Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars launches with two-night premiere and double elimination
The new season begins with live performances over two nights, featuring separate male and female celebrity line-ups, a first-time double elimination and the debut of three professional dancers.
Season 35 of "Dancing with the Stars" started on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with live performances on ABC and streaming on Disney+. The two-night premiere splits the competition: male celebrity contestants performed on the first night and female contestants on the second, each pair dancing to a No. 1 hit from the celebrity’s birth year. Notable acts include Paralympian Ezra French tangoing to Kelly Clarkson’s "Since U Been Gone" and reality star Ciara Miller foxtrotting to Whitney Houston’s "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)".
For the first time in several years, the opening week features a double elimination; one male contestant will be removed after Tuesday’s show and one female contestant after Wednesday’s. Voting opens during each live broadcast and combines audience votes with judges’ scores to determine who stays.
Three professional dancers make their first appearance as regular partners: Adele Zaikman, winner of the recent "Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro" competition, Hailey Bills, promoted from the troupe, and returning veteran Sharna Burgess, who last competed in season 30. The celebrity cast was revealed on "Good Morning America" on Sept. 2, and the show’s regular judges—Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough—along with co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, will resume their roles.