Every thought I had while watching Dancing with the Stars: Week 1

Week 1 of Dancing with the Stars is officially in the books, and I have thoughts. Before we dive into the many highs and lows of Week 1 and my unfiltered opinions on every performance ahead of tonight’s new episode, I need to get this off my chest:

I don’t care if trained dancers join the show as contestants.

Most of the noise around Season 35 has been the decision to cast two stars with significant dance experience: Jenna Dewan (Step Up, former Janet Jackson backup dancer, So You Think You Can Dance judge) and Harry Shum Jr. (Glee, former Beyoncé backup dancer).

People were not happy about it, but this debate has been going on for years. I’m not going to pretend that knowing how to learn choreography, perform for an audience, and, like, literally having rhythm isn’t an enormous leg up (I rolled my eyes hard when Harry said his dance background puts him at a disadvantage). But it doesn’t really matter.

DWTS has never really been about finding the objectively best dancer. It’s about the journey, the growth, and, most importantly, connecting with the audience—it is as much a popularity contest as it is a dance competition. People vote for whoever makes them want to tune in again next week, whether that’s the best dancer in the ballroom or the person having the absolute time of their life. Last season’s Andy Richter making it to week 9 was a great reminder of that.

And after watching all the dances this week, I feel even more strongly about my stance. Two of the more forgettable dances were Jenna and Harry. Sorry, am I wrong?

Speaking of said popularity contest, the TikTok-ification of DWTS has completely changed the game. Pros like Rylee Arnold and Emma Slater figured out early that connecting with fans between episodes can be just as important as what happens in the ballroom.

Now, BTS content is basically part of the competition. These are the Season 35 stars and pros giving us the best peek behind the curtain so far:

Honorable mentions:

Everyday Giada: Preparing for Dancing with the Stars
Carter Williams from the troupe: DWTS Rehearsal Vlog BTS
Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. premiere week vlog

Pix Plus subscribers get the full breakdown — the week's biggest moment, what's worth sending to the group chat, and Meredith's read on why it matters — Pix Plus subscribers get it all.