SPOILER ALERT: This article contains the week-by-week eliminations & winner of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, now streaming on Disney+
Dancing with the Stars is in the swing of its 35th season, and with it returned the chaos, audience opinions and stars. While the stars are often the focus of crowd attention, the core of DWTS is its cast of dancers. From the troupe to the professional dancers, it wouldn’t be Dancing with the Stars if there were no dancers. But how exactly are the dancers chosen for the show?
Many dancers have been around for a number of seasons; some, including Jenna Johnson and Witney Carson, began in the troupe and have extensive training in ballroom dancing. But others began their careers as commercial dancers. Britt Stewart, for instance, danced in films such as High School Musical, and toured with artists like Katy Perry. Similarly, new cast member Jan Ravnik is known for touring with Taylor Swift. So if their backgrounds vary from ballroom to Latin to commercial dancing, what qualifies dancers to be on DWTS?
The reality TV show, Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how the newest pro, Adele Zaikman, was chosen. The spin-off, hosted by Season 34 winner Robert Irwin, includes experienced contestants of all ages learning what skills are required to be a pro and a coach on DWTS.
Each week, Shirley Ballas and her son Mark Ballas judged the prospective pros. For 20 seasons, Mark has participated as a pro on DWTS, earning three Mirrorball trophies. Shirley Ballas has an extensive background in ballroom dancing and serves as head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, the British equivalent of DWTS. Their combined dance experience and roles give them an understanding of how to effectively evaluate the dancers.
Between different challenges, pros and drama, here’s what viewers learned from this glimpse into the studio:
The show largely retained a structure similar to DWTS and each episode offered a new lens into the pro selection process. Divided into eight episodes, the week would begin by introducing the guest judge through a dance number. This dance was designed with the theme of the week in mind, and gave the contestants a picture of what they were working towards. Then, contestants would either be paired together or with individuals outside of the competition. They would begin rehearsals, and finally dance in front of the judges. At the end of each episode, one to two contestants were eliminated.
The decision of who to eliminate came down only to the recurring judges and a guest judge—each of whom is already a pro on DWTS and was in charge of the challenge for that week. This is unlike DWTS, in which viewer votes at some point completely skew the judge’s leaderboard that season. Given the elimination opinions only came from people who know what it takes to be a pro, I felt that the decision to pre-record the show was a very effective choice—especially after the episodes began airing, as the behavior of dancers and the people close to them only generated more drama.
The Episodes
Week 1: “The Journey Begins”
Derek Hough, a six-time Mirrorball Champion and a current judge on DWTS, joined Episode One to teach the dancers the proper samba and jive. Although some dancers, including Adele Zaikman, Benji Castro, Nina Mayster and Erik Linder, are champion Latin dancers, there were many who do not have a foundation in this genre. Including commercial dancers, Tristen Sanders, Natalie Jolley, Briar Nolet and Selena Hamilton.
Between quick lessons and strict technique, this test pushed everyone to the limit. In this episode, Derek deemed Adele the ‘Rolls-Royce’ in reference to her speed and understanding of her movements; similarly to how Daniella Karagach is known as the ‘Ferrari’. In a double elimination, Briar Nolet was sent home after she slipped, and Jake Monreal was eliminated after a lackluster jive routine.
Week 2: “Stories Without Words”
In Week Two, dancers designed choreography based on their own personal stories. Paired up, they had to decide whose story was worth telling and how they could share the message through movement. Pro Brandon Armstrong was this week’s guest judge; known for his storytelling abilities, he guided the dancers.
While generally the producers did a good job with the organization of skills, I did think it was an interesting choice to have storytelling be the Week Two challenge. Having a skill as complicated as communicating a story without words before partnership seemed to fall out of order. While watching, I thought that storytelling may have been a better choice for dancers who were closer to becoming the next pro versus those who went home in Week One.
It was this week that personalities began to be exposed through the production choices. AJ Pritchard was criticized by fans for making his story about winning a dance competition, and Nina faced scrutiny for being controlling over her teammate, Benji Castro. Due to their conflicts and his lack of aligning choreography, Benji was eliminated.
Week 3: “You’re Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link”
Week Three was one of the most chaotic weeks. Britt Stewart, who choreographs many of the group dances on DWTS, joined to help the prospective dancers understand what being in a group looks like and the deadlines the cast faces. Many of the traditional ballroom and Latin dancers are used to working in pairs, not in a larger group. Teamwork is something that those in commercial dancing, who work in large troupes on tours and other projects, have more experience with.
Issues included conflicts between Nina and Selena, as Nina was still having issues with letting go of control. Additionally, Tristen couldn’t find his timing with the music, and Allen Genkin fell during the final performance in front of the judges; however, the elimination was due to an injury that occurred earlier in the week.
During rehearsal, Stephani Sosa, a previous DWTS troupe dancer and Ezra Sosa’s sister, accidentally struck Natalie Jolley in the head. While a lesson in spatial awareness, this accident took a turn for the worse, and Natalie was eliminated due to her injury.
Week 4: “Bring on the Intensity”
In Week Four, Jenna Johnson joined the cast to teach them about the power of chemistry in the rumba and Argentine tango. This pro’s chemistry is often so convincing that viewers believe she is actually romantically interested in her partners. I mean, look at any of her dances with Harry Shum Jr. this season; she was the perfect person to coach this skill.
The dancers paired up and began navigating this challenge. Some excelled: the judges dubbed Selena & Erik’s Argentine tango a standout, and Adele Zaikman & AJ Pritchard were complimented for their technical skill and chemistry. Stephani and Tristen were notably the outlier pair, and their lack of partnership caused their double-elimination.
Week 5: “‘Wow’ Moments”
There’s one thing I wish for every year on DWTS, and it’s that Dani makes it to Halloween Night. Having been paired with basketball players who are much larger than her, she has such a talent for adapting choreography. Halloween Night is always something special, and it makes her the perfect coach to teach “wow” moments. “Wow” moments are those tricks or moments on DWTS that keep viewers talking for weeks and even attempt to recreate themselves.
Pairing up once again, the dancers had to come up with their own ‘wow’ moments. Unfortunately, Erik convinced his partner Selena that their “wow moment” should be a silent and still moment. Although Mark said that the choice was up for interpretation, Shirley and Dani voiced that even still, the pair’s “wow moment” fell short in comparison to others’. Taking responsibility for the decision, Erik was eliminated for the flat moment in an otherwise impressive performance.
Week 6: “But Can You Teach?”
DWTS: The Next Pro didn’t rule out audience participation entirely. For Week Six, the remaining five dancers paired with social media influencers. This experience simulated what coaching a star would be like, as all of the amateurs have some experience dancing, but not in ballroom. Guest starring Witney Carson, this episode revealed the dancers’ different coaching styles.
The pairings were:
✩ Anthony Riccardo paired with Adele, danced a tango
✩ Bailey McKnight paired with AJ, danced a Viennese waltz
✩ Zaira Yzabelle paired with Allen, danced a waltz
✩ Jay Wyson paired with Nina, danced the foxtrot
✩ Jeremy Urann paired with Selena, danced the quickstep
Prior to their final dances, the influencers sat down with the judges to discuss what their rehearsal experiences were like. Asked to rank the experience on a scale of one to ten, with one being the least and ten being the most comfortable they felt, Anthony was the lowest at a four and Jeremy with the highest at an eight. The episode ended with Nina being eliminated from the competition.
Week 7: “Paired with the Pros – Semi-Finals”
Week Seven was the most exciting episode; the four semi-finalists had the chance to choreograph routines with DWTS pros. Kym Johnson, a former pro who returned as a guest judge on DWTS and now on this series, is a thoughtful commenter and was a great choice for this episode. The pairings were dynamic, with Selena and Jan, both commercial dancers, dancing a salsa, and Adele and Gleb, both Latin dancers, dancing a samba.
This week’s pairings were:
✩ Witney Carson paired with Allen paired, danced a jive
✩ Gleb Savchenko paired with Adele, danced a samba
✩ Rylee Arnold paired with AJ, danced a cha cha
✩ Jan Ravnik paired with Selena, danced a salsa
Similar to Week Six, the pros had the chance to share with the judges what they thought of the partnerships. Rylee Arnold was a standout, saying that she felt that AJ was intense and offered no positive reinforcement. On the day of the final dance, Serena and Jan’s was my favorite; the dance was filled with “wow” moments, and their facial expressions made the dance pop. Unfortunately, Allen was eliminated from the competition following the close competition.
After the episode aired, AJ’s fiancée Zara Zoffany made comments criticizing Rylee, saying that in rehearsals she injured him and left him with a concussion. Ezra Sosa and judge Shirley Ballas jumped to Rylee’s defense online. The conflict seemingly ended with Zara issuing an apology, but leaving viewers with a bad taste in their mouths. Between his personal story being about his achievements in dance and his intense teaching in Weeks Six and Seven, viewers voiced that AJ seemed self-absorbed and hoped that he would not be the next pro.
Week 8: “The Final Step – Finale”
The finale of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro was similar to traditional DWTS finales. Dancers had to choreograph two dances: one for a particular style and one freestyle. Once again, Derek and Witney served as mentors and the finalists were paired with stars who had previously competed in a finale.
The finale pairings were:
✩ Mirrorball champion Charli D’Amelio, paired with AJ, danced a Viennese Waltz
✩ Season 26 winner Adam Rippon, paired with Selena, danced a Jive
✩ Season 29 runner-up Nev Schulman, paired with Adele, danced a Samba
Charli, too, commented that AJ was intense, but he kept her calm as she was performing in front of her partner and now judge, Mark. Their first dance was technically great, however, Shirley questioned if he had used Charli’s full potential. The freestyle was a different story; with commanding and exciting tricks and styles, it was regarded as incredible.
Selena’s first dance was a jive that pushed her partner to the limit. Although she included tricks, the judges commented that the dance lacked energy. With their freestyle, she was complemented for their side-by-side dancing and the judges commented that if it was in a real DWTS finale that it would be ranked as one of the best.
Adele danced another Samba, a dance that Nev never did during his time on DWTS. The judges complimented her for taking this challenge on, but they wanted more creativity. In their freestyle, using Latin styles she choreographed a complex dance that incorporated Nev, rather than just dancing around him.
After they finished dancing, the judges announced the runner-ups and the winner. Selena placed third, remarking that she’s happy to have made it this far. The judges then announced that Adele was the winner; meaning AJ had placed second. While he said he was happy to have gained the experience, he was devastated.
Adele was a dancer who I enjoyed watching since the beginning, but her win didn’t come as a surprise. The judges complimented the final three throughout the majority of the season, but Adele always stood out, coining the nickname ‘Rolls-Royce’ early on.
In Season 35, many of the dancers have been invited to perform in the ballroom. AJ has been noticeably absent; whether as a result of his fiancée’s comments or his personal interactions with the cast, it doesn’t seem as though we’ll be seeing him in the ballroom anytime soon. Adele was partnered with Conner Leavitt, but was sadly eliminated in Week One. However, since being eliminated, she has remained present within the DWTS season through dancing in group numbers.
With such a large cast already built in DWTS, I wonder if DWTS: The Next Pro will be picked up for a second season, or if this was a standalone season. Either way, the same chaos, audience opinions and dancing viewers get to enjoy in DWTS translated to Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.