The second night of a two-part season 35 premiere had the ladies hitting the dance floor for the first time on Wednesday’s, September 16 edition of Dancing With the Stars. As previously reported, night one was the male celebrity contestants and night two would be the women.

When the smoke cleared, three couples looked very strong coming out of the gate: Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, Jenna Dewan and pro Val Chmerkovskiy and Amber Glenn and pro Pasha Pashkov.

The remaining couples were: Tatyana Ali and pro Jan Ravnik, Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong, Giada De Laurentiis and pro Alan Bersten, Julia Stiles and pro Ezra Sosa and Sarah Jane Nader and pro Hailey Bills. Look for Miller and Stiles, who tied with 18 points with Amber Glenn, to possibly challenge the frontrunners in the weeks ahead, but this is Dancing with the Stars were the popular at-home vote really decides who stays and who gets the boot.

Photo: ABC

Let’s take a look at the top three couples from last night’s competition:

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas – dancing the Foxtrot to “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles – 21/30

Judge Bruno said of the sleek performance, “So enticing. Smooth as silk and ready for the kill. I was talking earlier about the quality of the foxtrot … you’ve done just that. The movement on Week 1, I’ve never seen something that level of quality.”

Judge Carrie Ann said of Traitors star Higgins. she was blown away and almost rendered unable to speak, sharing, “That was mesmerizing. Not only was it all that Bruno said, you are mesmerizing. You had the character right, the way you toned it.”

Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy – dancing to Tango to “Call Me” by Blondie – 19/30

For the final dance of the night Jenna Dewan and Valentin Chmerkovskiy performed a tango. The star of The Rookie, who once danced for the likes of Janet Jackson and others is expected to go far, so Val made sure they turned up the heat.

Judge Derek Hough said of the routine, “It literally had so much power, so much energy, and I think part of that, actually, for me, made the shoulders go up a little bit.” He also had a bit of warning for Dewan that she needs to work on the “fine strokes” of her dance moves as she moves forward in the competition.

Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov – dancing the Cha Cha to “Smooth” by Carlos Santana Ft. Rob Thomas – 18/30

Although there were those annoying winks at the start of her routine and later on from the Olympic Gold medalist, Amber Glenn took her athletic prowess from the ice to the dance floor.

Judge Bruno said of her performance, “She attacked the cha-cha-cha like a warrior queen. I love the attitude. You really went for it. There are bad habits that come with what you do. You don’t articulate with your foot … she’s got it all, you just need to refine.”

THE RESULTS

When it was time for the evening’s result which would send one couple home packing, the five couples safe were: Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa, and Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong.

Photo: ABC

That left: Giada De Laurentis and Alan Bersten, Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills, and Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik. The couple eliminated was the all-girl duo of Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills, thus ending the run to showcase a same-sex dancing duo moving forward for the rest of the season.

So, we ask you, did the right couple get voted out? Who do you think is your early favorite from the ladies to make it to the finals for the Len Goodman MirrorBall Trophy later this season? How do you think the ladies ranked with what you saw from the men on night one? Let us know via the comment section below.

Dancing With the Stars season 35 got underway with their September 15 premiere on ABC, which for the first time split the male and female celebrity contestants over two nights.

So, night one saw 8 male celebs with their pro partners hitting the ballroom dance floor with their first routines of the competition. Tonight on September 16 (8pm ET/7pm CT), the women take to the dance floor with their pro partners.

For night one, the male stars performed dances to a number #1 hit from the year they were born. By the end of the night, one couple was sent packing by the combined judges scores (Bruno, Derek and Carrie Ann) and the viewers text votes only, because for the first time live, the voting at ABC.com was not working. Throughout the night, hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough would remind viewers to text their votes.

When the smoke cleared, there were definitely some early favorites, chief among them Paralympian Ezra Frech who wowed everyone, Harry Shum Jr., although we all expected the Grey’s Anatomy star to cut a rug on the dance floor with his longtime dance background, and even ‘Bachelorette’ alum, Tyler Cameron showed promise. Let’s run down night one of the competition and give a recap of gents performances alongside their scores, and in case you missed it, the video of their routine.

Photo: ABC

Jackson Olson & Emma Slater — 15/30

Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson and his partner Emma Slater were first up. Emma was thrilled that she wasn’t saddled (although she would not say it that way) with another older man who can’t dance. Instead, she got Jackson who is just 28-years old and is athletic and a showman.

The duo performed the cha-cha to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. While their were some on-point moves, at other times it felt like Jackkon was just selling it to the audience with his looks and expressions, when the judges also wanted him to be more locked-in on his feet.

Judge Derek Hough explained to Olson, “The bottom half (of your body) needs a lot of work. The upper half, I quite enjoyed, actually. Let’s marry the performance with technique.”

Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess — 17/30

Having played football and being very tall, ‘Bachelorette’ alum Tyler Cameron revealed to pro partner Sharna Burgess, that he actually took some dance classes in his high school/college days. Burgess is back on the ballroom floor after five years away from the show. Together, they performed a Tango, to Lenny Kravitz’s “Are you Going to Go my Way.” Tyler delivered much promise.

Bruno Tonioli commented, “I’m very pleasantly surprised. 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.”

Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman — 12/30

The husband of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Season 35 contestant,Whitney Leavitt, felt compelled to enter the competition to bring his dad vibe/magician experience and humor to his dancing, so he says.

Conner was paired with Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro winner Adele Zaikman, and they danced a salsa for premiere night. They performed to “Whoomp! There It Is!” by Tag Team. Needless to say, his dance moves and mugging to the camera needed vast improvement.

Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson — 10/30

Jimmy Kimmel‘s sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson did a cha-cha for his first performance. While he didn’t move much, he somehow got over with the judges and the audience.

Rodriguez and Carson performed to “Mr. Big Stuff’ by Jean Knight.  In the judges scores, Rodriguez received 3’s from Derek and Bruno while Inaba was a bit more generous with a 4. Needless to say, Guillermo scored at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach — 20/30

Paralympian Ezra Frech, who wears a prosthetic leg and only has two fingers on his left hand, along with  his pro partner Daniella Karagach took to the dance floor in one of the most highly-anticipated out of the gate performances for the season premiere. They performed the tango to Kelly Clarkson‘s “Since U Been Gone.”

After a beautiful routine and performance, Carrie Ann Inaba expressed,  “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.” Inaba also gave massive props to Karagach for “redefining” how Frech could move while doing the tango steps with a prosthetic leg. Carrie Ann said she was, “In awe!”

Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold — 16/30

Connor Wood, a comedian and podcaster, who is big on TikTok teamed with Rylee Arnold for their cha-cha to Tim McGraw‘s “I Like It, I Love It.”

Wood, who is from Texas, wanted to put a little two-stepping into the cha-cha and they did so. Wood did better than expected with Derek Hough sharing, “The performance is amazing, but let’s not forget the technique.”

Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart — 16/30

Singer Taylor Hanson from the OG brothers/boy band Hanson, danced a quickstep with his partner Britt Stewart. They performed to Tell Her About It by Billy Joel. There was a distinct mishap in the routine where Derek Hough cited Hanson for a “great save,” and gave Taylor constructive criticism to improve his frame, but added, “You should be really happy, man, great first dance.”

Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson — 21/30

The final performance of the night came from Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, who danced a cha-cha. Shum, who came to Dancing with the Stars from having danced during his time on the hit series Glee, and as a backup dancer for the likes of Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey and so much more, was ready to close night one in a big way.

Harry and Jenna danced to “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire.  To us, Shum was a little too over the top with his moves, but that does not take away that he is the one of the most obvious threats to take home the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy by season’s end.

Carrie Ann told Harry, “You are so electric when you perform. You light it up. 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.”  In the end, Shum scored 21/30, the highest scores of the night from the judges.

ELIMINATION TIME

When it was time for the results, five couples were announced as safe: Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson, Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart, Jackson Olson and Emma Slater, Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, and Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess.

Three were left remaining: Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold, Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson, and Conner Leavit and Adele Zaikman. Then, it was revealed that the couple being eliminated is Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman. And, we are just fine with that result!

So, what did you think of night one of season 35 of Dancing with the Stars? Which male contestant impressed you the most? Do you think the right guy was sent packing? Let us know your picks and thoughs via the comment section below.

The official reveal of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Season 35 celebrity cast and their professional dance partners were announced on this morning on September 2 on Good Morning America.

General Hospital’s Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain), a former DTWS contestant, was one of the hosts of the introduction of the full cast this morning on GMA, where Mathison has also been a celebrity correspondent throughout his career.

The ballroom-dance competition will once again be co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, with judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli also returning. While there has been four previously released celebrity contestants, the full list was released today which includes: a former Y&R actress in Tatyana Ali (ex-Roxanne), double Paralympic gold medalist and American track and field athlete, Ezra French, Grey’s Anatomy’s Harry Shum Jr. and actress Julia Stiles.

Photo: ABC

The two-night Dancing with the Stars premiere event takes place Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept 16, at 8pm EST/7pm PST. on ABC and Disney+ and streams the next day on Hulu.

WHO’S COMPETING FOR THE LEN GOODMAN MIRROR BALL TROPHY?

Take a look at the celebrity contestants and their pro partners below.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Tatyana Ali with partner Jan Ravnik
TV personality and host Tyler Cameron with partner Sharna Burgess
Celebrity chef and host Giada De Laurentiis with partner Alan Bersten
Star of  The Rookie Jenna Dewan with partner Val Chmerkovskiy
Paralympian gold medalist Ezra Frech with partner Daniella Karagach
Olympian gold medalist Amber Glenn with partner Pasha Pashkov
From “Hanson” Taylor Hanson with partner Britt Stewart
Reality star and model Maura Higgins with partner Mark Ballas
From The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Conner Leavitt with partner Adele Zaikman
Reality star and host Ciara Miller with partner Brandon Armstrong
From Love Thy Nader Sarah Jane Nader with partner Hailey Bills
“Savannah Bananas” star Jackson Olson with partner Emma Slater
From Jimmy Kimmel Live Guillermo Rodriguez with partner Witney Carson
From Grey’s Anatomy Harry Shum Jr. with partner Jenna Johnson
Film and TV star Julia Stiles with partner Ezra Sosa
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood with partner Rylee Arnold

Photo: ABC

DANCING WITH THE STARS COMPANION SHOWS WITH ANDY RICHTER AND ROBERT IRWIN

In addition, the Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast returns for a second season with a new host, Season 34 contestant Andy Richter, sharing cast interviews, special guests, behind-the-scenes insights and expert breakdowns of the performances, beginning on Thursday, September 10 with episodes airing every Thursday on Disney+ and Hulu, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And for more, season 34 Mirrorball Champion Robert Irwin, will preside over the “DWTS After Party” which finds viewers immediately following “Premiere: Night Two,” checking in with eliminated contestants and breaking down the best moments with “DWTS” alumni with never-before-seen footage and special teases. The aftershow airs live beginning on Wednesday, September 16 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC and Disney+ and streams next day on Hulu.

Four members of the cast were previously revealed as mentioned above: Higgins and Miller were introduced at Hulu’s Get Real event in April. Olson was announced in May, and Rodriguez was announced in June on Jimmy Kimmel Live! by Kimmel himself.

So, what do you think of the cast of season 34 of Dancing with the Stars? Does it intrigue you enough to make you check-in and see the new line-up hit the ballroom dance floor? Who do you wish was competing on the celebrity side that is not? Who do you think on paper looks to have the edge in the competition? Let us know via the comment section below. But first, you can check out GH’s Cameron Mathison and company asking the new cast of DWTS questions and their reactions for the upcoming new season.