Celebrating 20 years on the air and featuring 14 stars, the premiere of season 34 of Dancing with the Stars marked the start of one of the most competitive seasons to date.
The stars and pros were tasked with dancing to their “personal anthems,” and first to take the stage were Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles and pro Ezra Sosa. Chiles and Sosa performed the salsa to “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé, which was notably Chiles’ floor routine song at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The judges pointed out Chiles’ ironic “wobbly dismounts” during the many flips and tricks, but ultimately marked her down due to the lack of Latin dance content. Chiles received fives from both judges.
Unfortunately, the judging panel was limited to just Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, as Carrie Ann Inaba was unexpectedly absent due to illness. Hough noted that the judges would be cautious with low scores tonight, given past online backlash over harsh judging.
Next up was Dylan Efron, brother of Zac Efron, and season three winner of The Traitors, who danced a cha-cha-cha to “Milkshake” with Daniella Karagach. Both Hough and Tonioli were pleasantly surprised, but he ultimately received fives.
The shock of the night came from The Parent Trap actress Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten’s cha-cha-cha to “Woman” by Kesha. Hendrix, who ended her dancing career after being hit by a car in 1992, impressed the judges and received sixes.
Influencer and star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Whitney Levitt, performed a tango to “Golden” with returning pro Mark Ballas. With a degree in dance and past competition experience, it was no surprise Levitt received one of the highest scores of the night with a seven and, after a technical scoring error from Tonioli, a mistaken 8.
Another cha-cha-cha, this time to “U Can’t Touch This,” came from two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis and Britt Stewart. Davis admitted he just “wanted to get it done” and finished with fives.
Social media influencer Alix Earle, dancing the cha-cha-cha to “Circus” with Val Chmerkovskiy, was called “a little stiff.” The judges still managed to highlight how strong her premiere dance was overall, awarding her a seven and a six.
Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold’s tango to “Abracadabra” only earned fives. While fans praised Hoying’s natural dance ability online, the judges stressed the lack of discipline in his routine.
In contrast, Boy Meets World actress and recent cancer survivor Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov delivered an emotional tango to “Stronger.” The judges described her as a “breath of fresh air moving across the floor,” scoring her sixes.
Fresh off Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, newest pro Jan Ravnik partnered with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck for a salsa to “NUEVAYoL.” Just eight weeks postpartum, Affleck performed a routine filled with lifts, prompting Tonioli to quip that watching gave him “vertigo.” She received sixes.
On the opposite end, reigning champion Jenna Johnson and Goonies actor Corey Feldman danced a tango to “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.” Despite concerns from fans over the duo’s lack of compatibility, they ended the night with scores of four and five.
Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong earned a seven and six for their tango to “Yes, And?”
Following them were Conan O’Brien’s longtime sidekick Andy Richter, with Emma Slater, who performed a cha-cha-cha to “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” Richter declared he was “not afraid of making a fool out of himself,” finishing with a five and a four, Tonioli’s score drawing boos from the audience.
Wellness influencer Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko danced a tango to “Let’s Get Loud,” scoring sevens. Many fans, however, criticized her prior ballroom experience competing on New York University’s team, arguing it gave her an unfair advantage.
The night closed on a high with conservationist Robert Irwin and Witney Carson performing a jive to “Born to Be Wild.” Hough declared it “the best first dance ever on the show.” With his sister Bindi Irwin having won season 21 with former pro now judge Hough, Irwin notably has big shoes to fill. He earned a combined score of 15 out of 20.
While this was a non-elimination night, Irwin and Levitt topped the leaderboard, while Richter and Feldman finished last with 9 out of 20. Next week, the stars will compete to one-hit wonders, and all eyes will be on which couples can build momentum and which may face elimination.
