The Olympic swimmer is shaken up after two men storm the dance floor following his performance with Cheryl Burke, as he and other contestants dance for the first time in the 23rd season premiere.
- Sep 13, 2016
AceShowbiz - The competition has officially begun on "Dancing with the Stars" season 23. In the Monday, September 12 season premiere, 13 celebrity contestants and their pro partners performed their first dances on the ballroom floor.
The first pair to dance were Marilu Henner and Derek Hough who performed a jive. It was full of energy and Marilu struggled to keep up with Derek, but the judges were nice to her. Bruno Tonioli and Julianne Hough advised her not to tighten up, while Carrie Ann Inaba praised her for not missing a step. The actress earned 27 out of 40 points.
James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess danced a foxtrot next. He was surprisingly smooth. Len Goodman said, "You know what's great about the show you never know what shows up but James that was knock out a lovely mix of steps you knocked me out." The IndyCar driver earned 31 points.
Calvin Johnson Jr. and Lindsay Arnold did a cha cha. He had nice moves in the middle, but the start and finish were a little stiff. The judges thought he had potential as Carrie Ann told him, "Truth is you have a little work to do but great job!" The former NFL player earned 26 points.
Maureen McCormick and Artem Chigvintsev danced a Viennese waltz. Bruno urged her to "relax more," Carrie Ann said Maureen needed to "trust Artem a little more," and Len said she needed "refinement." The judges gave her 22 points.
Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Allison Holker danced a foxtrot. Carrie Ann thought "all the vibe worked perfectly" and the singer "lit up the stage," Len loved his "razzle dazzle," and Julianne pointed out some problems with the rise and fall. He earned 26 points.
Amber Rose and Maksim Chmerkovskiy also danced a foxtrot. Bruno said Amber had "natural grace," but she disconnected during the routine. Carrie Ann loved her energy, but said that Amber needed more confidence. The model earned 24 points.
Vanilla Ice and Witney Carson danced a cha cha. It was fun to watch, but as Len noted, "there was not enough cha cha cha." Julianne and Bruno agreed, saying they wanted to see more content. The rapper earned 25 points.
Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko danced a Viennese waltz. The dance was hot and intense as Bruno compared it to "an x rated fantasy." Carrie Ann loved her lines, but said she needed more strength. Len, on the other hand, thought it was too dramatic and not really a Viennese waltz. The country music singer and actress earned 27 points.
Jake T. Austin and Jenna Johnson danced a jive. The two made a cute couple, but unfortunately Jake couldn't keep up with Jenna. Bruno said he messed his footwork. "Next time will be better," he added. The actor earned 22 points.
Rick Perry and Emma Slater danced a cha cha. It was sloppy, but he did his best. Len appreciated that it had content and Bruno said the key was the "timing." The politician got 20 points.
Terra Jole and Sasha Farber followed it up with a fun jive. It's a new challenge for Sasha to dance with a little person for the first time, but she's not a terrible dancer which made everything easier. "Every kick and flick in right place," Carrie Ann pointed out. The reality TV star earned 25 points.
Ryan Lochte and Cheryl Burke came out next to dance a foxtrot. He's an adequate dancer, but Bruno said he needed to work on his limbs. Two men wearing T-shirts that featured Ryan's name crossed out stormed the dance floor while Carrie Ann gave her comment and host Tom Bergeron took it to break.
During the commercial break, Derek ran out and yelled, "Get them out of here!" as security tried to stop the men who apparently tried to attack Ryan. Cherly was crying and Ryan looked stunned. When the cameras returned from commercial break, the Olympic swimmer said, "So many feelings are going through my head." The judges continued their comments and gave him 24 points.
Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy closed the show on a good note. She earned praises from the judges for performing "a great cha cha." Bruno acknowledged her talent, but Julianne said she needed to work on her hips. The Olympic gymnast earned 31 points.
