Dancing With the Stars Season 34 Episode 1 Recap

The ballroom is back with the sequins brighter and the music louder than ever as season 34 of ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ premieres. With longtime fan favorites Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough bringing their signature charms as the hosts, they set the perfect tone for an evening full of excitement, nerves, and standing ovations. For the very first dance night of the season, the atmosphere is truly electric. The judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, are ready with their sharp critiques and surprising praises, which keep the contestants on their toes.

The Premiere Begins With Dazzling Performances and New Introductions

The premiere commences with an incredible dance routine, followed by the entry of the hosts, Alfonso and Julianne. The latter announces that the dance is choreographed by Ray Leeper. With the introduction of the judges, Derek and Bruno, out of the way, it is revealed that Carrie cannot join tonight since she feels unwell, but is set to join the panel next week. Julianne moves on to introduce the star-studded line-up for this season: (1) Olympian gold medalist Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa, (2) Reality TV star Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, (3) Actress Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, (4) Influencer and cast of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas, (5) NBA All-Star Baron Davis and Britt Stewart, (6) Social media personality Alix Earle and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, and (7) Singer and Musician Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold.

The line-up continues with: (8) Actress Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov, (9) Influencer Jennifer Affleck AKA Jen and Jan Ravnik, (10) Actor and Musician Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson, (11) Singer from Fifth Harmony Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong, (12) Comedian Andy Richter and Emma Slater, (13) Author and Wellness Teacher Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko, and (14) Wildlife Conservationist Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. Julianne announces that the amazing group is assembled to help commemorate the landmark 20th year on the air. Throughout the season, they will celebrate some surprises in the coming weeks as they head to the massive 20th birthday party later on. The pairs compete to win the Mirrorball Trophy, and as always, the judges score the performances.

Moreover, the audience will also have a say as to who becomes the champion through a voting option. Each individual gets 10 votes per couple using the method. Every group will perform on their anthems, the songs that best express who they are. The competition kicks off with Jordan and Ezra. In her confessional, the former discloses that she is a two-time Olympian gymnast and a gold medallist. Her teammates have previously performed in the show and have set the bar high. Ezra feels his partner is “spicy” and fierce, and her anthem is “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé. It turns out that the singer is a big inspiration for her, and she performed in the Olympics to her music. Ezra believes that he must get her to believe she is a dancer. For her, flipping on a piece of wood and trying out dancing with a partner is quite different.

Pressure Continues to Rise as Even Beyoncé-inspired Flair Gets Tough Critiques

After Jordan and Ezra finish their incredible salsa performance, Derek remarks that it is an amazing first dance with a Beyoncé flair. However, he wishes he had seen a little more content of salsa in the routine and explains that the score may be low because she has a long way to go. Bruno notes that although it was good, some dismounts were wobbly. He continues that one needs to carry the heat of the motion through the body. Once the duo heads up to the Sky Box, Alfonso discloses there is no elimination tonight. However, the votes of the audience and the judges’ scores will carry over to next week’s first elimination of the season. The attention shifts to Julianne on the box, who asks Jordan and Ezra about the pressure. Ezra reveals that he is glad they at least got to finish and loved dancing with his partner.

Upon asking, Jordan says that Beyoncé may be proud upon seeing the performance, considering the score system. Overall, the contestant is honored to be able to dance to her song. She further states that she has a connection with her partner, which makes their pair lovable. Ultimately, both judges provide 5 points each, which makes it 10 out of 20. The second pair to take the stage is Dylan, a content creator, reality star, and outdoor enthusiast, globally popular for the travel series ‘Down to Earth,’ and his partner, Daniella. The former is known for winning in season 3 of ‘The Traitors.’ Although he is an adrenaline junkie, he believes this experience will raise his heart rate more than anything. He divulges that he was always against performing, but he is the biggest fan of his brother, Zac Efron.

Dylan finds Zac charismatic, and it’s natural for him, as a younger sibling, to stray from that. However, the former is excited to do something no one would expect. Daniella feels his biggest challenge is coming out of his shell. His anthem tonight is “Milkshake” because it is about conquering his fear of dancing in public. Dylan begins his dance with his moves right before Bruno. After the cha-cha-cha routine ends, the judge mentions that while he is incredible in some instances, he lost consistency in others, and asks him to be cautious about the timing. Derek agrees with Bruno but adds that there was fluidity. As the dancers head to the Sky Box, a new troupe containing Carter Williams, Onye Stevenson, Jaxon Willard, and Hailey Bills dazzles everyone with a breathtaking performance.

Laughter, Strength, and Elegance Define This Stretch of Performances

The focus is now on the box where Dylan reveals that he chose “Milkshake” as his anthem because he always listens to it in the morning. He also adds that dancing live on television is way worse in comparison to his being an adrenaline junkie. Both Dylan and Daniella receive 5 points each from the judges. The next star is Elaine, the actress known for her roles in ‘The Parent Trap’ and ‘Dynasty,’ and her partner, Alan. In her confessional, she opens up that she began her career as a professional dancer, so she isn’t afraid of sweating or blistering. It turns out that she stopped dancing because she was hit by a car. Although she closes her eyes and imagines being 21, her body has different plans. The duo completes their cha-cha-cha performance on her anthem “Woman” with confidence.

Derek remarks that Elaine possesses Broadway quality in her dancing, but asks her to finish up with the arms and to finish her movements. Bruno compliments the dance as classy and sassy, but agrees with his fellow judge’s point. After asking them to take place on the box, Alfonso welcomes back the singers and their music director, Ray Chew Live. The attention shifts to Julianne, who asks Elaine how long it has been since her last dance. It turns out that the actress hasn’t trained in a studio in 30 years, which makes this experience new and grateful. She wants to prove to other women that age doesn’t matter. To their delight, the duo’s routine earns them 6 points each. The cast of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ is on the sidelines since two of their co-stars are competing this season.

The first one between them is Whitney and last season’s guest judge, Mark. The former remembers watching her partner on the show with her mom. She reveals that when she first became a mother, she met other women on TikTok. It led to the creation of a group, Momtok, which paved the way for them to the reality show. Her friend, Jen, is also on the show, and they will push each other. Once the pair completes their tango performance on the song “Golden,” Bruno praises the dance, stating that it was elegant, high-quality, and possessed perfect attitude. Similarly, Derek finds that her poise and pivots were beautiful, but he points out that she must maintain a consistent frame. Upon asking, Whitney reveals that dancing on the show is much more than doing her TikTok videos of 10 seconds. She further states that she fell in love with the anthem while watching ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ with her kids.

The Leaderboard Shifts as Whitney and Mark Take the Top Spot

As it’s finally time for the judges to give Whitney and Mark’s scores, Derek provides 7, while Bruno puts up 8. Julianne reveals that the latter intended another score, which cannot be changed now. This means that they have scored 15 out of 20, which is the night’s highest score. Alfonso explains that once the judges give their scores, they are locked in, irrespective of what paddle they hold up. Next up is two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis, who is also a businessman, producer, director, analyst, and content creator, and his dancing partner, Britt, a newlywed. Baron is a retired 13-year NBA athlete, a two-time NBA All-Star, and he is here to learn how to finish. He saw the player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, on the show, which is where the contestant gained his motivation from. His anthem today is “U Can’t Touch This” because it gives him the energy of being a kid again.

Once the routine is completed, Derek notes there was so much charisma, and it is a great first dance. Bruno also praises the cha-cha-cha performance but remarks that he wants to see more because Baron carries the talent. Momentarily, Alfonso shifts the focus to the host of the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ podcast and the reigning champion, Joey Graziadei. The night moves on to the Sky Box, where Julianne asks Baron about the reaction of his former teammates from his WhatsApp group. He says they initially laughed for a few minutes before telling him not to lose. Luckily, he and Britt succeed in getting 5 points each for their performance. The next duo to take the stage is Alix Earle, who made the 2025 Forbes list of Top Creators and Val. She makes her mark with her fashion, beauty, and lifestyle tips, but people originally came to know her from her get ready with me videos.

Alix states that in the last two years, she has been in a Super Bowl commercial and a movie, but no one knows her competitive side yet. She is a fan of Val and reveals that dancing was her sport growing up. Her partner notes that cha-cha-cha is action-packed, and it is overwhelming for her. However, she impresses the judges with her moves on the anthem “Circus.” While Bruno compliments her, stating that she should never forget the steps and that they should have a connection and fluidity between the pairs, Derek calls the performance clean and precise. However, the latter points out that one should avoid turning precision into stiffness. Once Alix takes her place on the box, she explains that it is her dream, from filming in the privacy of her room to coming on the stage to perform before many cameras and a live audience. She expresses that she likes to keep her authenticity in both cases. Excitingly, Derek gives Alix and Val 7 points, while Bruno provides a 6.

Scott Displays Vulnerability, While Danielle Delivers an Empowering Performance

The seventh pair of the night is Scott, the award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer, who has sold over 13 million albums with Pentatonix and his partner, Rylee. The former belongs to the Grammy-winning a cappella group Pentatonix. Although his career is built on singing, he is ready to dance on stage. For him, singing is something he feels comfortable with, but dancing feels a lot more vulnerable. Rylee feels that when singing in a group, he gets a cushion, but in tango, he can get used to performing on his own. He is dancing today on “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga because he and his husband have done a TikTok on the same, which earned a comment from the singer herself. After the dance, Derek praises the impressive routine but remarks that they need fundamentals.

Bruno points out that the dance should have more tango and asks Scott to refine it more. Up on the Sky Box, the competitor expresses his respect for the ballroom and adds that the feedback from the judges makes him want to work harder. He also hopes Lady Gaga may give a 10 after watching his performance. Derek and Bruno both give him and his partner 5 points each. Next up is Danielle Fishel, an actress and director who appears on ‘Boy Meets World’ and its spinoff ‘Girl Meets World’ and Pasha. In her confessional, she discloses that she just survived cancer and is ready to take this year on. She believes she is in good hands because individuals who dance with Pasha are impressed with him. Danielle possesses one advantage: she has been performing for over 30 years.

Danielle’s song for her tango today is “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson, which became meaningful after she overcame cancer. After watching the moves, Bruno notes there is an excellent partnership between her and Pasha, but asks her to keep her shoulder line in check. Derek agrees with his fellow judge but mentions it is a fantastic performance. When Julianne inquires with Danielle in the box if her strategy is to use everyone’s crush on her to win, the actress playfully adds that she is okay with it. Luckily, the duo earns 6 points each from the judges. It is now the turn for Jen, another cast member of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ who is paired with the new professional, Jan, who was a dancer on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

The Premiere Highlights Stories of Resilience and Personal Challenges

Jen expresses that she never thought her silly dances on the countertops would lead to this. She has three children under three, and her newborn is just eight weeks old. During the practice, she told Jan that although she isn’t a professional dancer, she is a Latina. The latter thing is that she is very feminine, which will be an advantage for the salsa. Ultimately, when the pair gets up on the stage, they impress everyone with their steps on the song “NUEVAYoL” by Bad Bunny. Derek first expresses disbelief that she gave birth just eight weeks prior. He continues that it’s a great first dance, but wishes there was a little more dancing from now on. Bruno also agrees that she spent most of her time in the air, pointing out that it steps the flow. He encourages her to take more steps and go for it.

During her interview, Jen reveals that although her body hurt after recently giving birth, she is having fun and is doing it for her kids. Thankfully, she and Jan receive a strong score of 6 from Derek and Bruno. The next duo to take the stage is Corey, who appears in more than 100 movies, including ‘The Goonies’ and ‘The Lost Boys,’ and his partner, Jenna. The former has scored three Billboard top 40 hits and is an actor and musician. As a musician, he loves sparkle but has never danced in his life, but he wants to learn. When he was 13, he performed at the Rose Bowl on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and he also used to perform with Alfonso. Although Jenna finds him groovy, she feels tango is all about connection. For Corey, posture is tricky since he has the condition, Scoliosis.

Once the performance is over, Bruno tells Corey that it was great, but he needs to work on the technique. Similarly, Derek considers it fun but feels the actors have a lot to work on in each of his frames. While speaking about his condition, Corey explains that he always thinks about how he can improve himself or his form because he wants to be better. Unfortunately, they get 4 points from Derek and 5 from Bruno. Following this group right after is the Fifth Harmony singer and songwriter Lauren and her partner, Brandon. Two of her fellow band members made it to the Finale, so there is no turning back for her. Although she has never done ballroom dancing before, she is in touch with her body. Lauren believes these dance forms really allow for femininity, and she is excited to experience it.

Some Contestants Show Promise, While Others Face Early Challenges

Brandon feels that Lauren’s biggest challenge is getting used to the technicalities. As they complete their routine on the song “Yes, and?” Derek compliments the elegant tango moves and the consistent frame, but asks her to stick to the landing. After praising the excellent flow, Bruno also emphasizes focusing on making the finishing clearer. Back on the box, Lauren remarks that she is cool and collected because she is a performer for a living. Luckily, she and Brandon receive 7 points from Derek and a 6 from Bruno. The following contestants are Andy Richter, the Comedian on several movies, series, and podcasts, and the sidekick of Conan O’Brien and his partner, Emma. The star also features in several sitcom roles. Although he has managed to avoid dance throughout his career, the time is up for that.

Derek is happy that Emma is her partner because he perceives her as a positive person. Furthermore, he is unafraid to look like an “idiot” on television. Tonight, they finish dancing on “Hold On, I’m Coming.” While Bruno mentions that there is spirit, but it lacks proper timing, Derek points out that Andy needs to practice his dancing. When the competitor is asked what made him take the plunge to be on the show, he jokes that it is for the paycheck. He also knows it will benefit him since he is the oldest contestant. With that being said, Derek provides him with 5 points and Bruno with 4. Next up are the Author and Wellness Influencer Hilaria and Gleb Savchenko. Besides her profession, the star is also a mother of seven and the wife of Alec Baldwin. She is comfortable with a direct dance partner, and hence, she feels Gleb is a good choice because he will be honest with her.

The Night Ends With Robert and Witney, and Whitney and Mark at the Top of the Leaderboard

It is soon revealed that Hilaria was a dancer, but she had to stop because she broke her hips. However, she is excited to share the experience with her family. Dance is her soul, and she loves physically challenging things. Wasting no time, the pair takes everyone by surprise with their incredible cha-cha-cha performance on “Let’s Get Loud.” Both judges highly praise her for using her dance as an expression. Once she heads back to the box, Hilaria expresses that she became emotional onstage because she had given up dancing 16 years ago. To her and Gleb’s delight, the duo successfully receives 14 points in total from the judges. The final dancers of the night are Robert and Witney.

Robert’s sister, Bindi Irwin, had won the competition in 2015 with none other than the judge, Derek. The wildlife conservationist reveals that after watching Bindi, he also wanted to participate in this contest someday. He is an advocate for the natural world, and legacy is something significant to him. He is not just keen on continuing the ones that his father has built, but also creating something of his own. His and Witney’s jive choreography is around the song “Born To Be Wild.” As it comes to an end, Bruno describes the routine as “wonderful.” Similarly, Derek remarks that it is probably the best first dance he has ever seen.

Although these comments mean a lot to Robert, what matters most is having the support of his family on the sidelines. Ultimately, the incredible performance earns the pair 8 points from Derek and 7 from Bruno, making it 15 out of 20. By the end of the night, Robert and Witney are tied with Whitney and Mark with 15 points. At the bottom of the leaderboard, Andy and Emma, as well as Corey and Jenna, are tied with 9 points. As the episode approaches its end, Alfonso reveals that in next week’s episode, there will not be just one but rather double eliminations.

Dancing With the Stars Season 34 Premiere Recap