The fact that Dancing With the Stars is still ongoing is somewhat comforting. After 35 seasons on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, the program has outlived other reality competition forms that followed, the majority of which are now extinct. Perhaps the format—celebrities, professional dancers, a live ballroom, weekly eliminations—is just more resilient than naysayers have ever wanted to acknowledge.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Show Title | Dancing With the Stars |
| Current Season | Season 35 |
| Network | ABC, Disney+, Hulu |
| Season 35 Premiere Format | Two-night premiere event |
| Episode 3 Theme | Viral Hits Night |
| Episode 3 Air Date | Tuesday, September 22, 2026 |
| Judges | Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli |
| Hosts | Alfonso Ribeiro, Julianne Hough |
| Top Scorers (Week 2) | Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn (all scored 21/30) |
| Week 2 Elimination | Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten |
| Night 1 Premiere Elimination | Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman |
| Night 2 Premiere Elimination | Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills |
| Highest Premiere Week Score | Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson (21/30), Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas (21/30) |
| Notable Contestant | Ezra Frech (Paralympian) |
| Standout Performance (Week 2) | Amber Glenn — tango to “All the Things She Said” by Harrison |
| Next Episode Theme | Yacht Rock Night |
| Next Episode Date | Tuesday, September 29, 2026 |
| Show Premiere Year | 2005 |
According to most reports, the two-night premiere of Season 35 attracted a record number of viewer votes. For a program that has been airing since June 2005, that is a big deal. Each male competitor danced to a song that was popular in the year they were born, which was a great theme for the first nite. This type of nostalgic hook is more effective in real life than it seems on paper. For their tango, professional partner Daniella Karagach and Paralympian Ezra Frech received a score of 20 out of 30. Harry Shum Jr. used his cha-cha to score a 21. For opening week, those are good figures.
The female candidates advanced on the second premiere nite, and the outcomes were as inconsistent as they typically are in the first few weeks of DWTS. For their foxtrot, Maura Higgins and her partner Mark Ballas received a score of 21, which is very remarkable for someone who hadn’t trained in a dancing class for years. Jenna Dewan had a good score of 19, but the judges pointed out that she was still learning how to dance in pairs rather than alone. In ballroom, that is a significant differential, and it was evident.
The third episode of the show was titled “Viral Hits Night.” The idea is that every routine is choreographed to a song that became popular on social media or created a TikTok moment. Although it sounds cheesy, it makes sense for the format. The videos, fan voting campaigns, and Reddit threads with thousands of comments are all examples of how Dancing With the Stars has always existed in part online. It felt more like the show respecting the culture it already lives in than a gimmick to lean into viral music.
Amber Glenn’s tango to “All the Things She Said”—a tune revived this year by the HBO series Heated Rivalry—was the highlight of the evening. Olympic-level figure skater Glenn added a personal touch to the routine. She said it related to her personal experience of coming out. Bruno Tonioli rated it as the best tango of the evening and gave it a seven, but that type of significance doesn’t usually translate in a two-minute dance performance. Carrie Ann Inaba described it as “phenomenal.” Working under a one-word-reaction structure that kept the show going, Derek Hough simply began to cheer. It’s difficult to argue. The final score of 21 out of 30 was the highest of the evening.
Jenna Dewan performed a jive to KATSEYE’s “Animal” to start the show. She also received a score of 21, which was a significant increase over the previous week. The crowd was truly taken aback by Ezra Frech’s cha-cha performance of Flo Rida’s “Low.” In rehearsal film, Karagach had voiced his concern that the style would be the most difficult task Frech had yet to take on. Hough was “blown away” at how effortlessly he went to the ground and back up. Another 21. It seems like Frech could be this season’s quiet dark horse, someone who is consistently undervalued.
Conversely, the judges thought that Giada De Laurentiis and Alan Bersten’s salsa performance to Becky G’s “Bella Ciao” was more tentative than joyous. For a Food Network celebrity, Tonioli’s description of it as a bland salsa is hardly the best. Bersten and she were eliminated. It wasn’t startling. Witney Carson and Guillermo Rodriguez both received just a 12 for their passable, but Rodriguez was able to stay in the competition for at least another week because of the audience’s apparent attachment to him.
The diversity of the cast is what makes Season 35 very intriguing. A Paralympian, a figure skater, a reality TV personality, a baseball performer from Savanna Bananas, a chef from Food Network, and Taylor Hanson—yes, that Taylor Hanson from Hanson—are all competing in the same ballroom. The engagement may be fueled in part by the diversity of backgrounds. Everybody supports someone for different reasons.
September 29 is the date of the upcoming episode. According to reports, the theme is Yacht Rock Nite, which sounds ridiculous on paper but might make for an interesting film.
