As summer is coming to an end, the cast and crew of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) are gearing up for what fans hope will be the best season yet.
Between the DWTS summer tour, DWTS judge Derek Hough’s tour, and Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, viewers have been anticipating the thrilling competition. Season 34 left fans more interested than ever after Robert Erwin and Whitney Carson dominated the dance floor and took home the mirrorball trophy. While last season’s celebrities including Alix Earle, Jordan Chiles and Scott Hoying may no longer be grabbing the attention of the internet, the new stars have the potential to be even brighter this upcoming season.
Alongside this season’s shining stars, the show is also welcoming on a few new pros, according to People. Both Hailey Bills and Adele Zaikman are going to bring fresh ideas and new flair to the ballroom, with their partners Sarah Jane Nader and Connor Leavitt. While his pro partner may be new to the DWTS ballroom, Leavitt is not. Last season he was introduced into the world of ballroom dancing after his wife competed in the show herself. Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly emphasizes Nader and Bills are making history as the third same sex duo on the show.
DWTS is also welcoming back acclaimed pro Sharna Burgess. According to Cosmopolitan, Burgess won the mirrorball trophy in 2018, and she also made history when she competed with her fiancé, Brian Austin Green, as they were the first real-life couple competing on the show. This season she will be dancing with Tylor Cameron, a big name in television home makeovers. Cameron is not the only television star this season though, DWTS is also hosting one of the biggest names in television, Guillermo Rodriguez, dancing with Carson. Rodriguez has been Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick performing sketch comedy for almost 25 years now, so he is no stranger to show business.
In past seasons we have seen Olympic athletes thrive on the show, and this year we will see two on the dance floor. Amber Glenn is one of America’s best figure skaters, with an Olympic gold medal and three U.S. National gold medals, per NBC Olympics. She will be dancing with Pasha Pashkov, who is entering his eighth year on the show and still competing for his first mirrorball win. Competing against them is Ezra Frech, a two-time gold medalist in the Paralympics. Not only is he fast, but according to Challenged Athletics Foundation, he is an advocate for people with disabilities, including children, adults and veterans. Frech is paired with Daniella “Ferrari of Dance” Karagach, which will make for a quick moving couple.
While some fans argue that celebrities having prior dance experience on the show may be unfair, others jump to their defense claiming “ballroom is totally different,” as expressed by Reality Tea. This season partnered with Jenna Johnson is “Glee” star Harry Shum Jr. Since this year’s stars have been released, Shum has gained the most attention and seems to have won fans’ votes already. He and Johnson are definitely a fan favorite so far and are predicted to win this season, per TV Insider. A favorite for second place is famous actor Jenna Dewan who, in 2016, made history during her lip sync battle against Channing Tatum, when she danced to “Pony” by Ginuwine. Dewan also appeared in the “Step up,” franchise, therefore, some fans are worried this will give her too much of an advantage in the competition, highlighted by USA Today.
Not only does this season have experienced dancers, but fans are getting excited over some of the big personalities coming to their screens. Pro Rylee Arnold has gained the attention of Gen Z fans across the world, bringing them into the world of DWTS. This year she is leading comedic genius Connor Woods in the fight for the mirrorball. There is no doubt this entertaining pair will provide some comedic relief during the hardest parts of this competition. Jan Ravnik was one of the fans favorite pros last season. This year he will return for the second time, but now he is dancing with Broadway legend Tatyana Ali, and fans are excited to see what they will bring to the ballroom.
Also competing this season is Maura Higgins with Mark Ballas, Giada De Laurentiis with Alan Bersen, Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart, Ciara Miller with Brandon Armstrong, Julia Stiles with Ezra Sosa, and Jackson Olson with Emma Slater. Even though fan predictions are usually right, underdogs are known to rise to the challenge! Watch DWTS live every Tuesday on Hulu.
