On September 7, one week before the premiere, I shared my Dancing With the Stars season 35 finale predictions. I thought my hopes and dreams for the finale were set, but the two-night premiere shook up the leaderboard in my mind. I loved my favorites like Tyler (Sharna) and Connor W (Riley), along with Julia (Ezra) and Jenna (Val). But stars I was unfamiliar with prior to week 1 wowed me with their first dance.
Before I tell you the five couples that have the potential to go all the way this season, I have my top men and women, five of each. In honor of the split competition event, I wanted to showcase those thoughts from each night. Trust me, it was difficult! If you haven't watched the two-night premiere yet, it's streaming on Disney+!
I'm a newbie to hardcore following Dancing With the Stars. I watched all of season 34, and I believe season 33. I'm not sure I saw a full season before that. With that out of the way, please bear with me. These predictions are fun, based on favorites, and if they wowed me in week 1.
Dancing With the Stars season 35 week 1 top 5 men and women
Male Stars
- Ezra French (Daniella Karagach): I knew nothing about Ezra before this week, and man did he win me over. Not only with his story, but also with his dance moves.
- Harry Shum Jr. (Jenna Johnson): Harry blew me away. Yes, I know he has dance experience, yet I think it doesn't put him at a huge advantage since ballroom is so different. He may have years of dance under his belt, yet his emotion about coming back to dance was impactful. He broke out of his fears and said yes to dance!
- Taylor Hanson (Britt Stewart): I didn't expect to love Taylor, but I did. Sorry, Derek, I loved the hair flip. It sold me.
- Connor Wood (Riley Arnold): Connor Wood came out with such energy. I was impressed with how well he danced. He moved, rolled, and kept up with Riley!
- Tyler Cameron (Sharna Burgess): I love Tyler; despite being my number 5, he still did so well. I still see growth potential.
- Honorable pick: Jackson Olson and Emma Slater: I agree with the judges that he needs to match his top and bottom halves to be in sync with the flow of the dance. Otherwise, I really think Emma showcased his personality and came out to play ball. There's potential for growth with his rhythm, hard work, and star power.
Female Stars
- Amber Glenn (Pasha Pashkov): Like my knowledge of Ezra, I had none on Amber before week 1 either. She came out and impressed me. Her leg strength and core were so amazing at each turn of the dance.
- Jenna Dewan (Val Chmerkovskiy): From her outfit to the high kicks, I loved it. Definitely hate that they got them for the lift, but hey, it was beautiful even if it wasn't allowed. Her partnership with Val gives them such an advantage to go far because they both seem very determined. Such a good pairing!
- Julia Stiles (Ezra Sosa): Julia and Ezra are one of my dream teams. They mesh so well. Complimenting each other's strengths. Ezra helping Julia fall in love with dance showed so much in their dance that doubled as a tribute to Dolly Parton.
- Tatyana Ali (Jan Ravnik): Oh, Tatyana. I hate that her scores were so low because I loved the confidence she brought to the dance when she walked onto the dance floor. She messed up but recovered in her own way and showed us she can do it.
- Ciara Miller (Brandon Armstrong): I loved her emotion behind her dance. She's nervous to share it, but her elegant dancing wants her to shine a light on her fears. I think she could be an underdog who surprises me this season.
5 DWTS couples that have the potential to go all the way
- Ezra French and Daniella Karagach have my top pick for making it to the finale. He may be young, but his heart is wise and so full of potential. I love that they lean into his story without fear and make it look effortless. They glided across the floor!
- Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson are star power wrapped into a partnership. As I said, he may have a dance background, but he's also finding his way back to it again, which I adore. The way he moved on the dance floor was incredible. He's one to watch!
- Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov came onto the dance floor and blew me away. I know she's an athlete, but her strength is still so impressive to me. She made her movements look so elegant but sharp. I also love her personality and how Pasha lets her shine.
- Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa definitely have potential to make it to the end. She may be an underdog of sorts due to coming back to dance and breaking out of her shell, but she's not playing around. Ezra showcased her and made her sparkle. Also, that pantsuit was the move for her outfit. She really stood out to me, and I can't wait to see more.
- My fifth spot is more difficult…I think it could be between these three stars: Jenna Dewan (Val
Chmerkovskiy, Connor Wood (Riley Arnold), and Taylor Hanson (Britt Stewart). They all have potential to go far. Even with my hopes for the top 4, it could go either way. From fanbase popularity to judges' favorites, and who scores the highest added on to their votes. As we know, audience votes can change everything for a couple. This season will be no different, especially with all the icons in the cast.
After the two-night premiere of Dancing With the Stars season 35, I'm super excited for what this season holds. Although I'm bummed about the double elimination because I wanted Hailey and Adele to stay longer, this cast really outdid themselves. They came out with a dream that they could wow the judges, the audiences, and the little kid in themselves. I believe they accomplished all of that even with the little mistakes here and there.
Overall, it was nights one and two, week 1 of competition, so it was guaranteed to be a bumpy start. It just proves that dancing on live TV isn't a walk in the park but a marathon.
Dancing With the Stars season 35 airs Tuesdays on ABC at 8/7c and Disney+.
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