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The hype surrounding Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is growing as its arrival on the 2026 TV schedule gets closer, at least theoretically. A date has not been revealed yet, but it is confirmed to be airing this fall on ABC, with celebrity contestants already being announced, and with a new pro on the way. The Disney-owned network will be airing DWTS: The Next Pro in July, but that new series likely isn't enough to prepare for the insanity, at least according to a Ezar Sosa.
For the first time ever, DWTS is recruiting a new pro via reality comeptition, and The Next Pro will be hosted by Season 34 Mirrorball champ Robert Irwin, with judging from Mark and Shirley Ballas. Fans can expect an intense training and audition process from the 12 hopefuls vying for a single DWTS spot, but that’s only the beginning. While being on the long-runing series is definitely a dream for dancers, it can also be grueling. Sosa, a Season 34 finalist, told Parade just how crazy being a pro truly is, no matter the preparation, saying:
I always say no matter, no matter how much practice or prepping that you can do, nothing can prepare you for being a pro. I probably came up with 15+ dances with Jojo Siwa. And then my first partner was Anna Delvey. There is no way to prepare for that.
DWTS has had a variety of celebrities grace the ballroom over its 34-season run, and you never know who could be next, or who they will be paired with. A lot of pros start on the troupe, and while that does get them somewhat prepared, especially when they have to step in for a pro, you can’t really truly prepare for what’s to come until you get assigned your celebrity partner. Then it depends on their skill level, how much they really want the mirrorball, and how much they’re willing to work. A reality show to find the next pro can’t exactly prep you for that.
It’s not surprising that Sosa, who became a pro with Season 33, was pretty disappointed with the hand he was dealt with his first partner. They were one of the first couples eliminated, but he managed to make it all the way to the finals last season with Jordan Chiles. So it really just depends on who your celebrity partner is.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare to be a pro, because all of that rehearsing does help. It does sound like the wide variety of celebrity contestants does not help, though, and unfortunately, the pros usually don’t know who they’re paired with until later in the summer. It’s possible some of them start rehearsing long before then to get into shape and back into the groove of things, and the fact that a lot of that can be undone depending on who they’re paired with is pretty insane.
DWTS: The Next Pro will be entertaining to watch, but whoever wins will definitely be in for an even more intense ride. The new series premieres on July 13 on ABC, with Season 35 premiering this fall. Fans can catch up on DWTS with recent seasons streaming with a Disney+ subscription.
