Dancing with the Stars 2024: Season 33 Premiere — Dance Styles and Song Choices
Dancing with the Stars returns for Season 33 with 13 celebrity contestants ready to take the ballroom for their first live performances. The season premiere airs TUESDAY, SEPT. 17 (8:00–10:00 p.m. EDT/PDT, 7:00–9:00 p.m. CDT), simulcast live on ABC and Disney+ in local time zones, with episodes available the next day on Hulu. Expect an energetic opening number and a variety of ballroom styles showcased by the new pairings.
The premiere features an opening production to “Set My Heart On Fire (I’m Alive x And The Beat Goes On)” by Majestic, The Jammin Kid & Céline Dion, choreographed by Jamal Sims. For their first competitive dances, celebrity and pro pairs will perform a mix of Tango, Cha Cha, Salsa, Foxtrot and Jive — styles that will test technique, musicality and onstage personality from the very start.
How to vote
Fans can cast live votes during the simulcast in the ET/CT time zones. Online voting is available to viewers in the U.S., its territories and Canada through dwtsvote.abc.com. Viewers on participating U.S. wireless carriers can also vote via SMS/text; note that SMS/text voting is not available to fans in Canada.
Live viewer votes from the first two weeks will be combined with the judges’ scores from those weeks to determine which couples may be at risk of elimination after the initial rounds of competition.
Dancing with the Stars 2024 Premiere: Dance Styles and Songs
- Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola with pro Witney Carson will dance a Tango to “A Bar Song (Tipsy) [Remix]” by Shaboozey & David Guetta.
- Social figure Anna Delvey with pro Ezra Sosa will perform a Cha Cha to “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter.
- The Bachelor Joey Graziadei and pro Jenna Johnson will take on a Cha Cha to “Dancin’ In The Country” by Tyler Hubbard.
- NBA champion Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach will bring a Salsa to “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan.
- TV star Chandler Kinney with pro Brandon Armstrong will perform a Tango to “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan.
- Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher and pro Alan Bersten will dance a Cha Cha to “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain.
- Model Brooks Nader and pro Gleb Savchenko will perform a Tango to “Piece of Me” by Britney Spears.
- Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik with pro Rylee Arnold will bring high energy with a Jive to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.
- Reality star Phaedra Parks and pro Val Chmerkovskiy will take on a Cha Cha to “I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston.
- Movie actor Eric Roberts with pro Britt Stewart will perform a Cha Cha to “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger.
- Television veteran Tori Spelling and pro Pasha Pashkov will glide through a Foxtrot to “Trustfall” by P!nk.
- The Bachelorette Jenn Tran and pro Sasha Farber will dance a Cha Cha to “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus.
- Actor Reginald VelJohnson and pro Emma Slater will close the premiere lineup with a Salsa to “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men.
This season’s judging panel includes Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough co-hosting. The judges will evaluate technique, performance quality and how well each couple interprets the music, while hosts guide viewers through the live action, interviews and behind-the-scenes moments.
Expect the premiere to set the tone for the competition: polished production numbers, dramatic costume choices, and choreography designed to highlight each celebrity’s strengths while exposing areas for improvement. Early weeks often reveal who adapts quickly to ballroom training and who leans on charisma and storytelling to win over both the judges and the viewing public.
If you plan to vote, review the voting window and available methods before the live broadcast. Combining audience votes with judges’ scores makes the early weeks especially strategic; strong fan support can be crucial for keeping a couple in the competition until their technique catches up to their stage presence. Tune in for the Season 33 premiere to see the first full look at each pairing, their choreographic direction and the songs that will provide the soundtrack to their opening performances.