A pregnant defending champion. A same-sex pairing making history. A comedian whose fans just want to watch him have fun. Welcome to the most exciting Dancing with the Stars cast in years. The show has returned to our screens for season 35 and predictions are coming in. I have compiled my own predictions and the reasons behind my beliefs. To preface this, I would like to state that I don’t have any ballroom dancing experience and will be basing my predictions on patterns from the last few seasons, especially how much fan buzz outside the ballroom ended up deciding who actually stuck around.
Criteria
The criteria I plan on judging this cast have two parts to it: the actual dancing and the social media side. On the dance side, I am looking for how much experience the star might have and how experienced the pro is. I believe that the dance experience can sometimes help a celeb, but also be their downfall, which we’ve seen both in past seasons. For the pro, I will be looking for a seasoned pro, one that has a track record of taking their stars all the way or far into the final rounds. These pros know how to make their stars shine in ways that newer pros don’t have the experience of yet.
But the other half of what will matter for votes is the fans. Social media has become a big factor in who goes home in the last few seasons. We saw both sides of this last season with Andy and Whitney. Andy didn’t have the best dances and consistently scored low, but because of fans made it far into the season. While on the other side, Whitney scored very high and had incredible dances, but the fans felt she had unfair advantages because of dance experience and she didn’t make it as far as she probably should have. Social has increasingly played a bigger and bigger role in the show, and going into this season, I’m paying close attention to who already has that built-in fanbase before a single dance happens.
Pairs I Think Have A Chance Of Winning.
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy โ This pair is going to be one to beat. Jenna Dewan has the true dance training from her days in Step Up and the fanbase that loves the franchise. Her partner Val is one of the most experienced pros this season with two Mirrorball wins under his belt. He also has a big fanbase of his own, with many loving his season with Alix Earle last year and believing he should’ve won. But the disadvantage this pair is already facing due to social media is Jenna’s experience with dance. I think fans may worry that she has an unfair advantage, and if this season is anything like last year, the fans will not let her win โ just like what happened with Whitney Leavitt.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson โ Shum shares Dewan’s dance background from his Glee days, and Jenna Johnson is a two-time winner who knows how to get a partner to the finale. But he’s not facing the same backlash Dewan is โ I think fans might actually want to see him redo his Glee dances or a fun take on them. That could work in his favor and make fans want to keep him in longer, with the chance they’ll get a nostalgic play on his past choreography.
Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills โ This pairing has one of the strongest chances based on storyline. Hailey was just promoted from the troupe and has a big fanbase. We’re seeing something similar to what happened with Rylee Arnold, where I believe fans will keep her in not only to see what she can do, but also because of her presence on social media. I do think this could work against her as well, because all eyes will be on whether she deserved this spot or if it’s just because her aunt and uncle are also pros. Not only will Hailey carry this pair, but the fact that it’s a same-sex pairing will help them go further, as fans online are already raving about it. I don’t think the dancing will be much of a factor for them, and I believe they’ll score consistently in the middle with no majorly big scores.
Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold โ Full disclosure: I am biased on this one โ I love Connor Wood. But besides that, I do think they have the most fan support online already. I think their chemistry and his humor are going to really carry them. Rylee Arnold has made it consistently into later rounds with only four seasons under her belt, which shows real skill on her end. I think she’s hungry for a win, and with their golden retriever energy, fans will fall in love with this pairing. Just like Sarah and Hailey, I think this pairing won’t necessarily have any crazy high scores but will consistently get better each week and show real improvement.
Jackson Olson and Emma Slater โ Olson’s athleticism from playing for the Savannah Bananas should translate well on the floor, and he’s got a reputation for knowing how to work a crowd, which matters just as much as the dancing itself in this competition. Paired with Emma, a proven pro with a Mirrorball win, this feels like a strong pairing. The only thing I see stunting this pair is the fact that Emma will be traveling each week with Jackson to Savannah Bananas games to rehearse. This might end up cutting into practice time compared to the other pairs.
Pairs I Think Will Go Far, But Not Take The Win
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov โ Amber Glenn is an Olympic gold medalist for figure skating, meaning she is used to being judged for technique and performing under pressure. This will really work towards her advantage, and I could see her being a big competitor in the actual dance part of the show. I think she will be a high scorer, which will take her far, but I donโt think she has the same fan base as some of the other stars I believe could win. She still has the chance to win over the fans with her personality and dancing and might completely prove me wrong.
Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa โ This pair was hard for me to decide on. I truly believe they will prove me wrong, but I am going to stick to my gut, which tells me they won’t win. I do believe they will make it the furthest out of anyone on this second list. Julia has been in movies that involve dancing, and Ezra made it into the final rounds last season. I think what will really carry them is their fans. These two have been all over my FYP on TikTok, with the comments showing so much love for this duo.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas โ Mark is one of the most decorated pros in the show’s history, with three Mirrorball wins and a track record of consistently taking many different types of stars to the finals. He knows how to make his star shine and can really show off their strengths, but I think where this duo will fall is with Maura. She is truly a beginner dancer (which I love, no hate), and I also haven’t seen much about her online. I had to do research on what she was famous for, and I believe she has a very niche fanbase that will be voting for her every week, but I believe she is going to have to win over more fans in order to really thrive.
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach โ I think this duo will really win the hearts of the fans, and that will be their strongest factor this season. With Frech being a Paralympic gold medalist, he knows pressure and he understands hard work. I think he will be the star who works the hardest, and it will show on the dance floor. Unfortunately, I do think he falls just short on the scores compared to the other stars, which will end up with him going home. I see him being a lot like Dylan Efron from last season โ he’ll improve each week, but just not as much as some of the other stars.
My Winner
This season, I have decided to go with my head and not my heart. I think Harry Shum Jr. is going to take the Mirrorball home with his partner Jenna Johnson. This is due to the fact that he is already coming in with dance training and is a part of multiple different franchises with strong fan support. I don’t think only his fan support will carry him โ Jenna herself has a strong fanbase, and if Jenna Dewan or Sarah Jane Nader get eliminated before her, I think their fans might shift support to Jenna Johnson out of loyalty to Val and Hailey. She also is one of the more experienced pros this season with a star who already knows how to dance. This pair is the safe choice but just know, deep in my heart, I will be rooting for Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold’s underdog story. Now that you have my opinions, back to you, Alfonso.ย