“Dancing With the Stars” started its season on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The two-night premiere featured eight male stars competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. 

The Premiere began with a group dance featuring the show’s pro dancers choreographed by Jamal Sims. The competition then started as all the stars danced to a song from the year they were born. 

Actor and dancer Harry Shum Jr. is known for his roles as Dr. Benson “Blue” Kwan in “Grey’s Anatomy” and Mike Chang in “Glee”. Shum has extensive dance experience, including serving as a backup dancer for Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey. He and his partner Jenna Johnson performed a cha-cha to “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire where they received 21 points as their scores for their performance. 

TV personality and content creator Conner Leavitt salsaed to “Whoomp! There It Is” by Tag Team with his partner Adele Zaikman who won Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro on August 31. Leavitt is known for his appearance on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” alongside his wife, Whitney Leavitt, who competed on season 34 of “Dancing With the Stars” and finished in 6th place. Leavitt and Zaikman received 12 points as their scores for the night. 

Paralympian & gold medalist Ezra Frech and his partner Daniella Karagach received 20 points for their performance. French and Karagach Tangoed to “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson. French is known for being a paralympic track-and-field athlete who won 2 gold medals for team USA at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. 

Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood is known for co-hosting “Make a Podcast” with Brooke Averick. He is also a famous stand-up comedian and content creator. He and his partner Rylee Arnold performed a cha-cha to “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw and received 16 points as their scores. 

Platinum recording artist Taylor Hanson performed a quickstep to “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel with his partner Britt Stewart. Hanson is known for being the lead singer and keyboardist of “Hanson”, a band he formed with his brothers Isaac and Zac Hanson. His biggest hit, “MMMBop” became a worldwide hit in 1997. Hanson and Stewart received 16 points as their scores for the night. 

Savannah Bananas member Jackson Olson received 15 points as his score with his partner Emma Slater. The couple performed a cha-cha to “Wannabe” by Spice Girls. Olson is known for playing as an infielder and second baseman for 4 years on the team.

Guillermo Rodriguez and his partner Whitney Carson performed a cha-cha to “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight. The pairing received 10 points as their scores for the night. Rodriguez is known for his work as a TV personality and comedian on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” 

TV personality and host Tyler Cameron tangoed to “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz with his partner Sharna Burgess. Cameron is known for competing on season 15 of “The Bachelorette.” Cameron and Burgess received 17 points as their scores for their performance. 

At the end of the night, Conner Leavitt was eliminated. The female stars will perform Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. on ABC and Disney+. After the two-night premiere, two stars will be eliminated. Every Tuesday at 7 p.m. viewers can watch the remaining stars and vote by texting the first name of their favorite stars to 21523.

Categories: Arts & Entertainment