Dancing with the Stars: Athletes: Week 2 power rankings

Middle of the pack

5. Chris Mazdzer and Witney Carson: 33 (9, 8, 8, 8)

This Viennese waltz had a more modern feel than you might expect from Dancing with the Stars, but it came with a lot of emotion in return. There was some definite improvement tonight, especially with the turns of the waltz. The crowd quickly got into this dance, so that’s a mark in his favor.

“Pretty darn good if you ask me!” Carrie Ann said. Len praised his “sway.” Bruno dubbed him a “waltzing heartthrob.”

He could definitely upend the competition if he continues quietly improving. With such a short competition, though, one mistake could knock someone out, and that someone could be him, even with the first 9 of the season. He was in jeopardy this week, after all; he hasn’t had a true showstopping number yet, and if he wants to win, he’ll need it quickly.

4. Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess: 30 (7, 7, 8, 8)

This pains me, especially since it’s a pretty precipitous drop from last week, where he closed the show and topped our power rankings. But, looking back on the scores from last night’s episode and the impressions of the performance, he’s going to have to take a dive.

With a movie theme song, Sharna’s choreography went toward the theatrical, but she also kept all eyes on her partner, even with the extra dancers. He definitely held his own, and he had the crowd on its feet early.

Rashad said, “I’m proud of you,” and Len dubbed this paso “equally good” to last week’s high-scoring cha cha. Bruno made a comparison to Erik Killmonger, but also told him to watch his hands. Finally, Carrie Ann seconded the minor note on the hands. In general, though, Josh Norman is making a very strong case — but it didn’t shine as much as week 1, so he falls down to fourth place. He does outrank Chris, though, based on the sense that he has both performance and technique just a bit more strongly.

No, I’m not just saying that because of the Killmonger comparison.