The wait is finally over! A new season of Dancing with the Stars kicked off on Sept. 16 with a night of incredible performances as 14 new celebrities took to the ballroom to compete alongside our returning pros.
Before the premiere even began, the show made headlines as judge Carrie Ann Inaba was forced to take a step back. Inaba missed the premiere due to illness, leaving just Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough to judge the Week 1 dances. We immediately knew we’d be in store for some lower than usual scores for Week 1 as there are only 20 points up for grabs from the two judges.
For Week 1, the stars were tasked with dancing to their personal anthems to help introduces themselves to the audiences at home. What anthems were selected and who rose to the top of the leaderboard on Night 1? Read on for a breakdown of the night’s Week 1 performances and scores!
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa Week 1 Score: 10/20
Anthem: “Break My Soul” by Beyonce
Dance: Salsa
Judges Scores: 10/20
- Derek Hough: 5
- Bruno Tonioli: 5
Judge's Feedback: Derek was impressed with the way Jordan opened the season up. One thing he pointed out was being mindful to keep the integrity of the dance. Bruno encouraged Jordan to work on her hip action, but was impressed with the opening performance.
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach Week 1 Score: 10/20
Anthem: “Milkshake” by Kelis
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Scores: 10/20
- Derek Hough: 5
- Bruno Tonioli: 5
Judge’s Feedback: Bruno saw some promise in some moments, but noticed he was a bit on and off through the dance, encouraging him to be consistent. Derek was impressed with his fluidity, but noticed he got ahead of the timing throughout the routine and challenged him to step into the leading man role moving forward.
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten Week 1 Score: 12/20
Anthem: “Woman” by Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns.
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Scores: 12/20
- Derek Hough: 6
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judge’s Feedback: Derek was absolutely wowed by her performance and noted his excitement in seeing her start this journey of reclaiming her dancing aspirations. He encouraged her to work on finishing her movements to improve upon her form. Bruno loved the nuances she brought to the performance calling it sassy, sexy, and classy. Bruno also echoed Derek’s note of finishing her movements and watching her shoulders.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas week 1 score: 15/20
Anthem: “Golden” by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast.
Dance: Tango
Judges Scores: 15/20
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 8 (Note, he intended to put in a 7 but they must count what is entered)
Judge’s Feedback: Calling it the Devil Wears Tango, Bruno called the performance incredible and loved the high quality nature of the performance! Derek called the performance beautiful and noted it was a performance that Carrie Ann would have loved if she was present. His one note was to maintain the frame in her performance.
Baron Davis and Britt Stewart week 1 score: 10/20
Anthem: “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Scores: 10/20
- Derek Hough: 5
- Bruno Tonioli: 5
Judge’s Feedback: Derek thought the performance was so fun and said Baron crushed it. He loved the charisma and performance quality, and noted he can’t wait to see what’s next. Bruno was a bit harsher noting that he wanted more Cha Cha and pointed out there are no heel leads in the dance as he challenged him to work on footwork.
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy week 1 score: 13/20
Anthem: “Circus” by Britney Spears.
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Scores: 13/20
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judge’s Feedback: Bruno was really impressed with her performance; however, he challenged her to work on her fluidity in the dance and also in playing off her partner more. Derek called the routine wonderful, sharp, clean, precise and powerful. He did challenge her to work that precision so that it doesn’t turn into stiffness.
Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold week 1 score: 10/20
Anthem: Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga.
Dance: Tango
Judges Scores: 10/20
- Derek Hough: 5
- Bruno Tonioli: 5
Judge’s Feedback: Derek was impressed with the dance, but admitted he wants him to work on the fundamentals of dance. Bruno wanted more tango from the routine and challenged him to work on refinement in his performance calling it a bit messy.
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov week 1 score: 12/20
Anthem: “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson.
Dance: Tango
Judges Scores: 12/20
- Derek Hough: 6
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judge’s Feedback: Danielle really impressed Bruno who admitted he didn’t know she had it in her. Bruno loved her sense of movement, but did encourage her to work on her shoulders. Derek called the routine beautiful and a breath of fresh air, while echoing Bruno’s note to watch her shoulders.
Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik week 1 score: 12/20
Anthem: “NUEVAYoL” by Bad Bunny.
Dance: Salsa
Judges Scores: 12/20
- Derek Hough: 6
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judge’s Feedback: Derek congratulated Jen on a great first dance, but felt some of the lifts slowed the routine down a bit. Bruno joked he got vertigo watching the routine’s many lifts. He too agreed some of the lifts stopped the flow of the routine and encouraged her not to hold back in her performances.
Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson week 1 scores: 9/20
Anthem: “It’s Still Rock & Roll To Me” by Billy Joel
Dance: Tango
Judges Scores: 9/20
- Derek Hough: 4
- Bruno Tonioli: 5
Judge’s Feedback: Bruno loved the personal spin that he put on the routine and called it a great performance. His one challenge was asking him to work on his technique. This sentiment was shared by Derek who encouraged Corey to work on his technique, but called the performance fun to watch and loved the softness to his routine.
Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong week 1 score: 13/20
Anthem: “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande
Dance: Tango
Judges Scores: 13/20
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 6
Judge’s Feedback: Derek praised her for an elegant performance and loved her beautiful frame. His one note was to make sure to stick the landing by following through with her moves. This was echoed by Bruno who challenged her to finish her moves more cleanly, while praising her for a job well done.
Andy Richter and Emma Slater week 1 scores: 9/20
Anthem: “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam & Dave
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Scores: 9/20
- Derek Hough: 5
- Bruno Tonioli: 4
Judge’s Feedback: Bruno wasn’t impressed, but loved the spirit of the routine. He pointed out that the timing was off even joking that Andy and Emma were dancing in separate time zones. He ended his critique noting that it can only get better from here. Derek kept things mostly positive, noting that everyone in the room was rooting for him and praising him for the joy he brought to the routine.
Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko week 1 score: 14/20
Anthem: “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez
Dance: Cha Cha
Judges Scores: 14/20
- Derek Hough: 7
- Bruno Tonioli: 7
Judge’s Feedback: Derek called it the best Cha Cha he’s seen from a mother of seven and appreciated her precision. Bruno said Hilaria went for it like a fury and won. He called it a delicious performance and loved the way she used the dance as a conversation, noting that he’s excited to see what she’ll do this season.
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson week 1 score: 15/20
Anthem: “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf
Dance: Jive
Judges Scores: 15/20
- Derek Hough: 8
- Bruno Tonioli: 7
Judge’s Feedback: Bruno said the performance wasn’t good, it was GREAT. He called Robert’s kicks and flicks brilliant and said he can’t wait to see what’s ahead. Derek was so relieved because he had some big shoes to fill which he owned. Derek called it the best first dance he’s ever seen on the show.
There was no elimination Week 1 of Dancing with the Stars season 34
For the premiere week, ABC opted not to send anyone home from the competition. That’s right, no one went home in Week 1 of Dancing with the Stars season 34. We’ll see the first elimination of the season take place in Week 2 when the couples’ scores and votes from the first two weeks are combined leading to a double elimination.