Note: This story contains spoilers from “Dancing With the Stars” Season 34, Episode 1.
The stars heated up the ballroom for the Season 34 premiere of “Dancing With the Stars.” While no one was sent home Night 1, this season’s celebrities received tough feedback from judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Long-standing judge Carrie Ann Inaba was not present for the premiere as she was sick, and the show did not replace her with a guest judge.
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt and wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin tied at the top of the leaderboard with 15 points, each earning one 7 and one 8 from the judges. By the end of the night, hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough revealed that voting for premiere had already doubled the tally from the first episode of Season 33, and that there will be a double elimination next week.
Olympic gold-winning gymnast Jordan Chiles opened up the night with a salsa to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul,” approved by the pop icon herself. Dressed in a red, white and blue costume, the athlete impressed the judges, but they wanted Chiles to loosen up.
“Traitors” winner Dylan Efron shook up the crowd with his cha cha to “Milkshake” by Kelis. Tonioli told the social media and reality star that moving forward he needs to watch out for his timing. His cheesing smile throughout the dance won over the audience though, earning a standing ovation. Hough said the reality star needed to work on keeping up with his powerhouse partner Daniella Karagach.
“The Parent Trap” star Elaine Hendrix said during his package that the dance studio was her first love, and she proved that with her fun cha cha to “Woman” by Kesha. “You’re journey to reclaiming dance has officially begun tonight,” Hough told the actress. She told Julianne Hough that she wanted to prove to herself and other women that age is just a number.
Leavitt wowed the judges with her tango routine to “Golden” from Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters,” earning her the highest score of the night. Hough gave her a seven, while Tonioli accidentally input an eight but held up a seven. The powers at be still ruled Leavitt’s score to be a 15, which was the highest of the night.
NBA All-star Baron Davis performed a cha cha to “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer. Tonioli told the former basketball pro that “when you do the cha cha, it has to be right, and it’d be nice to see a little bit more of it, because I think you do have the talent.” Davis and his partner Britt Stewart fell in the middle of the pack with a score of 10 out of 20.
Alix Earle was the first celebrity announced for Season 34, and she lit up the dancefloor with her cha cha to “Circus” by Britney Spears. The social media star grew up dancing competitively but never in ballroom. The judges wanted her to drop the nerves and dance more fluidly rather than hitting one move after another. Hough called the routine “very impressive for a first dance.”
Hilaria Baldwin returned to dancing for the first time in 16 years to perform a cha cha to “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez with partner Gleb Savchenko. Hough said that was “the best cha cha he’s seen from a mother of seven.” Her husband Alec Baldwin supported her in the ballroom and even gave a confessional from her rehearsal. Tonioli told the reality star that he cannot wait to see her routines throughout the season.
Pentatonix star Scott Hoying reenacted some choreography from Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” music video in his tango to her hit single. Hough wanted the Grammy winner to work on his technique, particularly his frame. Though he loved the references included by his partner Rylee Arnold, he noted that the dance was supposed to be a tango, and there was not enough content.
“Boy Meets World” star Danielle Fishel performed a tango to Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger,” celebrating her strength post-breast cancer diagnosis. Tonioli told the actress that she should “be proud of herself” for her first routine out of the gate and complimented her natural fluidity and grace on the ballroom floor. Both judges said to watch her shoulders as she is in frame moving forward. After Hough joked that he had a crush on her growing up, the 90s sitcom alum joked “if you had a crush on me, you better vote.”
Just eight weeks after giving birth to her third child, “Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck made her debut in the ballroom. It was also her partner Jan Ravnik’s first dance, joining the cast of the show this season. The duo danced a salsa to “NUEVAYoL” by Bad Bunny. Hough did critique Ravnik for his use of too many lifts in the dance, saying it took away from Affleck’s dance talent. Tonioli echoed the sentiments saying she is “good enough not to do that.”
Actor-musician Corey Feldman danced the tango with his partner Jenna Johnson to “It’s Still Rock & Roll To Me” by Billy Joel. “You’re putting your personal spin into the interpretation of the tango,” Tonioli joked to the “Gremlins” actor. Hough said there is much improvement to be had from the actor in technique, the form and the frame, but all in all it was a great first dance.
Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui performed a tango to “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande. Hough applauded the singer-songwriters first dance giving her one of the highest scores of the night. “You put us all on notice tonight,” he added.
Comedian Andy Richter danced the cha cha to “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam & Dave with his partner Emma Slater. Tonioli joked that the actor’s timing was “in another time zone” for his first dance. Hough brought the positivity, saying he loves watching Richter’s authenticity shine through as he dances.
Irwin closed out the night of dancing with a jive to “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf, impressing the judges and earning the top score of the night. “That wasn’t good. It was great, wonderful in the best possible way,” Tonioli said of Irwin and his partner Witney Carson’s first dance. Hough kept the compliments coming say “that was one of the best first dances I’ve ever seen on this show.” He won the mirrorball with Irwin’s sister Bindi ten years ago.
LEADERBOARD: Week 1
- Whitney Leavitt & Mark Ballas: 15
- Robert Irwin & Witney Carson: 15
- Hilaria Baldwin & Gleb Savchenko: 14
- Alix Earle & Val Chmerkovskiy: 13
- Lauren Jauregui & Brandon Armstrong: 13
- Elaine Hendrix & Alan Bersten: 12
- Danielle Fishel & Pasha Pashkov: 12
- Jen Affleck & Jan Ravnik: 12
- Jordan Chiles & Ezra Sosa: 10
- Dylan Efron & Daniella Karagach: 10
- Baron Davis & Britt Stewart: 10
- Scott Hoying & Rylee Arnold: 10
- Corey Feldman & Jenna Johnson: 9
- Andy Richter & Emma Slater: 9
“Dancing With the Stars” airs live on Tuesdays on ABC and streams on Disney+ in local time zones and the next day on Hulu.
