Having just launched its 34th season back in September, Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) is an iconic reality TV show that invites your favorite celebrities to compete in ballroom dancing. The show’s cast consists of two main categories: professional dancers, or “pros,” and celebrities, or “stars.”
This year’s season has one of the most unique casts, as two of the stars are internet personalities from the reality show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Yet, the stars aren’t the only ones flying from Utah to join the show.
Lindsay, Jenna, Witney, and Brandon All Grew Up Together
Current pros Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy, Witney Carson McAllister, and Brandon Armstrong, and former pro, Lindsay Arnold Cusick, all danced at Center Stage Performing Arts in Orem, Utah. These pros are all around the same age and naturally ran into each other at rehearsals, competitions, and even on the same sets.
Cusick, Chmerkovskiy, McAllister, and Armstrong not only made it to DWTS together, but some were also on another televised dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). “Me and Witney both got on So You Think You Can Dance at the same time,” explained Cusick. Chmerkovskiy competed on SYTYCD the following year in 2013, where she made it to the top eight in Season 10.
Rylee and Ezra Knew Each Other From Childhood
Mindy Arnold, mother of DWTS pros Lindsay and Rylee, opened her own dance studio called Vibe, where the four Arnold sisters developed their passion for dance. One of Cusick’s sisters is Rylee Arnold, who’s currently a pro in this year’s season, along with her childhood friend, Ezra Sosa.
Not only did Sosa practice at Vibe with Rylee’s sister, Brynley, but his sister, Stephani Sosa, was also in the DWTS Troupe. Rylee and Ezra are now a dynamic duo and frequently film TikToks together backstage.
Derek and Julianne Were in the Same Circle as the Other Pros
The brother-sister duo and former pros are now running the show at DWTS. Derek Hough is currently a judge alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, while Julianne Hough co-hosts with Alfonso Ribeiro. The Hough siblings have been part of DWTS since 2007, with Julianne making her debut as a pro in Season 4 and Derek making his debut in Season 5.
Before kicking off their DWTS careers, Derek and Julianne grew up in Utah dancing at Center Stage Performing Arts, too. Unlike their fellow Center Stage alumni and DWTS pros, the Houghs moved their talents overseas to the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where they trained and lived in London with coaches Corky and Shirley Ballas. Their coaches are also parents of current DWTS pro, Mark Ballas.
Troupe Members Carter, Jaxon, Onye, and Hailey Also Danced in Utah
While not full-fledged pros yet, the DWTS Troupe is comprised of professional dancers who help with large ensembles and small group numbers taking place between the main celebrity dances. Some pros started in the Troupe and worked their way up to become pros and mentor the celebrities.
Dancers in the Troupe, Carter Williams, Jaxon Willard, Onye Stevenson, and Hailey Bills, all used to practice at Center Stage as well, and Williams and Rylee Arnold were also former ballroom dance partners.
Plus, the Arnolds and the Houghs are not the only family members on DWTS. Bills is Chmerkovskiy’s niece and a former pro on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors. She had the opportunity to be mentored by her aunt in 2018.
Why Utah of All Places?
Clearly, Utah is the common thread between countless DWTS cast members, but why Utah of all places? Given Utah’s prevalent population of Latter-day Saints, religious values blend seamlessly into Utah’s culture, turning Salt Lake City into the home of professional dancers nationwide.
“Ballroom dancing was really brought into Brigham Young University (BYU) as a way for men to treat women, and then it trickled down into society,” pointed out DWTS pro Ezra Sosa. Competitive dancing became a favorite among Utah parents, as they “want their kids to be good kids and not get into trouble,” clarified former DWTS pro Lindsay Arnold Cusick.
The “family-oriented and achievement-driven” culture of the Latter-day Saints continues to motivate young Utah dancers today, according to DTWS pro Brandon Armstrong, with Super Bowl Performers and Ballroom World Champions all embarking on their careers in Utah studios.
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