Dancing with the Stars Spring 2008: The First Night

The sixth season of Dancing with the Stars kicked off tonight on ABC with performances by the male celebrities and their professional partners. Co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris opened the show by introducing a spirited number by the season's professional dancers, set to a rendition of Robbie William's Let Me Entertain You. The twelve new stars and their partners then made their first appearances on the staircase as they were introduced one by one, and afterward Tom greeted returning judges Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. Samantha announced that there would be no elimination this week, a departure from the norm. Finally... the dancing! Read on for the night's star-by-star Dancing with the Stars performance recaps.

The Dancers: Magician Penn Jillette and Kym Johnson
The Dance: Cha Cha Cha
Funny Quote: "You're the one who's going to teach Sasquatch to dance?" Penn to Kym upon their first meeting
The Music: Fool In Love / Tina Turner
The Outfit: Gret vest and pants, white shirt and tie.
The Performance: It was certainly entertaining. Penn had great facial expressions throughout and really worked the personality aspect of the dance. He looked a bit awkward, though, and didn't seem to be a natural dancer. The footwork was off, but the amusement value was high.
The Evaluation:
Len - "I thought you captured the flavor of the cha cha cha.... The problem is your feet."
Bruno - "It was like watching a trailer for Shrek Goes Cha Cha Cha.... Unfortunately the footwork was very very heavy and the hip action was more like replacement hip action." He praised his energy and the entertainment value.
Carrie Ann - "I think that you've got great energy." She praised his energy and said he needed to work on his footwork.
The Scores: 5, 6, 5 = 16