Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't yet watched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro on ABC or with a Hulu subscription.
To hold you over until Dancing with the Stars debuts on the 2026 TV schedule this fall with Season 35, DWTS: The Next Pro is expanding the hit franchise. Instead of focusing on celebrities whose professional dance partners guide them as they compete to win the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, the new series sets out to find the next pro among 12 up-and-comers. Rest assured, just because there are no celebrity contestants on this Season 35 prequel, there will still be drama. But more on that later.
I must admit, I have a spot in my heart for dance shows. Whether it’s World of Dance, So You Think You Can Dance, Dance Moms, or even Bunheads, I will be tuned in. I’m also down for a good unexpected but amazing movie dance sequence, like with “I’m Just Ken” in the Barbie movie or the Michael Jackson “Thriller” moment in 13 Going on 30.
So, moving six male and six female dancers into a house with bunk beds as they (probably literally) shed blood, sweat, and tears in a grueling audition process, and I have my popcorn ready. Let’s dig into what I learned from watching the first two episodes of DWTS: The Next Pro.
Going To Work With Your Mother Might Lead To Some Spicy Clashes
Yes, the contestants on DWTS: The Next Pro are fierce, but so are the judges. While fans of Dancing with the Stars will be familiar with three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas, he’s being joined at the judges’ table, right in the center seat, by his mother Shirley Ballas, aka “The Queen of Latin.” Mama Ballas is a champion in her own right, an elite teacher, the head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, and she has the type of presence that makes you want to stand up straighter when she enters the room. It also quickly becomes clear that being mother and son won’t prevent clashes from happening when the two disagree.
Shirley Ballas is known for being firm but fair, while her son Mark Ballas has built a bit of a reputation as a rebel who will throw out the rule book when the situation calls for it. That blend of tradition and imagination is perfect for a DWTS pro dancer that’s looking to stand out from the crowd, but for a mother and son who are working side by side on a reality competition series, it’s going to cause some disagreements, and I am here for them all.
Now, the Ballas duo are professionals, so even if things do get spicy, I’m sure they can work it out. In the setup for the season at the start of the first episode, there’s a fun clip with Mark saying, “Do the show with your mom, they said. It will be fun, they said.” But Shirley laughs it off, so I think we’re safe and reassured that no judges were harmed in the making of this reality show. And there will be a different guest judge every week from the lineup of DWTS pros that can jump in to ease the tension if need be.
When Dance Show Contestants Get Vulnerable, I End Up In Tears With Chills
There is only so much airtime in a one-hour TV show, so the focus of DWTS is unsurprisingly primarily on the journeys of the celebrities, through injury and triumph. Season 35 is still a few months away from its debut, but that’s no reason not to start the hype for the celebrity contestants, having already announced Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Guillermo Rodriguez, Savannah Banana’s Jackson Olson, and Summer House and The Traitors star Ciara Miller. The Traitors and Love Island star Maura Higgins is already getting into shape with DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy.
DWTS: The Next Pro will have demanding challenges every week, meant to test the hopefuls’ ability to cope with the extreme pressure of the live show as they prove their technical excellence and creativity as choreographers. If you have an off week and fall short on technique, you can put more hours in at the rehearsal studio. But what often trips up the celebrity contestants on DWTS, especially the ones who aren’t actors, is being able to open themselves up emotionally in a very vulnerable way and connect that with the steps.
I was so happy to see DWTS: The Next Pro only waited until Episode 2 to bring on a challenge using dance to tell a meaningful personal story. Admittedly, I got nervous when they paired the contestants and told them to choose a story between them because that could have easily led to disaster for any pairing that didn’t fully connect or listen to each other. And while some performances didn’t live up to the promise of what they could have been, it was beautiful to witness the partnerships that did click. There’s one performance in particular, by Allen Genkin and Adele Zaikman, that was so authentic and raw that it immediately gave me chills because it felt like the dancers had cracked open their souls and poured all of their emotions out onto the dance floor. It left the dancers, their fellow contestants, the host, the judges, and yes, even me, in tears.
Robert Irwin Just Might Be The Most Wholesome Person In Entertainment
Aussie wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin made a splash on Dancing with the Stars Season 34 alongside his pro partner Witney Carson, securing victory together. Throughout his season, he stayed open to learning and absorbing everything and really wore his heart on his sleeve. And that’s really working for him as the host of DWTS: The Next Pro.
Robert Irwin is able to let his smile light up the room, offer words of encouragement, and sit beside you and share a moment of understanding, with all of it feeling completely genuine. There’s a beautiful exchange in Episode 2 when Robert Irwin goes to check in on the contestant who is working out his own grief through dance. If you’ve lost a parent, which I have, you understand the importance of just sitting with someone who knows what those emotions are without having to say anything at all. To be able to be so open and vulnerable about his own experiences with the loss of his father, Steve Irwin, and sharing what it was like for him to walk through his own grief during his time on DWTS was powerful and reassuring. I look forward to seeing what more he has in store as the competition narrows.
Being A Pro On Dancing With The Stars Is Hard Work
Being on Dancing with the Stars is hard work, and not just for the celebrity contestants, many of whom have no dance experience, put in endless hours of rehearsals practicing movements that don’t come naturally to them, and work through often quite painful injuries. It’s also hard work for the pros, no matter how easy they make it look. As someone who took my first dance class at the age of 4, grew up learning a variety of styles, and had a brief professional stint, I know what it takes, and I admire the perseverance. Dancers put everything on the line and are pushed to the extreme, having to roll with whatever happens during a live performance.
I actually really appreciate the fact that things were a bit bumpy for quite a few of the dancers in the first episode because it shows that even dancers who have been champions or have shared the stage with music superstars can still have an off day and can learn and grow. The one thing that I’m most surprised by with DWTS: The Next Pro is that it’s taken 34 seasons of DWTS for this competition series to even happen. I have no idea who is going to be the last dancer standing and win their way onto Season 35 (though we know it won't be the three who have been eliminated, Benji Castro, Jake Monreal, and Briar Nolet), or if that winner will be replacing one of the current DWTS pros. Still, I am here for every second of it, every Monday until they make the final announcement.
