Following Week 3 of Dancing With the Stars Season 35, multiple early frontrunners have separated themselves from the pack. Scores are only one part of the equation: judges’ feedback, week-to-week growth and fan support all factor into our third power rankings of the season. Here are our Dancing With the Stars power rankings following Week 3, from the couples best positioned to contend for the Mirrorball Trophy to those who need a major turnaround in the weeks ahead.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Power Rankings
#12: Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess
Week 3 Score: 17
After three weeks, we officially have a new couple at the bottom of our power rankings. Following a strong Season 35 debut, Tyler just hasn’t been able to build any week-over-week momentum. He also lacks the fan presence and overall buzz compared to the rest of this field.
#11: Jackson Olson and Emma Slater
Week 3 Score: 18
Olson put together his best performance of DWTS Season 35 this week, but I get the sense there’s not much more room for improvement. Barring an out-of-nowhere breakout, Jackson also lacks the buzz to make serious noise in this competition and projects to remain on the elimination bubble for the foreseeable future.
#10: Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong
Week 3 Score: 18
Ciara hasn’t necessarily produced a bad performance yet, but her upside is clearly capped compared to other dancers in this field. It will be interesting to test her fan presence as she (likely) enters the elimination bubble over the coming weeks.
#9: Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson
Week 3 Score: 15
After back-to-back weeks at the bottom of our power rankings, Guillermo skyrockets into the top 10! Make no mistake about it, Guillermo is not going to win this competition. He’s the most athletically limited contestant on the show. That said, he’s drastically improving every week, he’s incredibly charismatic, and the audience LOVES him. Expect Rodriguez to continue anchoring the bottom of the judges’ scores weekly, but not go anywhere for at least a few more weeks.
#8: Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa
Week 3 Score: 19
Julia struggled in Week 2 but produced a much-needed bounce back with her salsa in Week 3. She still suffers from an almost too-straight posture that limits mobility, but the movie star is growing in confidence and has the fanbase to back up a deep run.
#7: Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold
Week 3 Score: 20
The Connor Wood Dancing With the Stars experience is full of ups and downs, but Week 3 was certainly the former. The comedian and his partner put together a really strong foxtrot, cracking 20 for their first time in this competition. Connor’s DWTS potential is still a bit foggy, but he should be here for at least the next few weeks to add clarity to his prospects of a deeper run.
#6: Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik
Week 3 Score: 21
Following a rough debut performance, Tatyana has done nothing but leap up the leaderboards in Weeks 2 and 3. Her latest quickstep showcased elite technique and timing, generating optimism that she can continue to improve as the season progresses.
#5: Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas
Week 3 Score: 22
Similar to last week, this is the start of “anyone can win” territory. Maura and Mark clocked in with the third-best score of Week 3, as the reality star continues to demonstrate her impressive versatility. It feels like we’re still waiting for the shoe to drop and Maura to falter a bit with her limited dance experience, but it hasn’t happened yet, and it might never. If that ends up being the case, the Mirrorball could await.
#4: Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy
Week 3 Score: 21
The biggest critique of Jenna’s Week 3 performance was that she “went too hard”, which felt like a bit of nitpicking from Carrie Ann directed at a clearly-established dancer. I’m eager to see how her fan presence shows up down the stretch of Season 35, because she clearly is a top-two dancer on the show.
#3: Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach
Week 3 Score: 21
I don’t want to say this was a step back for Ezra, because he still received a score of 21. However, it did feel like the least awe-inspiring performance from the Paralympian. The foxtrot may just not be the dance for him, as it doesn’t allow him to showcase that elite athleticism. I expect a huge performance in Week 4 to potentially push him back to the top of our power rankings.
#2: Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov
Week 3 Score: 24
Amber wants the Mirrorball Trophy. You can see the fire in her eyes. You can also see the week-over-week progression, which has been monumental for the Olympic gymnast. She’s been able to do thinks athletically that everyone else in the field can’t, which has produced amazing moments so far. However, we finally got to see her in a more grounded form with the foxtrot, and her technique really popped. It’s a toss-up between Amber and the No. 1 person in these power rankings for my pick to win the Mirrorball at the moment.
#1: Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson
Week 3 Score: 24
When Harry nails his routine, there’s not much the rest of the competition can do. Through three weeks, he has been the best dancer on the floor by a considerable margin, and his recent score of 24 (which Amber Glenn did impressively match) shows that. Week over week, you can see Harry put the puzzle pieces together and figure out what he needs to do to win this competition.
Who are the favorites to win Dancing With the Stars Season 35?
Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr., Amber Glenn, Ezra Frech and Maura Higgins have made the strongest early case for the Mirrorball Trophy after three weeks.
When is the next episode of Dancing With the Stars?
Dancing With the Stars returns on Tuesday, October 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu the following day.
Who was eliminated on Dancing With the Stars this week?
Taylor Hanson was eliminated in Week 3 of Dancing With the Stars Season 35.
