‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Night 1 Premiere Live Recap: Dances, Scores and Elimination

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Well, dancing friends (and fiends), it’s that special time of year once more: Dancing With the Stars has officially returned to our screens for the highly anticipated Season 35!

Longtime judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli are back on the panel, with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough once again on deck to host the show and welcome an entirely new cast of stars. The two-night premiere kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 15, showcasing the eight male celebrities featured among the 15 total contestants. The premiere will then conclude on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with the seven female celebrities hitting the hardwood for their turn on the dance floor.

Who is competing on DWTS Season 35?

The full celebrity cast of Season 35 was unveiled on Good Morning America earlier this month, after the program had teased several stars over the summer. Presented in alphabetical order by first name, here’s everyone we’ll be cheering on this week!

Night 1

Conner Leavitt with pro Adele Zaikman
Connor Wood with pro Rylee Arnold
Ezra Frech with pro Daniella Karagach
Guillermo Rodriguez with pro and (Season 35 winner) Witney Carson
Harry Shum Jr. with pro Jenna Johnson
Jackson Olson with pro Emma Slater
Taylor Hanson with pro Britt Stewart
Tyler Cameron with pro Sharna Burgess

Night 2

Amber Glenn with pro Pasha Pashkov
Ciara Miller with pro Brandon Armstrong
Giada De Laurentiis with pro Alan Bersten
Jenna Dewan with pro Val Chmerkovskiy
Julia Stiles with pro Ezra Sosa
Maura Higgins with pro Mark Ballas
Sarah Jane Nader with pro Hailey Bills
Tatyana Ali with pro Jan Ravnik

To learn more about the cast and fans’ reactions, click here.

Will someone be eliminated on the DWTS Season 35 premiere?

Short answer: a surprising yes!

This year, DWTS is mixing it up a bit, and over the two-night premiere, two stars are slated to say goodbye. While the program usually refrains from eliminating contestants during the premiere week, this year’s show promises to eliminate one male contestant on the first night and one female contestant on the second night.

What is the theme of the DWTS Season 35 premiere?

According to a post shared on Instagram, the duos will be“dancing to #1 hits from the years the celebs were born.” This will include classic hits from beloved artists like the Spice Girls, Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson and more.

Jackson Olson and Emma Slater

The Savanah Banana star was up first, and Slater choreographed a cha-cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. In the introductory footage, the two met for their first practice, where the pro walked the athlete through a high-energy routine before they hit the hardwood in on-theme yellow ensembles.

Hough began judging by warning contestants and viewers alike that the panel had especially “high expectations” for all competitors this season. From there, he said Olson was a “natural-born performer” and gave the pair a 5. Tonioli joked that the crowd was “going bananas” for the star, but felt his footwork needed practice for another 5. Inaba agreed with her fellow judges, adding that Olson’s overall movement has room for improvement, giving the duo a third 5. Total score: 15/30

Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess

Bachelorette standout Cameron revealed in his introductory footage that he always wanted to be on DWTS before meeting Burgess. From there, the two practiced their impressive routine: a tango set to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.”

Tonioli said he was “pleasantly surprised” by how well Cameron could move and loved his “natural” musicality, giving the duo a 6. Inaba echoed Tonioli’s sentiments, enjoying his “commanding” performance, also giving them a 6. Hough said that the star had a “Patrick Swayze” essence about him, but wanted him to marry his posture with his potential talent, giving them a 5. Total score: 17/30

Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman

Leavitt—whose wife and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives costar, Whitney Leavitt, came in fourth last season—was excited to get started. He was partnered with Dancing With the Stars: the Next Pro winner Zaikman, who choreographed a playful salsa to “Whoomp! There It Is!” by Tag Team.

Inaba began by welcoming Zaikman to her first official judging, before pivoting to Leavitt. She called the dance “fun” but “chaotic” and gave the duo a 4. Hough loved the overall silly vibe of the performance, but felt Leavitt needed to “refine” his movement, also giving the duo a 4. Tonioli agreed, noting that the routine lacked the rhythm needed for a salsa, giving them a third 4. Total score: 12/30

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson

One of the earliest stars revealed for the Season 35 cast, Rodriguez and Carson danced an energetic cha-cha to “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight. Rodriguez was incredibly excited to start, bringing his signature light-hearted comedy to both the practice and the routine itself, which involved multiple dancers for a Broadway-style moment.

The live audience was excited to see the comedian and gave him a standing ovation, causing Hough to jump in with the judging. He thought the dance was “spicy” and celebrated his positive attitude, giving the duo a 3. Tonioli joked that the dance would likely go “viral,” also giving a 3. Inaba agreed overall, but highlighted how “defined” his movements were and gave them a 4. Total score: 10/30

Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach

The two-time Paralympic gold medalist met Karagach in the introductory footage, where he shared his story with the pro dancer so she (and viewers at home) could understand how his left-leg prosthetic worked. From there, the two danced a truly terrific tango to “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson.

Tonioli applauded Frech’s strength and control, but especially loved how much he looked like a “leading man,” giving them a 7. Inaba said Frech was what she loved most about DWTS, adding that she loved how they moved together as a “unit,” giving them a 7. Hough was moved by the routine, noting that he believes Frech can “do it all,” giving them a 6. Total score: 20/30

Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold

Dancing to “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw, the comedian hit the hardwood with Arnold for a country cha-cha. Arnold was excited to learn that Wood would be her partner, as she’s a fan of his comedy on TikTok.

Inaba said she was “pleasantly surprised” by the “sweetness and softness” Wood showed in the dance, giving them a 6. Hough joked that the duo was a “double dose of dopamine,” loving their charisma, and giving them a 5. Tonioli enjoyed their energy and also gave them a 5. Total score: 16/30

Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart

The 1990s icon was paired with Stewart for the season, and the two kicked off their partnership by dancing a quickstep set to “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel. In the introductory footage, Hanson opened up about his limited dance experience, noting that DWTS will be his “first major performance” without his brothers.

Hough applauded Hanson’s save on one move, calling the overall routine “fantastic,” and giving them a 5. Tonioli agreed, loving all the quickstep “content” Stewart included, also giving them a 5. Inaba referenced Len Goodman, saying he’d call the dance a “proper quickstep” and giving them a 6. Total score: 16/30

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