“Dancing With the Stars” is back for Season 29 looking more different than ever before.
The season opens with the cast of pro dancers including several favorites like Peta Murgatroyd and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, as well as welcoming some new pros to the season like Pasha Pashkov, Daniella Karagach, and the show’s first-ever black female pro, Britt Stewart. The show starts with a dance routine featuring the pro dancers and a glimpse of the new host. Tyra Banks walks down to the center stage in a glamorous red silk ball gown, and we are introduced to her as the new host for this season.
Previously on “Dancing With the Stars”, we have seen Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews hosting side by side. This season they have been replaced by Banks. Some fans are disappointed in this new change, but the season must go on.
Viewers meet the judges which this year included Carrie Anne Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. Hough will be taking the place of Len Goodman this season as he lives in London and will not be able to travel back and forth to Los Angeles safely during this pandemic. Even though the judges are still seated in the ballroom, a longer judges table has been made for social distancing.
Interviews are looking unlike previous years as they all take place on the dance floor with the contestants 8ft away from the judges and Banks. The celebrities can view their co-stars dances by watching above from the balcony. The lounge that has usually been upstairs having now been removed for the entirety of this season. There is also no live band present during the dances as well as no live audience. The pros have been quarantining solo to keep themselves and their celebrity partener safe. All of the contestants must be tested at least five times a week while submitting health checkups before they arrive on set.
While this season may look unlike past seasons, fans are still able to watch and enjoy the show from the comfort of their own home. The dancers and celebrities are still able to come up with some fantastic choreography to bring to the ballroom as usual, which is what matters most. Season 29 of “DWTS” like 2020 will be one for the books.
“Dancing With the Stars” is aired on Monday nights at 8/7c on ABC.