ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Who surprised you the most on night one?
CARRIE ANN INABA:Joey and Jenna had the moves.
Stephen and Riley had so much joy!
‘Dancing With the Stars’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba talks to EW.Disney/Eric McCandless
Dwight and Dani made the impossible possible (height difference-wise).
Chandler and Brandon stunned all three of the judges with her polished tango.
What did you see in his performance to give him that score?
‘DWTS’ judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli.Disney/Eric McCandless
Well, quite honestly, I was surprised at Emma’s reaction.
Why should she be so surprised that her partner scored well?
Reginald gave us quite an entertaining performance.
Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik talks to the ‘DWTS’ judges.Disney/Eric McCandless
The audience reacted and connected with him.
His musicality and rhythm were on point, which is a huge factor in dance.
It was an entertaining performance all around.
People often write off older people in our society.
But I believe that everyone who enters the ballroom is capable of a performance worthy of a perfect score.
And because everyone comes in with their own unique abilities, I take that into consideration.
As the season progresses, I’ll share more and more about my scoring process.
There were no eliminations in the premiere.
As we head into eliminations next week, what advice would you give to the contestants?
You said Chandler Kinney set the standard for the season.
What exactly about her performance made it stand out and what should the other dancers learn from her performance?
Chandler is a fabulous dancer and that performance was such a joy to watch for all of us.
I didnt expect that on week one.
But it was a wonderful surprise!
A lot of 7s and 8s were given out tonight!
What about this group is inspiring high scores right out of the gate?
Have they set the bar high for themselves?
The energy in the ballroom last night was really exciting.
And every single one of those performances was outstanding each in their own way.
I am truly enamored by all of our contestants this season.
I think that both in the ballroom and at home, we could feel the passion and commitment.
And that was exciting!
Lets give credit where credit is due.
This cast is something special.
They brought so much positivity and joy.
And the world needs that right now.
I want to also note that our production teams really outdid themselves.
All of this adds up to what makesDWTSso magical.
This was my favorite premiere episode to date.
I was impressed, inspired and interested to see what they will do next.
What would you say to people who are having a difficult time doing that?
What do you think accounts for the disconnect between judges and the home audience?
I love how passionate our fans are!
And their passion is what keepsDWTSalive.
So, I’m grateful for that.
In general, “moving a lot” and doing a lot of “steps” is not dancing.
Remember, there are only so many scores to give out.
I thought Tori should be very proud of her performance.
I was proud of her.
How does this work when choreographing?
Does it give them any disadvantage?
There are advantages and disadvantages for every contestant who comes on our show.
How is he dancing without them?
This could actually be a secret weapon in this competition.
If you had to predict a winner right now, who would it be?
Hmmm…. Let’s talk again next week.
