WE’RE BACK!!!

“Dancing With The Stars” returned tonight for their 20th season and with another cast of A listers celebrites “entertainers”!!

The show kicked off in STELLAR fashion with Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews welcoming us to the show, and the introduction of the newest batch vying for the Mirror Ball trophy.

The duo wasted no time in throwing right to the action, and our youngest competitor was the one to kick it all of.

1. Willow Shields with Mark Ballas – Cha Cha

The “Hunger Games” actress (she plays Primrose Everdeen) was already starting to impress her partner Mark during the rehearsals, so how would it come across live?

Well…..

Not great, but it could have been a lot worse!! Willow and Mark seemed to have a lot of fun with their Cha Cha, but they did seem a tad out of sync for yours truly. The 14 year old did show some personality during the number, and there is a TON of potential there. Head judge Len Goodman went first and praised the dance as a whole. Each judge had a slight critique, but overall?

They liked it!!

Guess it’s just me. Oh well. The first dance of the season resulted in three 6’s and a 7 from Bruno.

2. Robert Herjavec with Kym Johnson – Cha Cha

This isn’t just the 20th season….it’s also the return of 2 time champion, fan favorite Kym!!!
The “Shark Tank” figure showed off some moves in his very first dance, but the whole production is what I had a problem with. The duo were joined by some other dancers in their routine and it kind of had me distracted.

However, Robert really showed he can move. His moves were crisp, his feet were on point and he really connected with the crowd right out the gate. Kym could have a lot of fun with this one. The judges all applauded them, with Len adding that scores may be a tad lower tonight, as they want to see the contestants grow. The pair managed to nab four 7’s!!

3. Riker Lynch with Allison Holker – Jive

The R5 singer/guitarist EXPLODED on stage with Allison and yours truly has officially been wowed!!!

Allison had mentioned in the rehearsal package video, that Riker had dance experience and she wasn’t kidding. Carrie Ann was over the moon about the performance and the judges echoed her words. Although it did appear that Julianne Hough threw in a slight dig at Allison’s partner last year, Jonathan Bennett.

The duo managed to score the highest score so far and received three 8’s and a 7 from Len.

4. Charlotte McKinney with Keo Motsepe – Jive

Can Keo avoid being the first one eliminated again like last season? 
Let’s see if his model partner can help him!!

I’m already done with the boob jokes though, and it doesn’t appear Keo could be in better hands. Charlotte appeared to really struggle with the choreography, and it didn’t even seem overly detailed. There were some decent moves throughout, but the whole performance fell flat for me. The judges seemingly had issues with the routine, but still said it was enjoyable. The scored two 6’s and two 5’s.

5. Patti Labelle with Artem Chigvintsev – Foxtrot

The legendary vocalist floated on top of the ballroom and she commanded every single second of the dance. There was a gracefulness to every move she made, and she owned it. While you may think I’m just marking out for the diva (which I am) it’s more than that. She really did do a great job and the judges saw that. The judges all loved what she gave, and they scored three 6’s and a 7 from Carrie Ann.

6. Chris Soules with Witney Carson – Jive

Bachelor boy can DANCE!!!!

Busting his best two step to “Footloose”, Chris Soules and returning champion Witney tore up the dance flor and consider yours truly very impressed. While there were definitely a few missteps, this really worked!!

Julianne enjoyed the performance but called out a bit of his footwork, while Carrie Ann called it “tons of potential”. Len echoed Carrie Ann and Bruno……was Bruno.

They received two 7’s and two 6’s.

7. Michael Sam wit Peta Murgatroyd – Cha Cha

YES!!!!!

The football player and his siren of a partner turned up the heat on the dance floor set to “Uptown Funk”. Michael is in very great company, as many football players have done well on the show before and he didn’t miss a beat. My only complaint?

I didn’t see Vito cheering him on!!!

Len said the performance itself was good, but his footwork was “atrocious”. They received two 6’s and two 7’s from the judges.

8. Nastia Liukin with Derek Hough – Foxtrot

Don’t you love how they hype it as “5 time champion”…..and they give him a gymnast?

This is no shade at Derek, but let’s hope someone else makes the finale. Am I right?

The duo showed off Nadia’s lines and girl can definitely move, but something felt off for me. Chemistry maybe? Or lack thereof?

The lift police was out in full force as Carrie Ann commended the performance but clearly disliked the lift that Derek added. Len called a few missteps, Julianne called it explosive, and Bruno called her out on over extending. They received two 8’s and a two 7’s.

9. Red Foo (of LMFAO) with Emma Slater – Cha Cha

Poor Emma.

This was a disaster from the opening beat. Slater attempted to play to Red Foo’s strengths but the entire performance was a miss from the get go. The judges called it “fun” but were not impressed with the material and the footwork. Two 6’s and two 5’s gave them the lowest score of the night so far.

10. Noah Galloway with Sharna Burgess

…………………….

Okay……so the war veteran brought yours truly to tears. Sharna had an uphill battle with Noah, because he has a prosthetic leg and also lost his arm. He was determined from the beginning, which was evident in the rehearsal video. I commend Sharna so much for the routine because she really helped Noah and managed to plan the routine around his injuries. Noah is an inspiration and I loved every second of it.

Standing ovation in the ballroom.

They received two 7’s and two 6’s. This is going to be a very interesting journey for these two.

11. Suzanne Somers with Tony Dovolani – Jive

This woman looks AMAZING for 68, let’s get that out of the way.

Now, the dance?

It was……awkward.

Suzanne moves really well on the dance floor, and she definitely has rhythm but there was some sort of disconnection in the middle of the performance. They went on to receive three 6’s and a 7 from Bruno.

12. Rumer Willis with Val Chmerkovskiy – Foxtrot

Father Bruce Willis was in the house!!

And Dad?

Your daughter is a contender!!

The way Rumer moved across the floor was near perfect (at least for me). She seemed poised, and attacked every single move with determination and authenticity. It really showed us the depth of what she is really capable of. LOVED every second of it!! Carrie Ann Inaba was LEAPING out of her chair for the performance, with Len even saying it could be Val’s season. Julianne had chills and Bruno was FREAKING out.

PERFORMANCE. OF. THE. NIGHT.

Their scores?

Four 8’s giving them the highest score of the night!!

And that wraps it up here, so make sure you tune in next Monday to find out who’s going to be the first one going home.

Who do you guys think will say goodbye after week 1?

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