Dancing With the Stars is not about the destination, but the journey.

And while both new pros Hailey Bills and Adele Zaikman—partnered with Sarah Jane Nader and Conner Leavitt, respectively—were hoping their road would lead them to the mirrorball trophy, judge Carrie Ann Inaba wants them to be proud of their time in the ballroom despite their week one eliminations. 

“Somebody just pointed out to me that it was the two new pros that were eliminated tonight, which is sad, but also this is part of their process,” she told E! News’ Will Marfuggi after part-two of the season 35 premiere Sept. 16. “They're going to learn so much from what happened. I think it's going to be great because I think both of them have so much potential.”

Hailey—niece of pro Jenna Johnson and her fellow pro husband Val Chmerkovskiy—was promoted from the series’ dance troop to a full member for the pros this year, while Adele joined after winning Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro. 

“Hailey's been here for a while,” Carrie Ann added. “She's been on the dance floor. She knows what's up. They just had a rough night.”

Indeed, while Sarah Jane and Hailey put their best foot forward, their jive to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” only earned 14 out of a possible 30 points. The evening’s lowest score, however, belonged to actress Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik, who earned 12 points for their jive.

As for the highest score, that went to Traitors’ Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, whose foxtrot earned them a whopping 21 points.

Even Carrie Ann admitted, “I was surprised by Maura tonight.” 

“Just thinking back, like that was a mind-blowingly great performance for week one,” the judge continued. “It had all the nuances. It was just very sensual, and the way she was gliding across the floor. I mean, I know there was smoke on the floor, so we couldn't see all the footwork. But she was floating.”

And while Maura proved her skills might be better suited to dancing than sniffing out traitors, much of her success does lie with veteran pro Mark, whose teaching, choreography and staging skills were put on display. 

As Carrie Ann noted, “There's a lot to strategy. There's a lot to understanding what the show is about.”

Yet even the longtime judge isn’t ready to predict the season’s finalists.

“I always try to stay away from expectations because it can really mess you up as a judge,” she said. “Like you got to be really careful.”

To learn more about the celebrities hoping to extend their time in the ballroom, read on. 

You won't hate this news—the 10 Things I Hate About You star will be saving the last dance for her pro partner.

Cha-cha-chopping away... The celebrity chef will be turning up the heat this season.

What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.

The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.

Twenty years after starring in Step Up, the dancer is stepping up to the challenge.

The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.

The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.

After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.

The comedian, also known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn more applause on DWTS.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.

The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.

The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.

The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.

The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom. 

"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Ciara exclusively told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."

The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.

"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."