‘DWTS’ premiere: Ranking all the athletes from best to worst
IT’S a shortened season of “Dancing With the Stars” with only four weeks of competition and an all- athlete cast, but the season premiere Monday had all the usual elements: Nervous amateur dancers. Support and some snark from the judges. Witty asides from co-host Tom Bergeron. And lots and lots of very sparkly costumes.
In one twist, because of the new schedule, two dancers were eliminated at the end of the night. After a combination of judges’ scores and live viewer votes (quick, look away if you don’t want to be spoiled), former MLB star Johnny Damon and Olympic snowboarder Jamie Anderson were sent packing.
That was fast! But there are still eight other couples left in the race - here’s our ranking of all the dancers from the premiere, from best to worst.
1) Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson (cha cha, judge scores: 8, 8, 8 for a total of 24 out of 30 points) Age: 28 Best known as: Bronze-winning figure skater at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang; the first openly gay American athlete to medal at the Winter Olympics. Story line: He became a social media sensation during the Winter Games - can he capitalize on his popularity and bring home that coveted mirror ball trophy? Performance: Figure skaters already do well on this show, and Adam might be the one to beat. Bruno Tonioli is a huge fan: “Angel of the ballroom with the hip action of the devil - everything I like!” Carrie Ann Inaba declares Adam was born to do this show, and that he and Jenna are “a match made in heaven.” Len Goodman proclaims the dance “good,” except for a couple of odd moments. Hey, that’s glowing praise for Len.
2) Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess (cha cha, judge scores: 8, 8, 8 for a total of 24 out of 30 points) Age: 30 Best known as: Washington Redskins player and the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL in 2016; analyst for Fox’s “NFL Kickoff.” Story line: Josh has tons of confidence and a “110 per cent laser focus,” which will hopefully make up for his total lack of dance experience. Performance: For someone who has never danced before, Josh wows the judges. Len is quite impressed, saying Josh was another in a long line of football players who can dance. (Indeed, NFL stars are typically successful on DWTS.) Bruno is thrilled by his charisma: “You have natural musicality. ... You’re the one to watch!” Carrie Ann concurs there’s something special about Josh, evidenced by the crowd going wild when he walked out.
3) Mirai Nagasu and Alan Bersten (salsa, judge scores: 7, 8, 8 for a total of 23 out of 30 points) Age: 25 Best known as: Bronze medal-winning figure skater at the 2018 Winter Olympics; the first American woman to land a triple axel in an Olympic Winter Games. Story line: Will it get weird competing against her longtime best friend and fellow skater Adam Rippon?! Though they joke about a rivalry during rehearsal, Mirai says she would be thrilled if Adam won the mirror ball trophy - although, of course, she would be happier if she took home the prize. Performance: The judges love her. “Wow! That was a spicy, crispy, crackle of a salsa,” Bruno gushes, in awe of Mirai’s rhythm. “You’re a boss out there,” Carrie Ann declares, though advises her to be a bit more centred. Len admits he’s tempted to say there were too many fancy tricks, but he can’t, because he was such a fan of the dance.
4) Chris Mazdzer and Witney Carson (salsa, judge scores: 7, 7, 7 for a total of 21 out of 30 points) Age: 29 Best known as: Silver medal-winning luger at the 2018 Winter Olympics; the first American athlete to win a medal in the men’s single luge event. Story line: Thanks to the pointed shoes he has to wear for luge, he has an advantage - even Witney exclaims, “I have never seen a better pointe on a male human in my life!” Still, the rest of his dance skills need some work. Performance: Len proclaims he had style and confidence, and overall did a “terrific” job. Bruno is a bit pickier, though he thinks Chris was great for his first dance. Carrie Ann is also a fan: “I think I speak for all the women,” she says, fanning herself with a pom pom, adding that Chris has “star quality.”
5) Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber (fox trot, judge scores: 8, 8, 7 for a total of 23 out of 30 points) Age: 47 Best known as: The Olympic figure skater whose reputation was forever tarnished after the attack on her skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan, in 1994; she pleaded guilty to hindering the investigation and was banned from the US Figure Skating Association. Story line: Same as the ‘ I, Tonya’ press tour: Redemption. “I was the best figure skater in the world, and then I had it taken away from me,” Harding says in her video intro. “It wasn’t just my career. It was my life. ... You have people looking at you like you’re nothing, you start to believe that you are nothing.” She’s thrilled to be able to perform again, especially because she feels her skating ability will translate to the dance floor. “I don’t want to fail again,” she says tearfully. Performance: Allison Janney (of ‘ I, Tonya’) is in the house! Along with the rest of the crowd, she bursts into applause. The judges are pleased: “I know that your journey to here has been a very emotional and challenging journey, but I have to judge your dancing: You are a beautiful dancer,” Carrie Ann says, as Tonya tears up. Len adds it was “charming” and “a lovely performance.” Bruno admits he wasn’t expecting for Tonya to be so lyrical, and was happily surprised.
6) Arike Ogunbowale and Gleb Savchenko (salsa, judge scores: 7, 6, 7 for a total of 20 out of 30 points) Age: 21 Best known as: The Notre Dame basketball player who made the incredible three-point shot at the buzzer to win her team the national championship last month. Story line: As the first collegiate athlete on “Dancing With the Stars,” there’s added pressure with a crazy schedule; after the show finishes taping, she has to fly back to school in time for a 9: 30 a.m. class on Tuesday. Plus, “Dancing is way harder than I thought,” she says. Arike also insists there’s no way she can dance in high heels, since she can barely walk in them, so she makes the controversial decision to dance in sneakers. Performance: Carrie Ann likes Arike’s moves, though she isn’t a fan of the sneakers: She challenges Arike to accept that she’s on “Dancing With the Stars” and dance in heels. Len calls it “energetic.” Bruno thinks Arike’s energy is infectious, but tells her to be careful of her shoulder movements.
7) Jennie Finch-Daigle and Keo Motsepe (fox trot, judge scores: 7, 7, 7 for a total of 21 out of 30 points) Age: 37 Best known as: Gold-medal-winning softball pitcher at the 2008 and 2004 Summer Olympics. Story line: After retiring from softball in 2010, Jennie moved to a farm in Louisiana with her husband and three young children. Although she hasn’t been part of an
athletic competition in a while, she’s quite motivated. “As an athlete, that never dies,” she says. “You’re always competing.” Performance: While it’s clear that Jennie is an amateur dancer, the judges love her spirit. Carrie Ann says her competitive nature will take her far; Len has some concerns with her hand movements but thought she did a “good job” with a tough dance. Bruno really likes Jennie’s “sense of abandon,” even if she needs to exhibit more control.
8) Kareem Abdul- Jabbar and Lindsay Arnold (cha cha, judge scores: 6, 5, 6 for a total of 17 out of 30 points) Age: 71 Best known as: NBA’s all-time leading scorer and six-time NBA champion and MVP in the 1970s and ‘80s; bestselling author and columnist. Story line: As the oldest contestant this season, Kareem wants to prove that he won’t have any issues keeping up: “I might have old feet, but I do have dancing feet,” he says. One logistical challenge: Kareem is 7-foot-1, and Lindsay is 5-foot- 4. Performance: Kareem has some work to do. “How can I possibly criticise a national treasure?!” Bruno asks rhetorically before declaring, “Listen, I have to try.” He says that Kareem kept it dignified, but “very simple.” Carrie Ann also struggles not to be too harsh and goes with, “As a performance, this is exactly what our audience loves.” However, she says, he could be “a little groovier.” Len is more direct: On an admiration scale, he would give him a 10. On a technical scale? Well ... not so much, as he says Kareem needs to loosen up.
9) Johnny Damon and Emma Slater (fox trot, judge scores: 6, 6, 6 for a total of 18 out of 30 points - eliminated) Age: 44 Best known as: The MLB outfielder who won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, and then with the New York Yankees in 2009. Story line: Johnny has zero dance experience. He’s not concerned: “I’ve been embarrassed on national TV so many times,” he says. After years as a full-time dad, he’s also excited to spend time in a competitive atmosphere. Performance: Let’s just say it’s obvious Johnny hasn’t danced mu c h in his life. “Did it all go smoothly? No ,” Bruno says, kicking things off with some brutal honesty, although he softens towards the end of his critique. Carrie Ann adds that Johnny needs to relax a bit, proclaims him “adorable” and adds, “There’s something so likable about the way you dance.” Len also has criticism, but salutes Johnny for attempting a complicated routine.
10) Jamie Anderson and Artem Chigvintsev ( Viennese Waltz, judge scores: 6, 7, 6 for a total of 19 out of 30 points - eliminated) Age: 27. Best known as: Gold medalwinning snowboarder at the 2018 and 2014 Winter Olympics; the first female snowboa r der to earn two gold medals.