Dancing With the Stars season 34 started out with a bang — and the competition is heating up with a lineup of new themes.
Reigning mirrorball trophy winner Joey Graziadei revealed what’s to come for the rest of this season on the “Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast,” which debuted Thursday, September 18.
Before announcing the upcoming themes, Graziadei, 30, sat down with DWTS cohosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro to recap the first round of performances from the season 34 cast. During the Tuesday, September 16, premiere, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas ended up at the top of the leaderboard in a tie with Robert Irwin and pro Witney Carson. Both couples earned 15 points out of 20 from judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
“The vibe right now is competition,” Ribeiro, 53, said when asked about his first impressions from the premiere. “I think at the end of the day, it’s a different vibe than any other season that I can remember, where there’s this many people who can absolutely win. … They all brought it.”
Julianne, 37, agreed that the competitive nature was exciting to see from all the couples. “I’m a fan of a lot of the celebrities and I’ve seen them on TikTok, dancing,” she said. “You can tell when somebody is just in their body, even if they’re not technical dancers … and sometimes they surprise you.”
The music for night one was inspired by the celebs’ personal anthems. Dylan Efron surprised Us with a cha-cha to “Milkshake” by Kelis, while Jordan Chiles showed off her strength in a salsa set to “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé. Danielle Fishel, meanwhile, had an emotional moment in the ballroom while dancing a tango to “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson.
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Scroll down for the complete list of themes for season 34:
Week 2:
One-Hit Wonder Night
Week 3:
TikTok Night
Week 4:
Disney Night
Week 5:
Dedication Night
Week 6:
‘Wicked’ Night
Week 7:
Halloween Night
Week 8:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night
Week 9:
The 20th Birthday Party (celebrating 20 years of DWTS)
Week 10:
Prince Night (Semi-Finals)
Week 11:
Finale
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