'Dancing With the Stars': Standouts, Surprises and Slip-Ups From the Season 24 Premiere!

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Season 24 of Dancing With the Stars
kicked off on Monday, with a whole new slate of competitors and the return of some of the show's best pros.

After the first night, it was pretty clear who has what it takes to go all the way, and who is likely going to get the ax within the first few weeks, though there were more than a few surprises! Here's a look at the night's strongest performers and weakest links.


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STANDOUTS


Normani Kordei

Teaming up with Valentin Chmerkovskiy, the Fifth Harmony singer pulled off an impressive quickstep set to Erin Bowman's "Good Time Good Life" that impressed the judges. Together, the pair earned a 27 out of 40.


Heather Morris

The pressure was high going into the premiere for the Glee alum and former backup dancer, given her extensive history as a choreographer and backup dancer for Beyonce. Paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the actress and mother of two performed a Viennese Waltz to "Make Something Beautiful" by Ben Rector. While Morris' technical competency was unquestionable, the judges said the dance lacked a bit of personality. But she's clearly one of the show's big front-runners, ending up with a score of 28 out of 40.


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Rashad Jennings

The NFL running back and his pro partner, Emma Slater, were the first couple of the night to earn anything higher than sevens. Decked out in a gold and black tuxedo, Jennings wowed the judges with his cha cha set to Bruno Mars' "24K Magic." The couple ended up with an impressive 31 points out of 40.


Simone Biles

After fellow Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez took home the mirror ball trophy last season, most people have Biles at the top of their DWTS predictions -- and she did everything she could to cement her place as the front-runner when she and partner Sasha Farber danced a tango to "Untouchable" by Tritonal & Cash Cash feat. JHart, which earned them a 32 out of 40.


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SURPRISES


Bonner Bolton

While the champion bull rider didn't get great scores, his chemistry with pro partner Sharna Burgess was immediately apparent, and seemed to translate on stage with their steamy, sexy cha cha set to Luke Bryan's "Move." The judges couldn't get enough of Bolton and Burgess' on-stage physical connection, but the dance itself earned them 22 points out of 40.


Nick Viall

Fresh off the finale of The Bachelor, Viall found himself in the spotlight yet again, this time with partner (and former DWTS champ) Peta Murgatroyd. The pair performed an impressive cha cha set to "Let Me Love You" by DJ Snake feat. Justin Bieber -- with Viall's fiancee, Vanessa Grimaldi, cheering him on from the audience -- and the judges all seemed surprised at how well performed for his first routine -- although they still had a lot of constructive criticism about his footwork. Viall and Murgatroyd snagged a score of 24 out of 30.


WATCH: Nick Viall & Peta Murgatroyd Plot Against Maks Chmerkovskiy, Talk Smack & Impress Judges in First 'DWTS' Dance


David Ross

The World Series-winning Chicago Cubs catcher got some of the highest scores of the night, even though, by his own admission, he had no expectations regarding his dancing abilities. Ross managed to perform one of the premiere's most entertaining routines with his partner, Lindsay Arnold. Together, they danced a quickstep set to the Cubs' fight song, "Go, Cubs, Go," and walked away with a score of 28 out of 40 after receiving a sweet celebratory message from some of his former teammates.


Nancy Kerrigan

While Olympic athletes tend to fare pretty well on DWTS, the 47-year-old former Olympic figure skater blew the judges away with her impressive and unexpectedly skillful Viennese Waltz set to Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman." The pair were rewarded for their beautiful performance with a score of 28 out of 40.


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SLIP-UPS


Mr. T

Hopes weren't high for the former A-Team star leading into the season, and unfortunately the 64-year-old actor didn't really wow anyone when he danced the cha cha with partner Kym Herjavec. However, Mr. T put a lot of enthusiasm into the routine and while his technique didn't get praised, his tenacity and dedication did. The pair ended up with a 20 out of 40 -- the second-lowest score of the night.


Chris Kattan

The former Saturday Night Live castmember relived his glory days with a cha cha set to "What Is Love," and a routine with partner Witney Carson that called back to his SNL skit-turned-1998 comedy A Night at the Roxbury. To say it went poorly is an understatement. Judge Len Goodman said, "The best thing about that cha cha is that I don’t have to watch it again," while the other judges attempted to find anything they could compliment so the feedback wouldn't be oppressively negative. The pair ended up with the lowest score of the night, a 17 out of 40.


Dancing With the Stars
airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.


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