“Dancing With the Stars” has broken viewing records for years. It hit a new high when TikTok influencer, Charli D’Amelio, took the stage and won the Mirrorball Trophy. Now, it’s expected that University of Miami alum Alix Earle is set to be the face of the show’s 32nd season.
However, it seems some surprising first night performances shook the rankings and left the spotlight open to any dancer.
The 32nd season’s‘One-Hit Wonders’ theme brought some amazing performances, some less impressive moments and two eliminations. While Derek and Bruno are both fine judges, I thought I would share my personal rankings, from stiff and yawn-inducing, to captivating and inspiring.
14. Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson’s Cha Cha
The costumes doomed this performance before it even started.
Choosing a completely neon salmon suit was not the best idea, but the overly sexual innuendos throughout the entire performance made it worse. It felt like the duo was forcing a lot of these moments and avoided dancing an actual cha cha altogether.
While I can’t fault Corey for the choreography he didn’t create, I appreciate that he tried his best and did deliver on the facials.
The performance fell flat and left me feeling “meh” by the end of it. While I was sad to see anyone eliminated, it had to be them.
13. Andy Richter and Emma Slater’s Tango
I have definitely become one of Andy Richter’s biggest fans, only because I love an underdog. However, the performance itself lacked that “wow” factor that fans love to see.
I love that Emma understands his age and range of mobility, so I couldn’t give them last place for a clean, solid tango. I also adored Richter’s facials and overall excitement to be on stage.
I am excited to see how they improve and explore with different styles throughout the season, but I’m afraid they will probably be eliminated early.
12. Baron Davis and Britt Stewart’s Samba
I absolutely loved the song choice for this dance and the way the costumes and overall vibe of the stage all tied together. What I did not love, however, was seeing the multiple very noticeable awkward moments throughout the performance.
I’ve seen this a lot throughout dances, but I think the pro’s need to start teaching their partners how to properly go down the stage stairs while also making it an exciting part of the performance.
I also noticed the very sloppy turns and certain moves where it seemed Baron and Britt were just not connecting as dance partners.
So, although it was a sad — and apparently controversial — goodbye, I don’t think they had the best performance.
11. Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten’s Jive
With the overwhelming number of jives we saw during Week Two, I had to judge each one a little more critically and Elaine’s was not one of my favorites.
Don’t get me wrong, I love her as an actress and I think she’s an absolute icon, but she seemed very stiff throughout the whole performance. Her facials definitely make up for the messy parts of their dance, but it didn’t do much to save her in this ranking.
I am definitely excited to see if there is some ability for growth as the season progresses, but I’m not sure she’ll make it very far in the process.
10. Lauren Jauregi and Brandon Armstrong’s Foxtrot
With “Lovefool” being one of my all-time favorite songs, I felt disappointed after watching this dance. I definitely saw a lot of improvement after last week’s performance, but it still fell a bit flat for me.
I’m not sure how well the whole vibe matched the song, but Lauren danced gracefully across that stage, so I’ll give her some grace in the rankings.
9. Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov’s Cha Cha
The subtly sexier vibe of this performance was absolutely perfect. From the costumes to the music, I think this dance really fit Danielle and she was able to shine a bit more than in her dance last week.
While I am not a huge fan of overdoing tricks and flips, I thought this was a great balance of actual choreography and eye-catching spins. Yet, I think she was outshined by some of the other performers and didn’t really leave me wanting more.
8. Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach’s Samba
After watching the hit show “Traitor,” it’s safe to say I knew I’d be a big Dylan fan from the very beginning of the show. His playful energy and exciting facials make him fun to watch, but I’m not sure this week’s performance really did him justice.
There were quite a bit of awkward floor routine moments and attempts at tricks that the dance would have been fine without, which definitely brought his ranking down a bit.
I know the whole point of the professional is that they are going to look better than their non-professional partner, but I felt like Daniella truly stole the show and outshined Dylan on this one. It was not a bad second performance, but could have been better.
7. Robert Irwin and Witney Carlson’s Tango
It’s possible his ranking was this high because I, like every other girl watching this show, am in love with Robert Irwin. I mean come on, just look at him.
Jokes aside, I thought this was quite a strong performance from him, but didn’t pack as much of a punch as his opening night number.
After his “jungle Jive”, many commentators felt Irwin would be taking home the Mirrorball trophy, but this performance lacked a lot of the energy and cleanliness I saw last week.
I definitely have hope for my man though, so don’t count him out yet.
6. Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold’s Cha Cha
These costumes were one of my absolute favorites and while yes it has nothing to do with their actual dancing ability, you can’t hate a girl for appreciating a good fit.
The dance itself fell flat at certain parts, but the technicality was definitely there and made it an exciting performance to watch. Hoying has a lot of practice and work to do, but he’s starting off at a pretty strong spot for it only being week two of the season.
There really isn’t much to say about this performance, which I guess is why it didn’t make the bottom three, but it wasn’t enough to make the top five either.
5. Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko’s Tango
It seems Alec Baldwin’s presence at all of their practices has really been paying off. Don’t worry Alec, after Gleb’s last season, I’d be doing the exact same thing.
While I don’t want to give Gleb any props for this week’s dance, I have to say the music, costuming and dance style all tied together really well and made it a very strong number.
I really enjoyed watching Hilaria’s tricks throughout the performance, but I didn’t feel like it was so overdone that it took away from their actual dancing. Definitely a solid fifth choice in the ranking.
4. Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa’s Jive
Originally, I wasn’t going to rank this as high as I did, but Jordan’s abilities as a gymnast are really doing her well as a dancer and performer.
I was captivated by her clean lines and impressive jump and split, so I had to give it a fourth place ranking. She definitely seems super confident on stage and after this week’s performance, I could definitely see her going farther in the competition.
3. Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy’s Jive
This might be another biased ranking, but I gotta support my fellow ’Cane.
I thought Alix’s energy was so fun to watch and I loved her big-blonde-hair moment and the gorgeous green sparkles she wore. I think her and Val are definitely my favorite pairing so far this season and I’m excited to see how well she does as she gets more comfortable on stage.
While the intricacy and difficulty level were not all there on this performance, it was definitely very clean and strong. Their energy made up for it.
2. Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik’s Quickstep
I am so grateful to live in an era where Jan Ravnik is blessing my tv screen. The choreography itself was pretty strong, but I didn’t feel it matched the song very well, which seemed to be a consistent problem with this week’s performances.
I did really love the jump off the table in the very beginning, it was definitely eye-catching and left me wanting more from their performance.
1. Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas’ Cha Cha
I promise I’m still rooting for Robert, but I do think there’s some competition for first place after this number.
The costumes, song choice and dance all came together to create a stunning performance that I couldn’t peel my eyes away from.
Whitney’s facials were perfect and her sharp movements make her a really strong dancer and performer. I also appreciated the perfect balance of dancing and tricks, which is why this performance scored so high on my ranking.
Be sure to catch the next episode of “Dancing With the Stars,” streaming on Disney plus. Also, stop by the Rathskeller on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. for “DWTS” watch parties to cheer on UM’s Day in The Life queen Alix Earle.