When you feel a slight brisk in the air as we get deeper into the month of September that means a couple things: all things pumpkin spice, listening to Phoebe Bridgers on the way to class, and a new season of Dancing With The Stars. Following the historic two-night premiere last week and Viral Hits night this week, it’s become apparent that everyone has something to say. The 2026 season of Dancing with the Stars is especially notable because it highlights people with different identities, abilities, and backgrounds. The cast includes athletes, actors, musicians, social media stars, and other public figures, showing that there is no single type of person who belongs in the ballroom.
One of the ways Dancing With The Stars has always benefitted is how many different fanbases come together to watch the show every Tuesday night to support the celebrities which contributes to their record breaking numbers. This creates an overlap between fanbases that may not have otherwise interacted with each other, introducing new viewers to the show and giving longtime fans new reasons to stay invested. This season in particular has been gaining a lot of traction online due to how many different audiences the cast covers. It feels like there is a larger conversation happening around the show outside of the actual Tuesday night shows, with fans constantly discussing performances, eliminations, and their favorite couples across social media. That level of engagement is important because it allows the show to remain part of the larger pop culture conversation throughout the week instead of only existing during the live episode. Although, in recent years I’ve noticed that a lot of fans are actually fans of the pros more than anybody else which keeps them tuned in no matter what (this is the case for me). There’s something really interesting about how the show has created such strong connections between viewers and the professional dancers, because even when a viewer may not know or care much about a particular celebrity, they’ll still tune in to support their favorite pro. Especially in recent years, the show has done an incredible job engaging viewers in the world of ballroom dance (which is not an easy task) and it continues to do so every week.
introducing the pairs
Ezra Sosa and Julia Stiles: Fan favorite pro, Ezra, is partnered with the iconic movie star Julia Stiles known for her roles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Save The Last Dance, and many more. This pairing excites me tremendously!
Emma Slater and Jackson Olson: Jackson is a player for the Savannah Bananas entertainment baseball team in which he has a lot of loyal fans following. Emma is often put to the side due to her extremely kind nature. She is often paired with older individuals due to this, so this season she gets to show the world just how talented of a dancer she is.
Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.: Known for his roles on Glee and Grey’s Anatomy, Harry used to be a professional dancer, giving him an upper hand in this competition. He is partnered with Jenna who is widely considered as objectively one of the best dancers, therefore making them a very strong team.
Sharna Burgess and Tyler Cameron: Returning after her five-year hiatus, Sharna has had to win back the audience’s heart and it seems as though she’s been successful. Her partner, Tyler, was originally a contestant on The Bachelorette but now works in construction with his own Amazon series.
Brandon Armstrong and Ciara Miller: Reality star Ciara is making her dancing debut on the show, finding new ways to express herself through the art form. As a pro, Brandon is very active on social media and is one of the most likable pros in my opinion due to his comedic online presence.
Pasha Pashkov and Amber Glenn: Amber is a a member of the U.S. Figure Skating team and was part of the team that won gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. She is partnered with Pasha, who is an underrated pro who I think can go very far this season.
Valentin “Val” Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Dewan: Despite recent controversies online regarding their almost too close chemistry, Val and Jenna have their eyes on the mirrorball. Val is one of the most famous pros, known for his good looks and amazing foot work, while Jenna used to be a professional dancer but has now transitioned to the acting world.
Daniella Karagach and Ezra Frech: Two-time Paralympian known for his high jump, long jump and sprinting, Ezra won gold at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, and he also works as a disability rights advocate. He is partnered with my favorite pro, Daniella, who is known as the “Ferrari” because of her insanely quick and precise talent.
Jan Ravnik and Tatyana Ali: Most famously known for her role in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Tatyana gets to reuinte with her co-star Alfonso Ribeiro every Tuesday. She is partnered with second-year pro Jan Ravnik who gained most of his traction off of Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour.
Britt Stewart and Taylor Hanson: As one-third of the band Hanson, Taylor has been in the music scene since the band’s hit debut single “MmmBop” in the late 1990s. His band’s latest album was released in 2024. Britt is one of my favorite pros although she’s very underrated, so I hope to see her shine this season.
Mark Ballas and Maura Higgins: Affectionately known as “Team Tink” due to Maura’s strong Irish accent, this duo has won over the ballroom already with just two dances. Mark is one of the highest regarded ballroom dancers, known for his skillful choreography. Maura is most known for her appearances on the hit reality shows Traitors (where her and Mark were on it at the same time), and Love Island UK.
Rylee Arnold and Connor Wood: This pair has quickly become a fan favorite. When Rylee joined the show as a pro, she was credited as one of the main reasons the show was so successful regarding social media. She’s teamed up with comedian and podcaster, Connor, who has captured all our hearts whether or not you were a fan before the show.
Witney Carsen and Guillermo Rodriguez: Albeit being pregnant this season, pro dancer Witney shows up every week with an insane amount of energy. Her partner Guillermo is most famous for his recurring role on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he is known as a comedian and sidekick figure. They are the general audience’s pick to go home next week.
Adele Zaikman and Conner Leavitt: With winner of Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro, Adele, reality star Conner eliminated after his unpopular salsa to “Whoomp! (There It Is)” by Tag Team, in which my watch party was thoroughly satisfied with his descent from the show…
Hailey Bills and Sarah Jane Nader: Reality star Sarah Jane Nader got eliminated on night two of the premiere last week after her dance to “Sk8ter Boi” by Avril Lavigne with first time pro Hailey Bills, making them the second ever female partnership on the show. I was really disappointed to see them go home so early.
Alan Bersten and Giada De Laurentiis: To my dismay, partners Alan and celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis got eliminated after her dance to “Bella Ciao” by Becky G during this week’s Viral Hits Night.
the olympians are dominating
It’s not uncommon for Olympians to be featured on this show because of their incredible work ethic and athletic abilities, and this season brought two of them to the ballroom. First is the star Ezra Frech, my personal favorite, who is the first above-the-knee amputee to compete on the show. Dancing with the Stars has featured various amputee athletes in the past, but Ezra’s situation is unique because he has significantly less control over his prosthetic. In some of his packages, he has explained that if his prosthetic is even slightly out of place, there is a risk of it popping off or moving in an unintended way. Ezra was also born with only one finger, so doctors took one of the toes from his amputated foot and attached it to his hand, giving him the ability to pinch and grasp. This presents another challenge when it comes to ballroom dancing because as the male partner, Ezra is expected to lead. Ballroom dancing relies heavily on communication between partners through their hands, arms, posture, and body movements, so having a different range of motion can make certain traditional techniques more difficult. His partner Daniella therefore has to adapt her choreography and technique to accommodate his limitations, and based on the dances we’ve seen so far, she has done an incredible job of doing so. Rather than allowing Ezra’s differences to become the focus of every performance, the two have worked together to create routines that highlight his strengths while finding creative ways around the movements that are more difficult for him. His appearance on the show has been so impactful to many people, including Amy Purdy, a former Dancing With The Stars contest that’s also an amputee as she’s been vocal about how positive his impact is on the show and viewers. He is personally who I’m voting for to get that mirrorball!
Unfortunately regarding queer representation, Sarah Jane Nader who’s openly bisexual and was paired with first year pro Hailey Bills, was eliminated during the first week. Although professional ice skater, Amber Glenn is very open and vocal about her identity and the fact that she “swings for the girls,” which we’re all obsessed with. She carries so much pride in who she is, and it’s incredibly refreshing to see that kind of openness and representation on screen. As someone who identifies with a queer identity, I’ve loved every time she brings it up and feel very seen on a big time reality TV show which doesn’t happen often. During Pasha and Amber’s Week Two tango, they chose to dance to the iconic song “All the Things She Said” by t.A.T.u., which many viewers may recognize from Heated Rivalry, the coveted gay hockey show we were all obsessed with last fall, and honestly, still are. The song choice made the performance feel even more exciting because it added another layer of queer cultural relevance to an already memorable routine. Seeing Amber confidently embrace her identity while performing a song that has become so recognizable within queer pop culture felt like one of those small moments that might not seem significant to everyone, but can mean a lot to viewers who rarely see themselves represented so openly on mainstream television.
Ultimately, what makes Dancing With The Stars so successful is its ability to bring people together who may have very little in common outside of the show. Whether viewers are tuning in because they love a particular celebrity, have followed a professional dancer for years, or simply enjoy watching the performances, there is something that keeps each audience invested week after week. The growing influence of the pros and the wide range of fanbases represented by this season’s cast only adds to that sense of community. With the sheer amount of positive representation this season, Dancing With The Stars has proven that its appeal goes far beyond the ballroom.
Stay tuned next Tuesday to see how our favorite stars perform for the show’s first ever “Yacht Rock” night!