ICYMI, the two-night premiere of DWTS was a smashing success. Watching rom-com stars, Olympic athletes and TikTok influencers take to the dance floor? Count us in.
The pros and troupe members kicked off night one with an upbeat number to “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn, choreographed by Jamal Sims. Daniella Karagach and Jan Ravnik’s circle spin has been living rent-free in our heads since then.
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Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, along with Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli are back for another year! For night one, all of the male celebs took to the floor, dancing to a Billboard #1 song from the year they were born. On night two, the ladies followed.
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
Jackson, a member of the Savannah Bananas baseball team, and pro Emma kicked off the night with an energetic cha-cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls.
Jackson noted how being a part of the Bananas stoked his love for performing. The judges commented on his fantastic stage presence but also highlighted the need to clean up the technique by straightening his legs and finishing his movements. Jackson and Emma scored all 5’s for a total of 15.
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
Tyler, a contestant on The Bachelorette, and returning pro Sharna Burgess performed a hard-hitting tango to “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz. In college, Tyler took dance classes to boost his GPA so he could keep playing football. Now, Tyler’s taking on the ballroom with confidence: “I came in second on The Bachelorette, but I’m not coming in second place here…I definitely have the determination to win this thing,” he said.
Tyler and Sharna’s performance was fierce, with lots of spins and dips. The judges were pleasantly surprised with Tyler’s movement, musicality and commanding presence. However, Carrie Ann mentioned Sharna’s foot coming off the ground, a sign of an illegal lift. Derek lauded the “Patrick Swayze aura” Tyler had about him and cautioned him to watch his frame. Tyler and Sharna scored a 6 (Carrie Ann), 5 (Derek) and 6 (Bruno), for a total of 17.
Connor Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
Connor Leavitt, a star of the hit reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, joined the ballroom following last season, where his wife, Whitney, competed and placed sixth. This is Adele’s first season as a pro. She was the champion of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, where dancers competed to join DWTS as a pro.
Connor and Adele’s salsa to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! There It Is” definitely played into the silly side of things with their choreography, and the judges mentioned that it was a bit chaotic. Connor had great performance quality but needed to focus on rhythm. Connor and Adele scored all 4’s for a total of 12. Unfortunately, they were eliminated at the end of the first night.
Guillermo Rodriguez & Whitney Carson
Guillermo, a comedian, has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live since 2003. He’s joined by last season’s champion, Whitney Carson. Guillermo praised his partner for her strength to do the show while pregnant: “Whitney is an example that women can do everything,” he said.
They performed a cha-cha to “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight, and let’s just say…Guillermo is giving *major* Andy Richter vibes from last season. The judges loved the effort and energy but implored Guillermo to work on the technique. Guillermo and Whitney scored a 4 (Carrie Ann), 3 (Derek) and 3 (Bruno) for a total of 10.
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
Ezra Frech was *majorly* inspiring. As an above-the-knee amputee and 2x Paralympic gold medalist, he brought endurance and resilience to the stage. His partner, Daniella Karagach, explained how they changed traditional tango movements to fit the movements of his prosthetic: “Ezra can’t quite walk in a straight line with his running blade and make it smooth, so we’re taking side steps instead of going forward.”
Their dance to “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson was powerful, fierce and srsly impressive. Bruno praised Ezra for looking “like a leading man,” while Carrie Ann complimented the duo for their unity and for how their innovation “redefined how we’re going to move in tango.” Ezra and Daniella scored a 7 (Carrie Ann), 6 (Derek) and 7 (Bruno), totaling 20 points.
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood and pro Rylee Arnold took to the stage performing a cha-cha to “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw. The couple’s energy and fun were truly infectious.
Their country-themed dance (complete with a mechanical bull in the background!) was a hit and def showed Connor’s potential. Derek said they were like “a double dose of dopamine” and implored them to keep refining the technique as the performance and timing were there. They scored a 6 (Carrie Ann), 5 (Derek) and 5 (Bruno), for a total of 16.
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
Grammy-nominated member of the band Hanson, Taylor Hanson traded a concert stage for the ballroom floor. Along with his partner Britt Stewart, he performed a quickstep to “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel.
Taylor had to have been *the* surprise of the night. He came out strong and confident, and the choreo felt dynamic and challenging (we see you, Britt!). Carrie Ann said that during the dance, she could almost hear former judge Len Goodman saying, “That’s a proper quickstep!” Taylor and Britt scored a 6 (Carrie Ann), 5 (Derek), and 5 (Bruno).
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
Rounding out night one, Glee and Grey’s Anatomy star Harry Shum Jr. and his partner, Jenna Johnson, danced a killer cha-cha to “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Harry Shum began his career as a dancer—and it was clear from this performance. He was dynamic, confident and clearly felt the music. Bruno praised the duo’s chemistry, while Carrie Ann called Harry electric. The couple scored all 7’s for a total of 21 points (the highest of the night!).
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ranvik
Kicking off night two, Tatyana Ali, star of the hit ’90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and partner Jan Ravnik performed a jive to “Knock On Wood” by Amii Stewart.
The judges mentioned a few sloppy moments at the beginning that seemed to throw Tatyana off and noted for her to watch performing flat-footed. She definitely had the facial expressions and performance quality to carry her through, though! Tatyana and Jan scored all 4’s for a total of 12 points.
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
Amber Glenn is a figure skater and Olympic gold medalist, and she’s got big ballroom shoes to fill. She mentioned being inspired by fellow Olympic skating stars Meryl Davis, Adam Rippon and Kristi Yamaguchi, who previously appeared on DWTS (all 3 won, BTW!). She, along with her partner Pasha Pashkov, performed a cha-cha to “Smooth” by Santana feat. Rob Thomas.
Amber was definitely a standout of the night, bringing her flexibility and confidence. The judges reminded her to stay grounded on the floor and to rely on her partnership. They scored all 6’s for a total of 18 points.
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
Summer House reality star Ciara Miller and her partner Brandon Armstrong took to the ballroom floor, dancing a foxtrot to Whitney Houston’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).” Following the ups and downs of reality TV, Ciara is seeing DWTS as “the start of a new chapter.”
Ciara started off the dance a bit cautiously, but showed so much elegance and potential throughout the routine. Derek told her to expand her movement and frame but also implored her to “dance like you know that you’re good, because you are.” Ciara and Brandon scored all 5’s for their dance, totaling 15 points.
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bernsten
Giada De Laurentiis, the iconic chef of Food Network, danced a silly, upbeat routine to “Venus” by Shocking Blue with her partner Alan Bernsten. She mentioned how she was nervous about having the stamina to finish out the dance, but she did it!
Carrie Ann encouraged Giada, noting: “You just showed your daughter what it is to do something scary.” Derek mentioned the dance seemed a little fragile and careful, but it was also very joyful. They scored a 6 (Carrie Ann), 5 (Derek) and 5 (Bruno).
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
You’ll probably know Julia best from the iconic rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You as the spunky Kat Stratford. She brought all that girlboss energy to the ballroom floor as she and her partner Ezra Sosa danced a quickstep to “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton.
They killed it with great synchronization and performance quality. Derek encouraged Juolia to move with more energy and gusto. Julia and Ezra scored all 6’s for a total of 18 points.
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
Spoiler alert: This celeb and pro duo are already BFFs! They met on season four of The Traitors and got to bring their friendship into the ballroom. They danced a captivating foxtrot to “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles.
This duo absolutely exceeded everyone’s expectations. Bruno mentioned that they had the flow and glide he was looking for in the movements, and he could clearly see her hard work. Carrie Ann called the dance “mesmerizing.” This iconic duo scored all 7’s, tying with Harry Shum Jr. for the highest score of the premiere with 21 points.
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
Sarah Jane and new-this-season pro Hailey are the show’s third-ever same-sex pairing, and they performed a sassy jive to “Sk8ter Boi” by Avril Lavigne. Also, Sarah Jane’s sister, Brooks, was a contestant on DWTS two seasons ago!
Unfortunately, a lot of the dance was out of sync, but the judges noted the potential. This duo scored a 5 (Carrie Ann), 4 (Derek) and 5 (Bruno), for a total of 14 points. Unfortunately, they were eliminated at the end of night two.
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Former professional dancer and The Rookie star Jenna Dewan took on a new dance challenge with ballroom. She and Val danced a tango to “Call Me” by Blondie.
This dance was *so* well done. Derek praised the duo’s power and energy, and we def agree. It’s clear Jenna’s dance experience served her well: Her confidence on the floor was unmatched. Carrie Ann did mention an illegal lift in the dance, which she wants all the celebs and pros to watch this season. Jenna and Val scored a 6 (Carrie Ann), 6 (Derek), and 7 (Bruno), totalling 19 points.
Tune in next Tuesday to find out what happens next!
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All images: @dancingwiththestars
