The September 16 episode ofDancing With the Stars was all about the ladies! After the Season 35 guys took the floor for Night 1 of the premiere on September 15 (which resulted in Conner Leavitt‘s elimination), it was time for the girls to give it a go.
Throughout the episode, the eight female celebs and their pro partners will take the floor to dance to songs that hit No. 1 the year they were born. They’ll receive scores from the judges, which will be combined with viewer votes to determine who will be eliminated at the very end of the two-hour episode.
Scroll down for live updates from Night 2 of the premiere and keep refreshing to find out who is going home later on.
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik — 12/30
Tatyana Ali, who played host Alfonso Ribeiro‘s sister onThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, hit the floor first with partner Jan Ravnik. Their first dance style was the jive, and unfortunately there was a bit of a misstep at the beginning that Ali never fully recovered from.
Carrie Ann Inaba weighed in first and reminded everyone that the judges might be scoring low to leave room for growth. “That was a bit of a rough start,” she admitted. “It threw you off. You got off timing and I think you had a hard time recovering. But there’s a fierce fire brewing under you and you’re a powerful woman!”
Derek Hough called Ali a “ball of fire,” but did point out her flat feet and the mistakes she made. Bruno Tonioli added, “You gave me a little bit of sass, you have the sparkle, you just need to keep it going throughout the dance.”
With 4s from the three judges, Ali finished with a 12/30.
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov — 18/30
Next up, Olympian Amber Glenn and her partner Pasha Pashkov performed a cha-cha. “That solo section? That was spicy!” Hough raved, while also giving Glenn some tips about how to add some finesse and technique.
“She attacked the cha-cha-cha like a warrior queen. I love the attitude,” Tonioli said. “You really ewnt 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.”
Inaba agreed but added, “I think what’s special with you is the way you attack everything. This is only night one, that was an amazing performance.” She also included some advice to Glenn for how she can work better with a partner since she’s so used to performing solo. Three 6s from the judges gave Glenn an 18/30.
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong — 15/30
For their first dance, Ciara Miller and Brandon Armstrong danced a foxtrot. Tonioli told Miller she has sophistication and elegance, but pointed out that she was not consistent with her lines. “It’s all about control, continuous flow,” he added. “Don’t go from one step to another .Everything is linked.”
Inaba was emotional after watching Miller. “I can see the pain you have,” she said. “I can feel it. It’s the beautiful thing about dance is it gives you a place to express that. I think you are a stunning dancer.”
Hough agreed with Inaba and Tonioli about what Miller had to work on in her frame, but also said told Miller, “I want you to go back to rehearsal and dance like you know you’re good. Because you are. It’s there.” Miller scored three 5s for a 15/30.
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten — 17/30
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten performed a tango for their premiere dance. Inaba refused to believe that this was the first time De Laurentiis’ danced.
“What I loved, emotionally, is you just showed your daughter what it is to do something scary, and you did it with class,” she added. “Your lines were sweet and clear. Very well defined. I liked it a lot.”
Hough said it “wasn’t a bad first dance, by any means,” but admitted it felt a little “careful,” urging De Laurentiis to be more “powerful” in future dances. “You have all the ingredients, now I just need you to cook with conviction!” he explained. Tonioli agreed, adding, “It was a very nice dish, just have to blend it a little bit more!”
With a 6 from Inaba and 5s from the guys, De Laurentiis earned a 17/30.
Keep refreshing because we’ll be updating live throughout the episode.
Dancing With the Stars, Season 35, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+
