Dancing With the Stars wasted little time turning up the pressure as Season 35 opened with a two-night premiere, a new group of celebrities and an elimination before some of the cast even had a chance to hit the ballroom.
The September 15 opener belonged to the eight male celebrity contestants, who were challenged with performing to No. 1 songs from the years they were born. It was a nostalgic theme, but the judging panel was not feeling particularly sentimental when it came time to raise the score paddles.
Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli kept the numbers relatively conservative throughout the evening, making it clear that points would have to be earned as the competition develops.
Harry Shum Jr. made the strongest numerical impression of the night. Paired with Jenna Johnson, the actor performed a cha-cha to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove” and finished with 21 points out of 30, giving the pair the highest judges’ score of the premiere.
Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech also made an impressive ballroom debut alongside Daniella Karagach. Their tango to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” earned 20 points, putting them just behind Shum and Johnson on the leaderboard.
Tyler Cameron began his season with returning professional Sharna Burgess. Their tango to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way” collected 17 points.
Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart tackled a quickstep to Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It,” while comedian and podcaster Connor Wood teamed with Rylee Arnold for a cha-cha set to Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It.” Both couples finished the evening with 16 points.
Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson and Emma Slater opened their campaign with a cha-cha to the Spice Girls hit “Wannabe,” earning 15 points.
Guillermo Rodriguez brought plenty of personality to the ballroom alongside Witney Carson. Their cha-cha to Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff” earned 10 points, the lowest judges’ total of the night. The score did not end their season, however, as the pair received enough support to move forward.
Instead, the first elimination went to Conner Leavitt and rookie professional Adele Zaikman. Their salsa to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is)” received 12 points, and the couple was sent home at the conclusion of the live show.
The premiere had some unscripted drama away from the dance floor as well. A problem affected online voting during the broadcast, leaving viewers to rely on text voting as the competition headed toward its first elimination.
Season 35 continues immediately with the second half of its premiere, when the eight female celebrities make their ballroom debuts. Like the men, they will perform to chart-topping songs connected to their birth years, and another couple will be eliminated before the two-night opening event is over.
With strict scoring, a few early standouts and the first celebrity already out of the running, Season 35 has made one thing clear: the road to the Mirrorball Trophy is not starting with a warm-up lap.
