'Dancing with the Stars' recap: JoJo Siwa, pro-partner Jenna Johnson make history, lead the pack

ByGeorge Pennacchio OTRC logo
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
DWTS recap: JoJo Siwa, pro-partner Jenna Johnson make history
Pop star JoJo Siwa and pro-dancer Jenna Johnson landed first on the "Dancing with the Stars" judges' leaderboard for the Season 30 debut.

LOS ANGELES -- "Dancing with the Stars" waltzed back into primetime for its 30th season. And after just one dance apiece, the stars and their professional partners know this season is going to be a very competitive one.

Pop star JoJo Siwa and pro dancer Jenna Johnson were last to dance Monday night and first on the judges' leaderboard with 29 out of 40 points. As the show's first same-sex dance couple, JoJo says the night couldn't have gone any better.

"I actually didn't want the audience to say anything. I wanted the audience to smile," said Siwa. "And I wanted the audience to just be like, 'Huh, wow, two girls dancing together, that's cool.'"

One point behind them: a tie between Olympian Suni Lee and Sasha Farber and talk show host Amanda Kloots and Alan Bersten. Actor Martin Kove and Britt Stewart landed at the bottom of the leaderboard with only 13 points for their paso doble.

"Dancing with the Stars" is always a challenge and when you want to win, you can be driven.

"I don't have time for fear. You have one opportunity. Here we are. We're live. You have to make it happen," said Kenya Moore.

"Right after our dance, I sat down next to her and I cried a little bit," said Cody Rigsby. "This is so much hard work, and it's an emotional release. I'm happy. I'm getting emotional about it right now."

And week one is done for real-life couple Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess.

"It's the unknown, and now I feel like 'This wasn't as difficult or scary as I thought it was going to be. Let's get in and work on next week's performance,'" said Brian Austin Green.

All 15 couples return to dance again next week but by the end of the evening, the first couple of the season will go home.