Season 28 of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars has officially begun! We open with the contestants being interviewed, which is funny and cute.
As we all know, Christie Brinkley is out due to injury, but her daughter Sailor Brinkley Cook is taking her place.
After a cute group dance, we get to finally see the judge Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli, as well as hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andres for the first time in almost a year.
We also see the dancers in costume for the first time and Sean Spicer’s shirt makes me think the guy has a sense of humor.
This season will have a new way to vote and a different way to do the eliminations.
Time to dance!
Contestant: Hannah Brown
Claim to Fame: Reigning Bachelorette
Pro: Alan Bersten
Dance: Cha cha cha
Sammi: They brought in Chris Harrison, because of course they did. The pro to come out of the limo is…ALAN. He gets a rose as they begin to practice.
As for the dance, she is really GOOD. She’s got the moves, the spirit and the chemistry between her and Alan is HOT.
Len: Her technique was crisp, clean and confident.
Bruno: He thinks she found a true love in dancing, but she needs to watch her balance.
Carrie Ann: She had the right attitude and great form.
Scores: 7-7-6=20 out of 30
Contestant: Kel Mitchell
Claim to Fame: All That/Kenyan and Kel
Pro: Witney Carson
Dance: Tango
Sammi: They did a Good Burger spoof. It’s adorable how Good Burger is Witney’s favorite movie. It is so weird to see him not be comedic, but he seems to be taking the show seriously while still having fun. He got the steps down pat, although the timing was a bit off.
Bruno: He likes his serious side, but he needs to stop being so jumpy.
Carrie Ann: She noticed he struggled a bit but he will be fine once he finds his groove.
Len: He likes the attack and attitude, but wanted more heel leads and better posture. He has potential.
Scores: 6-5-5=16 out of 30
Celebrity: Kate Flannery
Claim to Fame: The Office
Pro: Pasha Pashkov
Dance: Cha cha cha
Sammi: Kate is adorable! Pasha seems to be like a baby Mark Ballas. This is so fun, so sassy and oh, so Kate! Pasha did a good job of adding enough technique balanced with personality.
Carrie Ann: She is very impressed with Kate but wants her to stay present.
Len: He wants her to work on her legs and hips, but he loves her sparkly attitude.
Bruno: She can run his office anytime, but wants her to finish her moves.
Scores: 5-5-5=15 out of 30
Celebrity: Lamar Odom
Claim to Fame: NBA star
Pro: Peta Murgatroyd
Dance: Foxtrot
Sammi: They remind me of Lindsay and Kareem Abdul Jabbar with the height difference. He seems to be taking this very seriously and enjoying every minute. I think he might actually be one to watch out for! For the height difference, they did the best they could.
Len: He wanted more elegance and finesse, but thinks he can do better with a different dance.
Bruno: He focused too much on the step that he forgot to follow through.
Carrie Ann: She is thoroughly impressed with him.
Scores: 5-3-3=11 out of 30
Contestant: Lauren Alaina
Claim to Fame: American Idol/Country singer
Pro: Gleb Savchenko
Dance: Cha cha cha
Sammi: Are we already using other dancers? I wasn’t a fan of the beginning, but I did like the actual dance with just the two of them. Her lines and musicality are amazing and she really nailed the technique.
Bruno: She is a sultry southern belle. He enjoyed it, but gives her places to improve.
Carrie Ann: They took some risks that paid off. She will be more powerful once she gets used to dancing.
Len: He hated the chair in the beginning, but enjoyed the actual dance.
Scores: 7-6-6=19 out of 30
Celebrity: Sailor Brinkley Cook (replacing mom Christie Brinkley)
Claim to Fame: Model
Pro: Val Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Cha cha cha
Sammi; Sailor looks so much like her mom. I hope Christie will be ok though, she looks like she is in so much pain, I felt so bad for her.
They revive the Uptown Girl video because of course they do…that video was Christie’s big break. For someone who had three days to prepare, she did great. At least, better than I would have.
Carrie Ann: She loves her spirit and poise.
Len: He offers her places to improve, but thinks she did wonderful for someone who had three days to prepare.
Bruno: She’s got the looks, the light and the talent.
Scores: 6-6-6=18 out of 30
Celebrity: Karamo Brown
Claim to Fame: Queer Eye
Pro: Jenna Johnson
Dance: Cha cha cha
Sammi: WOW! That was my favorite dance of the night so far. It had style, it had flair, the technique was there…that’s how he became a dancer! I liked every minute.
My TV went nutty during the judge’s critiques, so I missed them.
Scores: 6-5-6=17 out of 30
Celebrity: Ray Lewis
Claim to Fame: NFL star
Pro: Cheryl Burke
Dance: Salsa
Sammi: He is adorable! I love his personality and heart. It does, admittedly look more like club dancing than ballroom, but he seems to be putting in all the effort and enjoying every moment.
Bruno: It was fantastic and charismatic.
Carrie Ann: It was pretty darn good.
Len: 5-5-5=15 out of 30
Celebrity: Mary Wilson
Claim to Fame: The Supremes
Pro: Brandon Armstrong
Dance: Foxtrot
Sammi: They seem to have a fun, friendly chemistry. He acts like a gentleman and she has a sassy classiness about her personality. The dance was basic, but they got the technique down pat. I look forward to seeing more.
Carrie Ann: She is made to foxtrot on the dance floor.
Len: He wishes he could foxtrot like that.
Bruno: He is starstruck.
Celebrity: Ally Brooke
Claim to Fame: Fifth Harmony
Pro: Sasha Farber
Dance: Cha cha cha
Sammi: This is by far the best dance of the night. The chemistry is hot, the technique on fire and the performance overall was out of this world. WOW.
Len: He wants less Beyoncé, but thinks she has confidence.
Bruno: He liked it, but gives her places to improve.
Carrie Ann: She also offers advice, but thinks she has potential.
Scores: 5-5-6=16 out of 30
Celebrity: Sean Spicer
Claim to Fame: Former White House Press Secretary
Pro: Lindsay Arnold
Dance: Salsa
Sammi: They are dancing to Spice Up Your Life. There are also hidden pineapples in the dance. (I am obsessed with Psych, so I notice these things!) Seriously though….he is trying and dancing his heart out. He has a nice sense of humor and it is obvious he had fun.
Bruno: There were some salsa moves, but he needs to work on rhythm.
Carrie Ann: She loves his shimmy and sense of fun….despite being off beat.
Len: He added fun to the ballroom.
Scores: 4-4-4=12 out of 30
Celebrity: James Van Der Beek
Claim to Fame: Dawson’s Creek
Pro: Emma Slater
Dance: Tango
What a way to end the night! He is definitely the best male celebrity so far. He’s got the best technique and I love the drama of the dance. Emma did a great job choreographing this.
Carrie Ann: She proclaims that we now have a leading man
Len: It was a terrific dance.
Bruno: It was in character and in control.
Scores: 7-7-7=21 out of 30
What happened to Keo and Daniella?
The scores will carry to next week. We also get to vote next week. Stay tuned.
