Dancing with the Stars returned for its 34th season on Sept. 16. People of all ages enjoyed the show from the comfort of their homes, watching some of their favorite celebrities compete for the Mirrorball trophy.
Fourteen stars went head-to-head, dancing to their personal anthems. As it was the premier, the couples strove to leave a good impression not only on the judges—Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough, and Carrie Ann Inaba, who could not judge due to being sick—but also on the fans. Every vote by the fans counts, meaning that, outside of striving for technical perfection, memorable performances are what matter to stay in the competition.
After past criticism that the judges were too lenient, giving high scores on the first night, it seems they took that feedback seriously this season. Jordan Chiles, an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, scored two fives, which marked her as one of the lowest scores of the night. Gymnasts in past seasons have a track record of high scores, leaving us to wonder if Chiles will be a phoenix to rise from the ashes of her first night. During her performance, she showed technical dance skills by performing the salsa, which is a hard dance to master as a beginner.
Low scores were a theme for the night, but some couples were still able to earn high marks. One of the breakout stars was Whitney Leavitt, appearing on Mormon Wives, who shone on the ballroom floor. Dancing alongside her partner, Mark Ballas, to “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, she scored a 15, one of the highest total scores of the night. This places her as an early contender to win the whole competition.
However, Australian wildlife conservationist, Robert Irwin, could be the true Mirrorball Champion. He has big shoes to fill as his sister, Bindi Irwin, won the Mirrorball during Season 25. Will he have a performance just as memorable as her dance of “Every Breath You Take?” Robert’s debut performance to “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwolf scored a 15, tying with Leavitt for the night’s highest score.
Alix Earle proved she could be another potential ringleader of this season. Performing to “Circus” by Britney Spears, she showed that she is more than a TikTok influencer and can be a ballroom dancer, too.
We can’t forget Hilaria Baldwin, a reality TV star and wife to Alec Baldwin, performing to “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez. She danced for years on New York University’s ballroom dance team. She had to stop because of a hip injury, so this competition is her opportunity to do what she loves again.
Dancing with the Stars will have people on the edge of their seats as they watch the celebrities they love compete for the title of Mirrorball Champion. Tune in every Tuesday at 8 p.m. on Disney+ and ABC to watch the latest episode and see which dancers are taking center stage.
Music lover who likes attending festivals by day, movie premieres by night.
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