The thirty fourth season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” premiered on Sept. 16, introducing the 14 celebrity dancers: Hilaria Baldwin, Danielle Fishel, Alix Earle, Andy Richter, Elaine Hendrix, Jordan Chiles, Baron Davis, Dylan Efron, Corey Feldman, Scott Hoying, Robert Irwin, Lauren Jauregui, Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt.
First to perform was gymnast Jordan Chiles and her partner Ezra Sosa. Chiles noted that her teammates “set the bar high,” and that gymnastics are very different in comparison to Latin dancing. The pair scored a 10out of 20, with judge Bruno Tonioli praising their dance as a “very, very good first performance.”
Following Chiles, star Dylan Efron and his partner Daniela Karagach scored another 10out of 20, judges critiquing Efron’s wobbliness. Next, Elaine Hendrix and pro Alan Bersten delivered a “classy” performance, according to Tonioli. The two received a 12out of 20.
Next, Star Whitney Leavitt from the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and pro Mark Ballas danced a tango that “Carrie Ann would have loved” if she hadn’t been out sick. Initially, Leavitt scored a 7from Tonioli, which was later corrected to an eight, leaving her and Mark with a 15 out of 20.
Other notable performances includ influencer Alix Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy’s cha-cha, which scored 13out of 20. Judge Derek Hough complimented Earle for her “sharp, clean, precise, and powerful” movements. Hough also praised that this routine was not a very easy first performance.
Danielle Fishel, formerly known as “Topanga” on the T.V. show “Boy Meets World” took the stage to perform a tango with her partner Pasha Pashkov. Fishel stated that “Dancing with the Stars” was an exciting opportunity that she knew she wanted to participate in after recently surviving cancer.
Finally, Robert Irwin, son of Steve Irwin, closed out the show with an “outstanding” jive, as stated by the Judges. Irwin and partner Witney Carson shared that Irwin had high expectations for himself after his sister, Bindi Irwin, had previously won the mirrorball trophy in season twenty one.
As week one concluded, all couples were safe from elimination, but not for long. Week two brings a double elimination, threatening the lower scoring couples, who can only hope to wow the judges with their next performance. The couples will be preparing their dances in the studio for “one hit wonder” week.
