Dancing with the Stars kicked off its 20th season – and 10th anniversary on the air – Monday night with a fresh group of celebrities to test their skills on the dance floor.

‘DWTS’ Recap

Hunger Games actress Willow Shields – the youngest dancer in the competition at age 14 – danced a cha-cha with Mark Ballas. Dancing to Meghan Trainor‘s “All About That Bass,” Willow proved that she could be a contender as the weeks go on. The judges only had some criticism for her legwork. Scores: 6+6+6+7=25

Robert Herjavec, the businessman and media personality, paired with Kym Johnson, also took on the cha-cha. Robert showed that he’s not afraid to have some fun on the dancing show, bringing a lot of personality and energy to the dance. All of the judges were duly impressed by his charisma. Scores: 7+7+7+7=28

R5 band member Ricker Lynch and Allison Holker did a powerful jive. The young rock star brought an incredible amount of energy coupled with some raw dancing ability – bringing a similar dancing style as former DWTS contestant Cody Simpson to the show.The judges were fans of his commitment but want him to focus more on technique going forward. Scores: 8+7+8+8=31

Charlotte McKinney, best known for starring in Carl Jr.’s racy Super Bowl ad, danced a jive with Keo Motsepe, who had been paired with one-and-done Lolo Jones last season. Similarly to Lolo, Charlotte lacked rhythm and quickly lost step with Keo. The judges tried to put a positive spin on their criticisms, but their scores were brutal. Scores 6+5+5+6=22

Patti LaBelle, who admits despite all of her various accomplishments has never been much of a dancer, did a foxtrot with Artem Chigvintsev. Thankfully, the classic ballroom dance relies heavily on the male lead, making Patti’s job relatively easy. The judges couldn’t deny the singer’s natural presence. Scores: 7+6+6+6=25

The Bachelor star Chris Soules, who is engaged to a Whitney, danced a country-themed jive with pro partner Whitney Carson Monday night. The Iowa farmer not only showed off some personality, but some respectable dance moves as well. The judges agreed the reality TV star has some potential. Scores: 7+6+6+7=26

Michael Sam, the first openly gay football player to enter the NFL draft, was partnered with Peta Murgatroyd for a cha-cha. Peta let the athlete show off his natural hip action in the Latin dance, which particularly impressed Bruno Tonioli. However, the judges want to see better footwork, and less forced smiling. Scores: 6+6+7+7=26

Olympic figure skater Nastia Liukin, teamed with Derek Hough, performed a foxtrot for her Dancing with the Stars debut. She was definitely aided by her natural athleticism and grace – not to mention Derek’s throwback choreography set to New York, New York. However, the judges pointed out issues with the lifts and her back. Scores: 7+7+8+8=3

Singer and dancer Redfoo, who served as a guest judge last year, got on the dance floor Monday night with Emma Slater for a cha-cha routine. As could be expected, Redfoo didn’t lack for showmanship. His technique, however, left something to be desired, which he readily admitted. Scores: 6+5+5+6=22

Army veteran Noah Galloway, who had his left arm and leg blown off by a roadside bomb, powered through a cha-cha number with Sharna Burgess. Sharna did her best to choreograph something that would allow them to work around what he wasn’t physically able to do. In the end, he gave an inspiring performance that left the judges unconcerned with technique. Scores: 7+6+6+7=26

Suzanne Somer did a campy cha-cha routine set to Olivia Newton John‘s “Physical” and featuring neon 80s workout ensembles with Tony Dovolani. Despite the effort with the set design, the dance itself lacked imagination. The judges ultimately though that Tony played the choreography a bit too safe. Scores: 6+6+6+7=25

Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore and a singer and actress in her own right, danced a foxtrot with Val Chmerkovskiy, who is looking for his first Mirror Ball Trophy. Rumer looked like a natural on the dance floor, matching Val’s intensity throughout. The judges couldn’t say enough good things about her performance, awarding her the night’s high score. Scores: 8+8+8+8=32

 

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