If you are anything like me, Tuesdays during the months of September through December are booked up already, courtesy of Dancing with the Stars. If you are unfamiliar, DWTS is a hit show, and the name is quite literal. America’s favorite (and sometimes least favorite) stars pair up with ballroom dancing professionals and learn how to dance, with the prized Mirrorball waiting for the winner in the end. It sounds boring, but the fun weekly themes, the uncoordinated stars, and the drama make the show enticing to an audience spanning across all ages and genders.
This past season we saw one of the most talented bunch of stars the show has ever had, maybe except for the All-Stars Season back in 2012. We saw familiar faces like Robert Irwin, Alix Earle, Danielle Fishel, Jordan Chiles, and Whitney Leavitt; as well as the long-awaited return of the best pro in DWTS history: Mark Ballas. Needless to say, the cast and returning pros cultivated the perfect storm to create a DWTS resurgence.
Resurgence? you might ask. Let me give you a little DWTS gossip. In 2018, Season 27 of DWTS, one of the biggest controversies in the history of the show (except for the political stars, and the Tyra Banks debacle) occurred. Bobby Bones, one of the worst dancers that season, won the show on viewer votes alone. Time and time again he was scored the lowest, and everyone, including himself and his partner, Sharna Burgess, thought he was going to be booted out, yet he survived every week. The show obviously takes viewer votes seriously, but this made the judges feel irrelevant to long-time fans. It seemed that their scores held no value; in the end, Milo Manheim was robbed of the win. From this point on (up until this past season and the previous), viewership decreased. This controversy was paired with the Covid-19 pause and the switch from ABC airing to Disney+ airing (not to mention the exclusion of West Coast viewer votes). Season 33 and 34, with no explanation, increased viewership drastically, especially among a younger audience. Why? 1. Because of the beloved Ezra Sosa, 2. Casting relevant stars, and 3. The DWTS Tour.
As the title of this article suggests, I am focusing on the third: the DWTS tour. I recently went to the first Buffalo tour (February 3rd). While the tour has its benefits, such as the aid in viewership, it also has its drawbacks. Below I will list the pros and stars (cons) of the DWTS tour and whether I, as hardcore fan, think it is worth it.
Pros
Fan Opportunity
Ever since I first started watching the show, genuinely pipsqueak era, I have had a certain longing to watch the pros (never really the stars) live. This, for certain, stems from my childhood within the dance world. They are pros for a reason, the best in the league; every little girl who dances wants to be them. In my pipsqueak era I loved Kim Johnson. She was beautiful, graceful, and most importantly, an amazing dancer. Now, as a 19-year-old woman, I LOVE Val Chmerkovskiy and Daniella Karagach – for the same reasons. They are the best at their crafts and show that they care about dance as well as their partners. Not everyone can make it to Hollywood and watch the show live, the tour gives the opportunity to all fans who long to see their favorite pros.
Live Energy
When watching the show every Tuesday (8pm at that), one must be quiet, especially when you live with my mother who insists on going to sleep at 8pm, of course. So, unfortunately, I cannot express my excitement, disappointment, and adoration unless I want to face the wrath of a tired and angry Christina. The tour allows an outlet for the repressed like me. The audience surrounding me hooted and hollered, especially when Dani was dancing, and I joined in without the fear of my mother’s exhaustion. Honestly, it was louder and more energetic than the Live Show, though I do not know the full truth of that statement. In any case, every cheer, gasp, and standing ovation added to the excitement radiating from not only the audience, but from the pros.
Stars
Cost vs. Experience
This is the most outstanding drawback. Tickets are expensive! Obviously, the price ranges due to where you sit and what package you purchase. The best seats, the seats everyone wants, are going for $500+ on Ticketmaster—Wowzah! As someone who experienced the show AND is a broke college student with bills, it is 100% not worth $500. I will give you $100 per ticket with the most basic package, but nothing more. While the dancing is incredible, and not everyone gets to experience Val shirtless in real life, it is not equal in the slightest to the weekly episodes from my couch. Not to mention the parking. In downtown Buffalo, especially near Shea’s, the parking situation is horrendous and expensive. I had to pay $30 to park a mile away from the theater.
Two Seasons Per Year
It is basic knowledge to every DWTS fan that the largest cost of the show was the spring season. Way back in the beginning of time (the early 2000’s), DWTS had two seasons every year. Shortly after (the late 2000’s and early 2010’s), DWTS introduced the first live tour while still doing two seasons every year. Is this a lot of work for the pros? Yes! Did they still do it up until 2019? Yes! Now, I think Covid is the main cause for the disbanding of the two seasons per year, however, since 2021 the show has extended their live tour (up into the summer) instead of doing a second season. I can only speak for myself when I say that I would rather have a second season than a tour.
In conclusion, while the DWTS Live Tour is a fun experience in which fans can see their favorite pros do what they do best, I do not think it is worth it. For me, it was a waste of $350 as well as a missed Education Class (apologies professor). This does not mean that I dislike DWTS in the slightest, I am counting down the days until season 35. I only mean that for college students specifically, the experience is not worth the cost. I fear that from Len, this experience would not have been at 10.
I am done with my spiel, back to you Julianne.