ABC/Craig SjodinThe new season of Dancing with the Stars premiered last night and featured brand new cast of contestants, including Fifth Harmony singer Normani Kordei alongside luminaries such as The Bachelor’s Nick Viall, Erika Jayne from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Olympic Gold Medallist Simone Biles and Mr. T.
Kordei was paired with two-time DWTS champion Valentin Chmerkovskiy and kicked off the show. Kordei talked about growing up watching the show with her grandmother who would keep score and who was in the studio audience. Kordei and Chmerkovskiy both wore black and white, she in a white lace dress and he in a white suit with black shirt and danced to “Good Time Good Life” by Erin Bowman.
They finished with 27 out of a possible 40 points.
Backstage, Normani spoke of her excitement in spite of the pressure of being the first performer on stage. “I really didn’t have any time to be nervous,” she said. “It all happened so fast, I want to do it again.”
Of course she will have her chance next week, but in the meantime she will be in Japan with Fifth Harmony, who have shows booked. The bar is high for her, however, as she will have to continue to bounce back and forth between DWTS shows as her group has more shows booked in China, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Taiwan.
Dancing with the Stars airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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