‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 27 Contestants Tinashe and DeMarcus Ware Top the Standings After First Scores

Dancing With the Stars season 27 kicked off Monday night, and former NFL pro Demarcus Ware and singer Tinashe proved to be the early standouts.

Monday night’s premiere of popular ABC dance competition Dancing With the Stars was filled with quicksteps, cha chas, foxtrots, and jives, and through the fast footwork, twirls, sparkly dresses, and rounds of applause, several contestants sashayed their way to the top of the standings.

While a number of contestants struggled to find the flow in their first performance, Demarcus Ware and Tinashe climbed to the top of the leader board, tying for the number one spot and proving that they could very well end the season with the Mirror Ball trophy in their hands.

Keep scrolling to see the scores from Monday night.

Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber

Dance: Cha Cha – “Treasure” by Bruno Mars
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 11/1
Score: 19

The first duo to take the dancing stage Monday night, Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber nearly flawlessly danced the Cha Cha; though a newbie to dance, Retton made two mistakes. Even so, Len Goodman claimed that she was “pretty nifty for fifty,” and she was praised for her relaxed appearance, earning the team 19 out of a possible 30.

Milo Manheim and Witney Carson

Dance: Cha Cha – “Free Free Free” by Pitbull featuring Theron Theron
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 16/1
Score: 20

As the youngest competitor this season at 17 years old, Milo Manheim took the stage to perform the Cha Cha with dance partner Witney Carson. Earning a score of 20, the judges advised him to keep his legs straight, claimed the performance was “a little bit wild,” but also added “you’re a dancer!”

Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe

Dance: Foxtrot – “Do You Believe in Magic” by Aly & AJ
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 13/1
Score: 18

Harry Potter alum Evanna Lynch may have been turned away from dance college, but her skills have not completely faded. Her foxtrot, which earned her a score of 18, earned her praise from the judges, who assured her that she definitely could dance, though they warned that she should be a little less expressive.

Danelle Umstead and Artem Chigvintsev

Dance: Foxtrot – “Rise Up” by Andra Day
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 12/1
Score: 18

Danelle Umstead’s foxtrot proved that she is not just a star on the slopes, but also in the ballroom. The first blind contestant to compete on the ABC dancing competition, the judges dubbed her bond with partner Artem Chigvintsev “magical,” and fans praised her following her performance.

Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess

Dance: Jive – “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” by Travis Tritt
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 8/1
Score: 20

Despite suffering a number injuries during practice, radio personality Bobby Bones’ jive with pro dancer Sharna Burgess was “exquisitely demented,” according to the judges.

“I loved every minute! I’ve never had so much fun in my life,” Bones said following his performance. “People like me, I’m from a small town of 700 people, we don’t get to be on Dancing With the Stars, so I’m trying to represent for people like that, it’s all about that. I love you guys!”

Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke

Dance: Salsa – “Dinero” by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled & Cardi B
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 9/1
Score: 22

“The hunk with the junk in the trunk,” according to Len Goodman, Fuller House actor Juan Pablo Di Pace’s salsa earned the dancing duo the first eight of the night from judge Bruno Toniolo.

Nikki Glaser and Gleb Savchenko

Dance: Salsa – “YES” by Louisa featuring 2 Chainz
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 18/1
Score: 17

Earning one of the lowest scores of the night, comedian Nikki Glaser and pro dancer Gleb Savchenko’s salsa was said to be “jagged” and “stiff,” though Bruno promised that the performance “wasn’t a total trainwreck.”

Prior to taking the stage, Glasser had reportedly suffered an injury that has left her future on the show in question.

Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten

Dance: Jive – “Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 15/1
Score: 21

Dedicating her jive to her late mother, Sports Illustrated model Alexis Ren placed near the top of the leaderboard with a score of 21 in a performance that was praised by judges.

John Schneider and Emma Slater

Dance: Foxtrot – “Good Ol’ Boys from Dukes of Hazzard” by Waylon Jennings
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 24/1
Score: 18

Despite his performance lacking “finesse,” John Schneider’s foxtrot proved to be promising, with Carrie Ann Inaba claiming that he showed potential. Ultimately, the performance landed the dancing dup in the middle of the pack with a comfortable 18.

Tinashe and Brandon Armstrong

Dance: Jive – “I’m a Lady” by Meghan Trainor
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 7/1
Score: 23

Ranking as the most likely to win, according to popular sports betting-odds site Sports Betting Dime, singer Tinashe’s jive certainly seemed to add credit to the odds. Her final score of a 23 landed her at the top of the night’s highest-rated performances, tying with one other dancing pair.

Nancy McKeon and Val Chmerkovskiy

Dance: Quickstep – “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Club Des Belugas
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 14/1
Score: 18

Dubbed “just a good, solid performance” by Len, The Facts of Life actress Nancy McKeon’s quickstep with partner Val Chmerkovskiy was enough to land the pair a comfortable score of 18, though it was not quite enough to have them soar to the top of the leaderboard.

Joe “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile and Jenna Johnson

Dance: Quickstep – “Fish Out of Water” by Leo Soul
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 19/1
Score: 14

The Bachelorette alum Joe “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile could not charm his way to the top of the leaderboard, with his quickstep to “Fish Out of Water” with dancing pro partner Jenna Johnson landing the duo at the bottom of the pack with a score of 14.

DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold

Dance: Cha Cha – “Sweet Sensation” by Flo Rida
Sports Betting Dime winning-odds: 9/1
Score: 23

Former NFL pro DeMarcus Ware’s fiery cha cha to “Sweet Sensation” by Flo Rida closed out the show with a bang, proving that he and partner Lindsay Arnold are ones to watch this season. Praised for his energy and dance abilities, Ware’s performance tied for the top spot with a near-perfect score of 23.