Dancing With the Stars is officially back for Season 35 on ABC. The second half of the premiere episode has officially aired, with all female stars. Next week, the show will return to its normal format of one episode per week.
Female Contestants Waltz into the Ballroom
This week, stars got to choose their performance songs. They had to pick a Billboard Top 1 song from the year they were born. The first celebrity to perform was Tatyana Ali, with her partner Jan Ravnik. They performed a jive to “Knock on Wood” by Amii Stewart, which charted in 1979. The pair earned 12 out of 30 points.
The next contestant up was Olympian Amber Glenn and her partner Pasha Pashkov. Amber chose to perform a cha-cha to “Smooth” by Santana for her first performance. Judges loved that Amber took on a solo portion of the dance for her first time in the ballroom. They earned 18 out of 30 on their first performance.
SHOP TALENT RECAP MERCH:
The next contestant was Summer House alumni Ciara Miller and her partner Brandon Armstrong. The celebrity chose to dance a foxtrot to “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston, which topped the charts in 1995. For a first dance Ciara did a good job in frame. Judges, of course, helped the pair adjust their form, but ultimately scored them 15 out of 30 points.
Traitors Pair Tops the Leaderboard With Foxtrot
Food Network celebrity Giada De Laurentiis was the next to go with her partner, Alan Bersten. She performed a tango to “Venus” by Shocking Blue, which charted in 1970. Even though Giada was a little stiff and only could say “dancing is hard” after her performance, she earned 16 out of 30 points for her first performance.
Then, film star Julia Stiles took the stage with her partner, Ezra Sosa. For their first dance, they performed a quickstep to “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton, which charted in 1981. After their dance, they were scored 18 out of 30, making them tied at the top of the leaderboard!
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Traitors cast members Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas reunited in the rehearsal room this week. The pair performed a foxtrot to “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles, which charted in 1990. Even though the rehearsal footage of Maura was rough, their dance definitely did not show that. They earned a 21 out of 30 for their first performance.
Sarah Jane Nader Gets Eliminated in Premiere Night 2 Episode
The final two dances of the night began with Sarah Jane Nader and her partner, new professional, Hailey Bills. Sarah chose to perform a jive to “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne, which charted in 2002. Even though they were slightly out of sync, the judges admitted they saw potential in Sarah’s capabilities. They earned a 14 out of 30 for their performance.
Jenna Dewan and partner Val Chmerkovskiy were the final pair to compete of the night. They performed a tango to “Call Me” by Blondie, which charted in 1980. Judge Derek Hough commented that Jenna and Val put the “go” in Tango, since their first dance was so good. The pair earned 19 out of 30 points on their first performance.
SHOP TALENT RECAP MERCH:
At the end of the episode, Sarah Jane Nader was eliminated from the competition. All of the remaining celebrities will return on Tuesday, September 22. Be sure to tune in so you don’t miss a minute of the competition.
