‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 25 Premiere Recap: Lindsey Stirling, Jordan Fisher Among Early Favorites

Dancing with the Stars has returned for its twenty fifth season with a stellar lineup of celebrities ready to shake their tail feathers. Judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli have returned sans Derek or Julianne Hough.

DANCING WITH THE STARS RECAP

On Monday night, only one judge will give a full critique of each dance, and former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens is the lucky first dancer, with his partner Cheryl Burke. They perform a cha-cha to The Temptation’s “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and, seeing as it’s only week 1, it was pretty bad. But Owens puts in his all and the judges appreciate that. They earn a 15/30.

Next up is ’80s icon Debbie Gibson, who does a foxtrot to her own song, “Lost in Your Eyes,” with Alan Bersten. The pairing is undeniable, and we can already feel some chemistry, despite the dance being subpar. They fare only slightly better than the last dancers, and get a 17/30.

Pretty Little Liars star Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko are up next and perform a cha-cha to “Like That” by Fleur East. They fare better still with an 18/30, with Carrie Ann saying Pieterse was fierce, but Len thinks she was more nervous than anything.

Drew Scott of Property Brothers was next up, and he danced a foxtrot to “Our House” by Madness with partner Emma Slater. Scott promises Slater that if they win, he’ll remodel her kitchen, and she is vying for the Mirrorball now more than ever. Too bad he was a clumsy dancer, and the pair garnered just a 16/30.

Next we have Shark Tank mogul Barbara Corcoran and partner Keo Motsepe, who dance a salsa to “Money Maker” by Ludacris feat. Pharrell. Bruno points out that Corcoran’s face is selling the dance, but her body is not following suit. They earn a measly 14/30.

Singer/actor Jordan Fisher and partner Lindsay Arnold take the stage for a tango to “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” by Shawn Mendes. Because Fisher is a veteran of the stage play, and starred in Hamilton on Broadway, he brings some dancing knowledge to the table, and earns a 22/30.

Couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey are both dancing this season, but not with each other. Nick was up first and performed a cha-cha with Peta Murgatroyd to Pharrell Williams “Come Get it Bae,” after which Vanessa and Maks Chmerkovskiy did their own cha-cha to “Woman” by Kesha ft. the Dap-Kings Horns. Not only are the Lacheys married, but between seasons, Peta and Maks also wed. So it’ll be clash of the couples with these pairings all season (or until one goes home). Nick and Peta get an 18/30 while Vanessa and Maks earn a 21/30.

Next up is Malcolm in the Middle child star Frankie Muniz, who performs a foxtrot with Witney Carson to Harry Styles‘ “Sign of the Times.” Muniz does surprisingly well, admitting he is nervous and loves the show, but doesn’t let those nerves come through in the dance. They receive a 19/30.

WWE wrestler Nikki Bella takes the stage next with Artem Chigvintsev for a tango to Pink‘s “So What!” Bella is clearly incredibly strong and looks confident during the routine. The judges note that her biggest challenged may be relinquishing control to her partner. They earn a 20/30.

NBA player Derek Fisher and partner Sharna Burgess did a salsa to “Basketball” by Kurtis Blow. The obviously basketball themed dance is fun, but the most fun is Fisher’s mom, who the player waited to tell he would be on the show until rehearsals. Fisher is a fun dancer, but his technique is lacking. They get an 18/30.

Victoria Arlen, a paralympic swimmer, and her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy take the stage for a cha-cha to “Born Ready” by Disco Fries feat. Hope Murphy. Arlen fell into a coma at age 11 and spent 10 years in a wheelchair before she was able to walk again. She explains that she has no feeling in the lower half of her body, so puts incredible trust in her partner. This one gets everyone in tears, and they walk away with 19/30.

Last up is violinist and YouTube star Lindsey Stirling with Mark Ballas, who dance a cha-cha to “Don’t Worry” by Madcon. She has a little but of dance experience from her music videos, and Len is surprised by her adaptability. It’s his favorite of the night, and the pair are given a 22/30.

Yeah