Look, I completely understand why so many people enjoy Dancing with the Stars. The celebrities, the costumes, and my god the showmances, all on live TV — what’s not to love? And yet, anytime I’ve watched an episode of the longtime ABC competition or tried to get into it, my interest fades fast. Therefore, it was not with high hopes that I fired up my Disney+ subscription to catch up on DWTS: The Next Pro, but boy, I’m glad I did, because I am obsessed.
What’s My Issue With Dancing With The Stars?
I’m not going to dwell on anything negative here, because there’s really nothing bad to say. My indifference to Dancing with the Stars comes down to personal preference. I’ve watched everything from Dance Moms to So You Think You Can Dance to America’s Best Dance Crew, and I also love all things celebrity-related, but for whatever reason, the two just don’t mix for me.
(I also find it really distracting that they use a cover band instead of the original songs.)
When I watch dancing shows, I want to see trained dancers practicing their craft, not reality stars and other public figures playing tourist. So that’s one reason why Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro has been a good alternative for me.
DWTS: The Next Pro Is Healing Me After So You Think You Can Dance’s Cancellation
My first thought when watching the first two episodes of The Next Pro was how well it filled the So You Think You Can Dance-sized hole in my heart. The Fox series — which actually featured DWTS alums Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Allison Holker as judges in its final season — was canceled after its 2024 run, and this seems to be a very suitable replacement.
DWTS: The Next Pro offers a similar premise, with professionals competing to be the last dancer standing. Instead of a long audition process, however, only 12 contestants — including current Dancing with the Stars pro Ezra Sosa’s sister — are featured. That made it easy to start rooting for my favorites right away. The challenges are also well-suited to the job these dancers are vying for.
Robert Irwin And The Ballases Are So Charming
The host of any competition show is important because they’re the ones who keep everything flowing. The contestants know where to go, viewers know what’s going on, everybody’s happy. It’s important for the host to get us pumped for the journey ahead, and in that case, I don’t think The Next Pro could have made a better choice than Season 34 DWTS champion Robert Irwin (sorry not sorry, Alfonso). Irwin brings the enthusiasm big time, and his smile is so dang infectious.
As important as casting a good host is, the judges are even more integral, and I love the choice to include the mother/son duo Shirley Ballas, head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, and Mark Ballas, a DWTS pro since 2007.
I wasn't very familiar with Shirley, but I quickly learned she's straight fire. I also really got to like Mark Ballas on The Traitors (and the cute friendships he formed with Kristen Kish and Maura Higgins). The guest judges so far have been really helpful and fun to watch as well.
Who knows? After The Next Pro names its winner, maybe I’ll be inspired to watch DWTS Season 35 when it premieres on the 2026 TV schedule at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, September 15. Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro airs at 8 p.m. Mondays on ABC.
