"DWTS" Week 1: The Wonder from Down Under

Season 21 of “Dancing with the Stars” is off and running cha-cha-ing, foxtrotting and quickstepping! Last night’s premiere episode was, as always, packed with over-the-top goodness. Nick Carter wore the world’s most fabulous beaded suit, Keo Motsepe revealed he’s actually a prince (!) and Paula Deen may or may not have soiled herself. Oh, “DWTS,” I missed you so.

The evening kicked off with a lavish opening number showcasing the general awesomeness of this season’s pros, who boogied through the streets of L.A. I’ll say this: The stars are nice and all, but I will never, ever tire of watching truly great ballroom dancing:

Unsurprisingly, the contestants with legitimate dance experience under their belts fared well last night. Carter—who is, yes, still a Backstreet Boy—showed off his best boy-band moves (and the aforementioned bedazzled suit) in a sultry little cha-cha. Married song-and-dance couple Alexa and Carlos PenaVega—whose resumés include Spy Kids and the Nickelodeon musical comedy Big Time Rush—nailed their respective numbers, driven by a little friendly marital competition. Calling it now: All of these stars are gonna make it to the “DWTS” final four.

But the surprise hit of the night was Bindi Irwin, the adorably bubbly 17-year-old daughter of the late Steve Irwin, aka the “Crocodile Hunter.” Though slightly less polished than some of her competitors, she’s got real moves—and she’s just so happy. Her jive to “Crocodile Rock” (of course) was a minute of pure joy. Behold, the Wonder from Down Under (thank you for that, and for everything, Bruno):

What did y’all think? Were you utterly creeped out by Gary Busey’s dance face?* Did you get SO HAPPY when you heard Chaka Khan would be dancing the cha-cha (Cha-Chaka Khan!)? Do you want to be Bindi’s bestie? Let us know in the comments!

*NO SERIOUSLY LOOK AT IT: