‘Dancing With the Stars’ Live Blog: Which Male Will Be Eliminated on Night 1?
What To Know
- Dancing With the Stars Season 35 began on September 15 with the eight male celebs and their pro partners hitting the dance floor.
- The judges’ scores and viewer votes will be combined throughout the episode, with one being eliminated at the end of the night.
- On September 16, the ladies and their partners will perform, and one more will be sent home.
Another season of Dancing With the Stars has begun! Season 35 kicked off with the September 15 premiere, which features eight of the 16 celeb contestants hitting the dance floor with their pro partners.
The male stars danced to songs that hit No. 1 the year they were born, and at the end of the night, one will be eliminated based on a combination of judges’ scores and viewer votes from throughout the two-hour episode.
The competition continues on September 16 with the ladies performing, followed by another live elimination. For now, though, scroll down for live updates of the Night 1 performances and check back at the end of the show to find out who was eliminated.
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater — 15/30
Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson and his partner Emma Slater were up first. They danced a cha-cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, and since Olson is much younger than Slater’s other recent partners, she was thrilled to be able to choreograph with fewer limitations.
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Derek Hough started by warning the contestants that the judges are going to be tough on them this season, so no one should be surprised if scores are lower than expected. “You are a natural born performer,” he added. “That was a great way to start the show. With the technique, there were so many bent legs in that dance. The bottom half needs a lot of work. The upper half, I quite enjoyed, actually. Let’s marry the performance with technique.”
Bruno Tonioli added, “The audience is definitely going bananas! I see what you do is brilliant. Great entertainment. But here it’s all about the details. There’s a certain way to place your foot in the cha-cha-cha that gives you the correct action. That’s what you have to do. Performance-wise, great.”
Finally, Carrie Ann Inaba said, “You have potential to be a crowd favorite. You got the riz, you got all that going on. But you’re kind of rushing through your movements. Everything’s not hitting at the same time. All of it has to finish. Different parts are finishing at different times. So that’s something to work on, but fantastic way to start the season.”
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess — 17/30
The Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron is paired with Sharna Burgess, who is back on the show after a five-year hiatus. They performed a tango.
“I’m very pleasantly surprised,” Tonioli admitted. “He looks like a tank. I thought he as going to crash. In fact, you can move, man. You have natural musicality. A few hiccups here and there, but you have so much potential.”
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Inaba said she was “beyond impressed” and that the performance was “solid.” She urged Cameron to “lean into” his “commanding performance.” However, she warned Burgess she’d be taking a point off because her foot came off the ground and lifts are not allowed in tango.
“You have a Patrick Swayze aura about you,” Hough said, but noted that Cameron needs to work on his frame and posture in future dances, then combine that with his confidence and charisma.
With a 5 from Hough and 6s from Inaba and Tonioli, Cameron finished with a 17/30.
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman — 12/30
Conner Leavitt is on Season 35 after his wife, Whitney Leavitt, was a standout on Season 34. Paired with Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro winner and new pro Adele Zaikman, Leavitt danced a salsa for premiere night.
“That was fun and I love your enthusiasm, however, it was a bit chaotic,” Inaba said. “I think because you’re a magician you’re used to setting your focus somewhere else to distract us. It all needs to work together. I would’ve liked you to focus out to us more because you’re a natural performer.”
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Hough compared Leavitt to Phil Dunphy from Modern Family. “It was goofy, playful, a whole lot of fun, I just didn’t get enough salsa, really,” he added. “The hips weren’t really going. Your performance quality is off the charts, it’s amazing. We need to refine everything and work on the technique.”
Tonioli said Leavitt’s timing was off most of the time. “You have to be on it all the way through,” he explained, while also urging Leavitt to work on his hip movement next time.”
All three judges gave Leavitt 4s, so he finished with a 12/30.
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson — 10/30
Jimmy Kimmel‘s sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez and pregnant partner Witney Carson did a cha-cha for his first performance. While he didn’t move much, the audience absolutely loved him.
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“You made it unforgettable,” Tonioli raved. Hough said, “Was the technique there? No. Was the effort there? Absolutely. We gotta work on the power and the timing. We can’t be having heel leads in the cha-cha, but it’s great seeing you on this floor. Well done.”
Tonioli pointed out that “nobody will ever forget this,” while also mocking some of Rodriguez’s moves. “The technique can only get better,” he laughed.
Inaba agreed with what Hough and Tonioli said, but gave some positive remarks. “Every movement was executed with the intention that was proper,” she said. “The entertainment value and how the audience response to what you’re doing matters. There were big, bold movements and they were executed fine!”
Hough and Tonioli gave 3s to Rodriguez, while Inaba gave him a 4, so he scored a 10/30.
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach — 20/30
Paralympian Ezra Frech, who wears a prosthetic leg and only has two fingers on his left hand, hit the dance floor with Daniella Karagach. They performed a tango to Kelly Clarkson‘s “Since U Been Gone.”
“So strong,” Tonioli assured the pair. “So focused, so in control. But what really impressed me, you really looked like a leading man. It’s all very well doing the tango, but especially with someone like Dani, you were actually leading the dance all the way through.” He made sure to warn Tonioli to have more “control” and be “more gliding,” but overall was impressed.
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Inaba added, “This is why I love Dancing With the Stars. This is what’s so special about our show. Showing people what’s possible in the face of adversity. Showing people new ways to move. Outside the box thinking. Outside the box moving.” She also praised Karagach for “redefining” how Frech could move in tango with his leg. “I am in awe,” she gushed.
Hough got “very emotional” and said Frech was “really strong” with “incredible” pivots and a “fantastic” frame. “Moving forward it’s discovering what is possible, because it’s not about what you can’t do, it’s what you can do, and my friend, you can do it all,” he confirmed.
Inaba and Tonioli gave Frech 7s, while Hough gave him a 6, so he finished with a 20/30, the highest of the night so far.
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold — 16/30
Connor Wood, a comedian and podcaster, teamed up with Rylee Arnold for a cha-cha to Tim McGraw‘s “I Like It, I Love It.”
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“I was pleasantly surprised with that dance,” Inaba said. “There’s a sweetness and softness to the way you dance. Some of the moves were not correct, many of them, but they weren’t cringe. There was no ick in that dance at all. It was smooth and you have a great connection.”
Hough called Wood and Arnold a “double dose of dopamine” and said it was “pure joy” watching them. “Your timing was pretty good for the most part. It fell off a little bit here,” he added. “I’m going to be a stickler for the technique. The performance is amazing, but let’s not forget the technique.”
Tonioli agreed and urged Wood to “keep up the performance level” but told him to “work on refining the technique.” He scored a 16/30 total.
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart — 16/30
Singer Taylor Hanson danced a quickstep for Night 1 with his partner Britt Stewart. Hough praised Hanson for his “great save” when he almost messed up in the dance. He also gave him some tips for improving his frame, while noting that it was a “tough dance,” especially for Week 1. “You should be really happy, man, great first dance,” Hough added.
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Tonioli made sure to point out that it was a proper quickstep with “so much content,” adding, “It is the hardest dance to do. You messed it up and you covered it very, very well.”
Inaba said Len Goodman would have loved a “proper quickstep” like Hanson’s and said we need to “watch out” for him moving forward. With a 6 from Inaba and 5s from Hough and Tonioli, Hanson finished with a 16/30.
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson — 21/30
For the final dance of the night, Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson danced a cha-cha. Shum comes to the show with the most past dance experience of the men, and it showed.
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“I’m having a seizure!” Tonioli raved. “The chemistry between you two is off the charts. Sharp as a scalpel.” However, he warned him not to go into “old habits” and “lose the fluidity” when it comes to the technique in the ballroom.
“You are so electric when you perform. You light it up,” Inaba said. “But I’m going to call you out. You gotta watch where your axis, where your weight is. Don’t over-exaggerate the moves. That’s not always correct.” After being warned to be quick with his critiques, Hough simply said, “I really enjoyed that!”
With 7s from all three judges, Shum scored 21/30, earning himself the highest scores of the night.
Dancing With the Stars, Premiere Night 2, Wednesday, September 16, 8/7c, ABC
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