Dancing with the Stars Season 34 Premiere: Full Recap, Scores, and A Historic First Dance

Dancing with the Stars has made its highly anticipated return! On Tuesday, Sept. 16, season 34 of the reality dance competition show premiered with an all-new cast of stars and a night full of drama, emotion, and surprising moments. Hosted by the dynamic duo of Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, the ballroom was buzzing as the celebrities made their dazzling debut.

While judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were on hand to critique the first dances, longtime judge Carrie Ann Inaba had to miss the premiere due to an illness. Her absence, however, didn’t stop the judges’ scores from causing a stir, including one judge who accidentally input the wrong score. The competition was fierce, with two stars topping the leaderboard and one earning a historic tribute from a veteran judge.

Keep reading for a full recap from the DWTS Season 34 premiere, including every dance, every score, and the biggest moments of the night.

A Judge’s Mistake and a Historic Best First Dance

The night was packed with memorable moments, but two stood out above the rest. One came from a scoring mishap, while the other was a tribute to an incredible performance.

• The Scoring Mix-Up: After actress Elaine Hendrix and her partner Gleb Savchenko performed their Cha-Cha, judge Bruno Tonioli accidentally gave them a score of “1” instead of “5.” The mistake was later corrected by the production team, and the pair ultimately received a combined score of 11/20.
• The Best First Dance Ever: In a historic moment, judge Derek Hough declared that one star’s routine was “the best first dance I’ve ever seen on the show.” That honor went to reality star Alix Earle and her partner Peta Murgatroyd, who earned a top-of-the-leaderboard score of 15/20 for their dynamic Cha-Cha. They were joined at the top by comedian Andy Richter, who also scored a 15/20 with his partner Britt Stewart for their graceful Foxtrot.

Dancing with the Stars Season 34: Premiere Scores and Recap

Here is a full breakdown of all the dances from the DWTS Season 34 premiere, from the top of the leaderboard to the bottom:

• Alix Earle & Peta Murgatroyd (Cha-Cha): 15/20
• Andy Richter & Britt Stewart (Foxtrot): 15/20
• Hilaria Baldwin & Val Chmerkovskiy (Cha-Cha): 14/20
• Baron Davis & Daniella Karagach (Cha-Cha): 14/20
• Jen Affleck & Artem Chigvintsev (Foxtrot): 13/20
• Jordan Chiles & Alan Bersten (Cha-Cha): 13/20
• Dylan Efron & Jenna Johnson (Cha-Cha): 12/20
• Corey Feldman & Koko Iwasaki (Foxtrot): 12/20
• Elaine Hendrix & Gleb Savchenko (Cha-Cha): 11/20
• Scott Hoying & Lindsay Arnold (Foxtrot): 10/20
• Lauren Jauregui & Pasha Pashkov (Cha-Cha): 10/20
• Robert Irwin & Emma Slater (Foxtrot): 9/20
• Danielle Fishel & Sasha Farber (Cha-Cha): 9/20
• Whitney Leavitt & Ezra Sosa (Foxtrot): 8/20

The Final Leaderboard

Here is the final DWTS leaderboard after the Season 34 premiere:

1. Alix Earle & Andy Richter (Tied at 15/20)
2. Hilaria Baldwin & Baron Davis (Tied at 14/20)
3. Jen Affleck & Jordan Chiles (Tied at 13/20)
4. Dylan Efron & Corey Feldman (Tied at 12/20)
5. Elaine Hendrix (11/20)
6. Scott Hoying & Lauren Jauregui (Tied at 10/20)
7. Robert Irwin & Danielle Fishel (Tied at 9/20)
8. Whitney Leavitt (8/20)

No one was sent home in the premiere episode, meaning all 14 couples will return to the ballroom for Week 2. With the scores set, the competition is officially underway!