NEED TO KNOW
- The competition on Dancing with the Stars season 34 officially kicked off on Tuesday, Sept. 16
- See the best, worst and most oops moments from week one of the show
- From judging flubs to unforgettable performances, the show is already making a splash
The Dancing with the Stars season 34 premiere brought the glitz and glamour back to the ballroom!
For night one, the contestants were asked to dance to their anthem. While the stars brought their A-game to the ABC dance competition, only one contestant got the seal of approval from Beyoncé while another realized it was going to take more than just dance moves to get them to the mirrorball trophy.
With Carrie Ann Inaba being on under the weather, judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were left to their own devices — leading to some unexpected and hilarious moments.
See the best and worst moments from the ballroom in PEOPLE’s roundup of the highs, lows and yikes of the Dancing with the Stars premiere.
Best (Gymnastic) Moves with a Seal of Approval from Beyoncé
Olympic gymnast and gold medalist Jordan Chiles was first to take to the dance floor alongside partner Ezra Sosa for a performance to “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé.
Derek was impressed by her “flips and tricks” with a “Beyoncé flare.”
When asked what the music superstar would have thought of the performance, Jordan said, “She probably would have been just very proud.”
“I’m just honored to be able to be able to dance to her [music], and that she was able to clear it because she’s somebody that I really look up to,” she said of using Beyoncé’s song.
She also praised her partner Ezra, saying, “Ezra is just so amazing, being able to give him this opportunity to, you know, dance again and just let him be him. I think that’s the biggest thing… So our connection is very there, and I just love it.”
Best Throwback to Parent Trap
Elaine Hendrix gave a nod to an iconic The Parent Trap moment.
The actress, 54, brought the unforgettable handshake from the hit film to the ballroom during her Cha-Cha to “Woman” by Kesha. She also began the performance with another nod to the film — lifting her wide-brim black hat.
Of course, Parent Trap fans will remember the over-the-top handshake between the twin sisters Annie and Hallie (both played by Lindsay Lohan) and their butler Martin (Simon Kunz).
After the dance, Elaine taught the handshake from the film to co-host Julianne Hough.
Worst Scoring Flub
Whitney Leavitt received the wrong score following her performance of Tango to “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters.
Bruno initially gave her a 7, making Whitney’s score a 14/20. However, Julianne then clarified her score was actually a 15/20 as Bruno had actually given her dance an 8, upping her score by one point.
The high score came after Bruno commended her for her routine, calling it “elegant” and praised her content included in the dance. “No messing around, very, very, very high quality!” he said.
Oops: More Scoring Gaffes at the Judges Table
With judge Carrie Ann not in attendance for the show’s taping, Derek and Bruno had a few gaffes throughout the night.
Following NBA All-Star Baron Davis’ dance to “Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer, Bruno held up his score card too early after struggling to find it behind the table. Julianne then asked, “What is happening down there, Bruno?”
After Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel performed, Derek was caught texting on his phone and joked, “Oh, I was voting. I’m sorry,” before giving her dance a 6. Bruno then nearly fell out of his chair once the scores had been given.
Julianne called it “chaos” at the judges’ panel and Alfonso Ribeiro joked, “Hey Carrie Ann, please get well soon! We need help over here.”
Best Peacocking
Comedian Andy Richter revealed that he had his own plan to win the mirrorball.
Before his first dance with partner Emma Slater, he said, “I don’t think I’m gonna be the best dancer here, but I know how important it is to sell it, so I don’t mind peacocking.”
His plan worked as he brought joy to the dance floor with a Cha Cha to “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam and Dave.
Bruno praised his efforts, calling him “cheeky and chappy” while Derek added that “everyone in this room was rooting for you” and commended his humor, “joy” and “authenticity.”
He concluded, “I loved watching you dance, I really did.”
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Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and simulcasts on Disney+. The show streams the next day on Hulu.
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