Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) premiere: Heidi D'Amelio's performance with Artem Chigvinstev leaves internet mixed

Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) aired a grand premiere for its 31st season on Monday, September 19, 2022 at 8 pm ET on Disney Plus. The two-hour premiere episode saw celebrity contestants and professional choreographers dance their hearts out. After airing on ABC for over two decades, the show has moved to Disney+ for the first time.

On the premiere episode of DWTS, influencer Heidi D'Amelio took to the dance floor for the first time with choreographer partner Artem Chigvinstev. The duo danced to Lady Marmalade by Christine Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and P!nk. Their performance received mixed reactions from fans. While some loved the routine, others claimed that it was awkward and ruined the whole thing for them.

Hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks and Season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro, dance routines are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts. The experts are Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough. The contestant-choreographer duo that manages to impress the judges the most will ultimately win the Mirror Ball trophy and a grand cash prize.

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Fans react to DWTS contestant Heidi D'Amelio's performance

Fans took to social media to express their views about Heidi and Artem's performance. While some were impressed with the influencer's moves, others felt that it fell flat. Some viewers even talked about the possibility of a comparison between her and her daughter Charli D'Amelio's performance.

Check out what fans have to say about the dance routine.

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A mother-daughter duo compete against each other for the first time on DWTS

Heidi D'Amelio was cast on DWTS alongside daughter Charli D'Amelio. They are the first mother-daughter pair ever to compete in the history of DWTS.

While Heidi was paired with Artem Chigvintsev, a Russian-American professional dancer, as her choreographer, Charli was supported by dancer Mark Ballas.

In an interview with E! News following the casting announcement, Heidi revealed that there was quite a bit of competition between her and her daughter. However, Heidi also maintained that it was a healthy competition and that the popular TikToker and influencer, Charli D'Amelio, is one to watch out for.

Speaking about her experience on the show, Heidi revealed that she "could have never seen this coming." She added that it was "pretty wild and very cool to be able to do it with Charli."

The contestant also opened up to PEOPLE about her experience. Heidi revealed that she was shocked when she was taken up as a cast member on the reality dance competition series. She thought that the producers "were joking" as her daughter Charli was the one who had over a decade of professional dancing experience. Heidi said:

"I didn't think they were being real, I thought it was a prank. But when they were like, ' No this is real,' I was so excited for the both of us. Especially to do this together!"

It will be interesting to see if either the mother or daughter takes home the mirror ball trophy on DWTS. However, Heidi jokingly stated that she would test where her family allegiances lie while seeing her and Charli perform on stage. She added that she would be checking the phones of her husband, Marc D'Amelio, and daughter, Dixie D'Amelio, for the same.

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DWTS Season 31 has begun on an exciting note, with contestants showcasing incredible talent. Viewers have also loved watching the fun banter between the participants and their respective choreographers as well as the judges.

Fans can stream fresh episodes on Disney+ every Monday from 8 pm to 10 pm ET from September 19.