The Gambit - From First Impressions to Final Predictions: DWTS Season 34

Time moved quickly, and all of a sudden, we are back for season 34 of the popular show, “Dancing with the Stars.” This season is going to be a very competitive one, so let’s get into it.

This season, DWTS was able to get a lot of big names to participate, celebrities who are globally famous . The pairings, as well, received a lot of hype, with everyone wanting their favorite dancer to win with a big star.

Although this season is going to be very competitive, I already have a feeling about some of the pairs that will be eliminated first, especially after the opening episode last Tuesday, Sept. 16.

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To start, there were a few standout performances. Being a pleasant surprise was celebrity Robert Irwin with Witney Carson as his partner. Robert’s sister was on the show in season 21, winning the Mirrorball Trophy, so no one had any doubt about him, especially because of his fun and bright personality. But he really let it out with a bang, and everyone was surprised. From the dancing itself to just the energy the routine showed, he may just be working his way up the ladder on this show and proving he can be as good as his sister.

Another personal favorite of the night was Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy. Now, a lot of people have mixed opinions on these two for many reasons, but I have high hopes for them making it very far. It does not seem like it from the outside, maybe, but I think Alix Earle may just be hardworking when it comes to this, and with Val as her partner, she may have an even bigger chance. Their first dance was to the song “Carnival,” and they truly did bring the heat with their dance. The whole performance was very entertaining.

Moving on to people that may not have done the best during the first night, but have a real shot are Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach. Their routine surprised the audience in the best way possible. They danced to the song “Milkshake,” and Efron explained that he chose this song to get out of his comfort zone. The dance was full of energy and lots of fun moves. You could definitely tell this is a new thing for him, but as he gets more into it, he could definitely get some high scores, especially with Daniella as his partner.

Another celebrity who’s getting attention is from the show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” Jen Affleck, dancing with Jan Ravnik. She definitely likes to dance and move, and seems like a pretty fast learner. Many don’t know, but Jan actually performed in the Eras Tour with Taylor Swift as one of her dancers and is definitely qualified for this. Their dance was not bad in any way, but it definitely could use some more flow. Nonetheless, I am excited to see what the season brings for these two.

One last underdog, you could say, was Jordan Chiles dancing with Ezra Sosa. I love both of these people. They both have energy that is so fun and bright. Their first dance was pretty good, even though the judges did not agree; they need to work on some more fluidity through the dance. However, they both have so many good elements to bring, and I think Chiles, being such a strong gymnast, could bring her skills onto the dance floor with Sosa and create some fun routines.

Yahoo

Furthermore, some things to watch out for when scoring comes around are definitely the online vote for viewers. With some of the stars having such big fan bases like Alix Earle and Robert Irwin, they definitely will be getting lots and lots of votes from their followers, as well as just some other people who know of them or just like their dances. Regarding the judges, they obviously are only judging the dancing. Some think that people like Scott Hoying (member of Pentatonix) or Lauren Jauregui (member of Fifth Harmony) may be a step ahead since they have more experience with natural rhythm, helping them get ahead. But we will see how the season plays out.

To continue, in the second week of DWTS, they do a double elimination round since they don’t eliminate in the first week. Unfortunately, I already have a feeling of who the first 4 to be sent home will be. I believe it is going to be Andy Richter dancing with Emma Slater and Corey Feldman dancing with Jenna Johnson. Neither of these couples are bad dancers, and the stars are great, but to be honest, neither of them is dancing well enough to impress the judges or get a high enough fan vote. I would say Hilaria Baldwin dancing with Gleb Savchenko because, let's be honest, no one is really a fan of them. But Hilaria is trained in ballroom and knows how to impress the judges, so that may keep her score up high enough for the next few weeks.

Yahoo

Overall, this season of Dancing with the Stars is going to be a very fun and high-stakes one. I really do think that the whole cast is amazing and deserves to be there. I just mentioned some of my favorite couples, but there are many more important couples that I love and think will do great things this season. I am nervous but so excited to see what it has to offer for the stars.

I wish all of them could go home with a Mirrorball Trophy, but only one pair can. Who will it be? Only time will tell. Tune in at 8 pm EST tonight on Hulu or another streaming service to see what happens and who will be the first to go home.

By: Alyssa Rodenhauser