"Dancing with the Stars" kicked off its 21st season on Monday night, and just one episode in, the competition is already fierce.
Two celebrity contenders – teenager Bindi Irwin and Backstreet Boy Nick Carter -- quickly set themselves apart from the pack with high energy performances with their pro partners that took them into a tie at the top of the leaderboard with 24 out of 30 points and earned them big praise from the judges.
Actress and wildlife conservationist Bindi, 17, hit the stage with her Season 21 partner, five-time mirrorball champion Derek Hough, for an exciting jive that wowed the crowd. The duo earned the loudest cheers from the audience on Monday night, a crowd that included Bindi's mom, Terri Irwin, and her little brother, Bob.
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"That was the best performance of the night," Judge Julianne Hough (now sitting in Len Goodman's old center seat) told the pair.
"You really are the wonder from Down Under," Bruno Tonioli raved.
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Carrie Ann Inaba called the teen a "superstar."
Nick and his pro, Sharna Burgess, closed out the show with a cha cha and as he cut across the ballroom in a blue suit, he mesmerized the crowd and the judges.
Julianne admitted that like Sharna, she had photos of Nick on her wall as a child, but she was able to maintain her professionalism, praising his dance "flavor" and "style."
Bruno predicted that if Nick can continue the quality of performance, he'll be back each week.
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While Bindi and Nick tied for the top spot, they had close competition. Carlos PenaVega from "Big Time Rush," wowed with his jive with pro Witney Carson.
"I feel like you are the most natural performer that we have seen tonight," Julianne raved, as the camera cut to Carlos' wife and fellow competitor, actress Alexa PenaVega, who cheered from backstage.
He and Witney earned 23 out of 30, tying reality star and talk show host Tamar Braxton, who is paired with Season 20 winner Valentin Chmerkovskiy (Rumer Willis, who won last season with Val, was in the audience during Monday's show).
Alexa PenaVega proved to be solid competition, performing an impressive jive with Mark Ballas to the tune of 22 judges' points, the same score earned by Alek Skarlatos, the young man who, with his two friends, overpowered a shooter on a train from Amsterdam to Paris over the summer. Alek could be the dark horse of the competition, as Carrie Ann said he had "one of the best dances of the night."
Social media sensation Hayes Grier made his mark with the judges, catching the eye of Julianne and Carrie Ann, who were both drawn to his boyish charm during his high-school themed routine with partner Emma Slater. Their dance earned the pair an opening score of 21 out of 30.
While there is no elimination this week, there are a few stars who will no doubt be working hard on improving before the next round. Jockey Victor Espinoza, actor Gary Busey and Paula Deen all earned just 15 points, while Bravo star Kim Zolciak Biermann and Chaka Khan scored just 12 points for the night.
The scores on Monday night were:
- Bindi Irwin & Derek Hough 24/30
- Nick Carter & Sharna Burgess 24/30
- Carlos PenaVega & Witney Carson 23/30
- Tamar Braxton & Val Chmerkovskiy 23/30
- Alexa PenaVega & Mark Ballas 22/30
- Alek Skarlatos & Lindsay Arnold 22/30
- Hayes Grier & Emma Slater 21/30
- Andy Grammer & Allison Holker 21/30
- Victor Espinoza and Karina Smirnoff 15/30
- Gary Busey & Anna Trebunskaya 15/30
- Paula Deen & Louis van Amstel 15/30
- Kim Zolciak Biermann & Tony Dovolani 12/30
- Chaka Khan & Keo Motsepe 12/30
-- Jolie Lash
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