“Dancing with the Stars” is officially back!
The hit dancing competition show kicked off Season 34 with 14 new celebrities showing off their moves on the ballroom for a chance to win the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Sept. 16 premiere began with a high-energy opening number that saw the dancing pros perform to “Kill the Lights” by Whitney Myer, which was choreographed by Ray Leeper.
Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough then welcomed the in-person audience and viewers at home, introducing judges Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough and the contestants and their partners. Earlier in the day Carrie Ann Inaba shared that she wouldn’t be there after falling ill.
Each couple danced to the song that defined them. Heading into the scoring section, the judges noted that they could be surprised by the scores as they are just starting and have a long way to go.
Here’s a recap of what went down on the Season 34 “DWTS” premiere, including the dances and scores of each couple.
What Did Each Star Dance to and What Was Their Score?“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck and partner Jan Ravnik performed a salsa to “NUEVAYoL” by Bad Bunny — SCORE: 12/20TV personality Hilaria Baldwin and partner Gleb Savchenko performed a cha cha to “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez — SCORE: 14/20Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa performed a salsa to “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé— SCORE: 10/20NBA All-Star Baron Davis and partner Britt Stewart performed a cha cha to “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer — SCORE: 10/20Social media personality Alix Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy performed a cha cha to “Circus” by Britney Spears — SCORE: 13/20Reality TV star Dylan Efron and partner Daniella Karagach performed a cha cha to “Milkshake” by Kelis — SCORE: 10/20Actor Corey Feldman and partner Jenna Johnson performed a tango to “It’s Still Rock & Roll To Me” by Billy Joel — SCORE: 9/20“Boy Meets World” star Danielle Fishel and partner Pasha Pashkov performed a tango to “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson — SCORE: 12/20Actor Elaine Hendrix and partner Alan Bersten performed a cha cha to “Woman” by Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns — SCORE: 12/20“Pentatonix” singer Scott Hoying and partner Rylee Arnold performed a tango to “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga — SCORE: 10/20Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and partner Witney Carson performed a jive to “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf — SCORE: 15/20“Fifth Harmony” singer Lauren Jauregui and partner Brandon Armstrong performed a tango to “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande — SCORE: 13/20“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas performed a tango to “Golden” from “K-Pop Demon Hunters” — SCORE: 15/20Comedian Andy Richter and partner Emma Slater performed a cha cha to “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam & Dave — SCORE: 9/20Who Is At the Top of the Leaderboard?
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson.Andrew Eccles / Disney
After the premiere episode, two couples were tied at the top.
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson were the final duo to take the stage and received a 15 out of 20.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas.Andrew Eccles / Disney
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas also received the same score.
Was There An Elimination?
No, there was not an elimination in the “DWTS” Season 34 premiere.
However, there will be a double elimination next week.
The live viewer votes will be combined with the judges’ scores from the first two weeks to determine which couples will be in jeopardy of elimination.
How to Vote for the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Contestants
Viewers can head to the “Dancing With the Stars” website to vote for their favorite couple.
People get up to 10 votes and can change and save their votes until the voting window closes during the live ET/CT simulcast, shortly after the final competitive dance.
People can also vote by SMS text message during the live voting window each episode/week. Voting by text cannot be changed and the first 10 only count.