening.

Jason Mraz and Daniella Karagach: Rumba

Whew. We were sweating a little watching Jason and Daniella’s rumba. And not just because the routine looked impressively difficult—the singer and his partner brought the heat to the ballroom with a steamy performance last night.

In particular, Jason turned up the temperature with his rumba technique. In the past, we’ve often seen male competitors struggle with the movement of the rumba. After all, those hips don’t lie! But with Daniella’s help, Jason aced the performance, earning a standing ovation from the audience and a 24 out of 30, one of the highest scores of the night.

Sadly, the end of the night brought our second elimination. With Adrian Peterson and Jamie Lynn Spears in jeopardy, the judges chose to save Peterson and partner Britt Stewart. The couple will get to join the rest of the cast to mosey on over to Motown for next week’s show.