Dancing with the Stars season 35 kicked off with a two-episode premiere showcasing male celebrities on Tuesday, Sept. 15 and female stars on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Top scorers of both nights included Harry Shum Jr. and partner Jenna Johnson, as well as Maura Higgins and partner Mark Ballas. Consequently, the two eliminations were Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Conner Leavitt and partner Adele Zaikman, and internet personality Sarah Jane Nader and partner Hailey Bills. While early, the season is showing some clear frontrunners, with stars Harry Shum Jr., Maura Higgins, Julia Stiles, and Ezra Frech showing promising performances that have the possibility to take them far this season.
Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars is back and in full swing. With stars ranging from actors and athletes to influencers and nepo husbands, the season is stacked with talent that will leave voters with tough choices in the coming weeks. The season started strong with a two-episode premiere and double elimination.
The theme for night one of the premiere was nostalgia, with each star dancing to a Billboard No. 1 hit from the year they were born. The two-night premiere had the male and female celebrities perform on separate nights, with the men performing on Tuesday, Sept. 15 and the women performing on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
With a score of 21 out of 30, the highest scorers of the night were Harry Shum Jr. and partner Jenna Johnson, who performed the cha cha to the eighties hit “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire. As a tribute to Shum Jr.’s role in the hit show Grey’s Anatomy, the dance was performed with hints of the medical drama while still adding lots of glamour.
Other standout performances included paralympian Ezra Frech and partner Daniella Karagach’s tango to “Since U Been Gone,” by Kelly Clarkson. The dance was not only incredibly well-executed with beautiful choreography from Karagach, but also beyond inspiring, showing that there aren’t limitations to dance and who can do it. It was one of my personal favorites of the night, and I can’t wait to see what they go on to do in the season because Karagach’s choreography rarely disappoints.
Obviously, there were other incredible dances on night one, but the final performance I would like to mention was Jimmy Kimmel star Guillermo “Gonzo” Rodriguez and partner Witney Carson’s cha cha to “Mr. Big Stuff,” by Jean Knight. While this performance wasn’t high-scoring, with a score of 10 out of 30, it was highly anticipated by not only me, but other Jimmy Kimmel fans across the country. Rodriguez is just such a fun and high-spirited contestant, and while I don’t think he will go all the way to the finals, I do think there is a possibility that he will be this season’s Andy Richter and last longer than some might expect.
While all of these performances were a great start to the season, you can’t have a Dancing with the Stars episode without an elimination. In the bottom three on night one were Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Conner Leavitt and partner Adele Zaikman, influencer Connor Wood and partner Rylee Arnold, and Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson. The star to inevitably go home was Conner Leavitt, husband of last season’s star, and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Whitney Leavitt.
This elimination wasn’t completely out of the blue for most fans like myself. Originally, when the list of stars was released, many people were shocked that Conner Leavitt would be starring. While I love the Leavitt family and am a huge fan of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, I would be lying if I said that Conner Leavitt’s appearance felt more like another publicity opportunity rather than something that truly aligned with his brand.
Moving on to night two of the premiere, which aired on Sept. 16, with the female celebrities taking the stage and wowing the audience.
Actress Julia Stiles and her partner Ezra Sosa wowed with the quickstep to Dolly Parton’s iconic song “9 to 5,” not only a song of nostalgia, but an homage to the recently deceased and beloved musician and actress. For me, Stiles’ dance was highly anticipated, especially with all of the discourse surrounding her previous dance experience. However, Stiles and Sosa didn’t disappoint and proved that they will be putting on a great show this season.
With night two’s highest score of 21 out of 30, television personality Maura Higgins and partner Mark Ballas took the stage by storm with an outstanding foxtrot to “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles. Ballas continuously choreographs dances that highlight his partners while always having a moody feel that sucks in judges and viewers; his performance with Higgins was no different. However, Higgins also surprised voters with her beautiful technique and flow on the dance floor.
Another showstopping performance of the night was The Rookie star Jenna Dewan and partner Val Chmerkovskiy’s tango to Blondie’s hit “Call Me.” The dance showcased Dewan’s natural talent in performance and was sharp and edgy, perfectly matching the vibe of the song. The only catch was when judge Carrie Ann Inaba pointed out Dewan’s feet coming off the ground in a lift, a rule that is constantly getting stars and pros in trouble throughout the season.
With that being said about these great performances, we are again left with the bottom three, who weren’t at their best on night one. The bottom pairs consisted of Sarah Jane Nader and partner Hailey Bills, Tatyana Ali and partner Jan Ravnik, and Giada De Laurentiis and partner Alan Bersten. Unfortunately, the duo that went home was Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills.
Many fans, including myself, were disappointed with this elimination as it was the only same-sex pair of the season, and Bills’ first season as a pro. That being said, both week one eliminations were the two new pros. While I don’t think that was something calculated, it is disappointing to see these new pros let go so early in the season.
It’s still early in the season, so it’s hard to anticipate who will be in the finals; however, it is clear who some of the frontrunners will be. Both Shum Jr. and Higgins were the top scorers of their nights, and I don’t think it was beginner’s luck. Both have natural fluidity that allows them to adapt to different forms of dance, and they both have a presence on the dance floor that makes it hard to look away.
I am also excited to see what Julia Stiles and Ezra Frech bring to the table, as they showed promising performances with room to grow. Selfishly, I am excited to see what Connor Wood brings this season. I am a huge fan of Wood’s, and I think his natural charisma shows a lot of promise for wowing voters and judges this season.
Episodes air weekly on Tuesday nights, with new themes ahead, so make sure to tune in to see the stars’ growth in the past week.