Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap delivered exactly what fans want from early-season ballroom drama: strong performances, a packed leaderboard and an elimination that could spark debate all week. With Yacht Rock Night setting the mood, the remaining celebrities traded high-energy routines and smooth classics as the race for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy tightened.
After a tough Week 2 in which judges refused to hand out scores above a 7, the pressure was on. This time, several couples broke through, a few stumbled, and one contestant’s journey came to an end just as the competition started to take shape.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap: Yacht Rock Night sets the tone
Week 3 leaned into the breezy, nostalgic sound of Yacht Rock, with routines set to songs by Toto, Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, Luther Vandross and The Doobie Brothers. The theme gave the ballroom a polished, feel-good energy, but the judging remained serious.
What stood out most in this Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap is how tightly packed the field remains. There are no runaway favorites yet, but there are clear momentum shifts. Some contestants are improving quickly, while others are struggling to separate themselves from the middle of the pack.
Top performances of the night
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov lead the pack
Olympian Amber Glenn continued to look like one of the season’s strongest contenders. Her Foxtrot to Toto’s “Hold the Line” earned a 24, tying for the top score of the night. The routine appeared confident, clean and controlled, exactly the kind of ballroom polish judges reward early in the season.
Amber has now established a pattern of consistency, and in a season where judges are being unusually stingy, that matters. In this Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap, she emerges as a serious threat to go deep.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson keep building
Harry Shum Jr. also scored a 24 with a lively jive to “You Make My Dreams Come True.” His combination of performance ability, musicality and increasing confidence is making him one of the most watchable contestants in the ballroom. If he continues sharpening technique while maintaining charisma, he could become a fan-vote powerhouse.
Strong nights for Maura Higgins, Jenna Dewan and Ezra Frech
Several other couples delivered scores that kept them competitive:
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas earned a 22 for their Quickstep to “Turn Your Love Around.”
- Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy scored 21 with a samba to “Africa.”
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach posted a 21 for their Foxtrot to “Just the Two of Us.”
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik also landed on 21 with a Quickstep to “Maneater.”
That cluster of low-20s scores shows just how competitive the middle-to-upper tier has become.
Leaderboard highlights and who gained momentum
A major takeaway from this Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap is that judges are still resisting inflated scores. Even the best routines topped out at 24, which suggests contestants will have to earn every point this season.
Here’s how some of the notable scores shook out:
- Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov — 24
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson — 24
- Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas — 22
- Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy — 21
- Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach — 21
- Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik — 21
- Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold — 20
- Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa — 19
- Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart — 18
- Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong — 18
- Jackson Olson and Emma Slater — 18
- Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess — 17
- Guillermo Rodriguez and Whitney Carson — 15
Connor Wood’s 20 may not have been headline-grabbing, but it marked a respectable showing in a crowded field. Meanwhile, Julia Stiles stayed within striking distance despite not having her strongest breakthrough yet.
Who struggled on Yacht Rock Night?
Not every couple found smooth sailing. Guillermo Rodriguez and Whitney Carson finished at the bottom of the scoreboard with a 15 after their Foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song).” In a season with little score separation, those lower marks can quickly become dangerous.
Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess also remain in a vulnerable position after scoring 17 for their jive to “Still the One.” While audience support can sometimes offset lower judges’ marks, the margin for error is shrinking week by week.
In this Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap, the biggest concern for lower-ranked couples is not just one bad week. It is the lack of breakout momentum while others are steadily improving.
Elimination results: Taylor Hanson sent home
The night ended with the season narrowing from 13 couples to 12. Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart were eliminated after scoring 18 for their Foxtrot to “What a Fool Believes.”
The exit is notable because the scoreboard was relatively compressed, meaning no one outside the very top looked completely safe. That unpredictability may become one of the defining traits of Season 35.
Any Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap has to underline the key lesson here: middling scores are risky when the competition is this balanced. A contestant does not have to be last to be in danger.
What to expect next: Mariah Carey Night
Next week, the show shifts from soft-rock cool to pop diva spectacle with a Mariah Carey-themed episode. That should give contestants a very different performance challenge, demanding vocal-era glamour, emotional storytelling and bigger stage presence.
The change in tone could benefit couples who thrive on theatricality and personality. It may also expose dancers who are still leaning too heavily on safe choreography.
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Final thoughts
This Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap shows a season still very much in flux. Amber Glenn and Harry Shum Jr. look like early leaders, but the field behind them is deep, competitive and capable of changing quickly. With judges keeping scores tight and fan votes growing more important, every routine now feels consequential.
The biggest takeaway from this Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Week 3 recap is simple: no one can afford to coast. As Mariah Carey Night approaches, contestants will need more than clean steps—they will need memorable moments.
