By: Ava Jankowski
“Dancing With the Stars” launched its highly anticipated 35th season last week, capturing the attention of fans around the country, including at the University of Maryland.
The show combines professional talent with celebrities, hosting a live performance each week. Fans vote in real time and the lowest scoring team gets eliminated.
According to The Los Angeles Times, DWTS experienced a major surge in popularity because of social media engagement last year. There was a record-breaking number of 55.9 million votes for one episode. The season semifinals had 7.22 million viewers.
The show started reaching a younger demographic last season, including college students. UMD students are no exception.
“I’ve never watched in the past, so this is my first season, but I thought it was really good and really entertaining,” said Olivia Latimer, a sophomore human development major. “I’m excited for the rest.”
The season started out with a two-episode premiere. The male celebrities danced on Tuesday, while the female stars faced off on Wednesday. Since the premiere was two episodes, two couples were eliminated this week.
The first judging had a range of scores. Gullerimo Rodriguez and Whitney Carson scored a 10/30, while Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas scored a 21/30.
“I thought there’s a lot of really good dancers and maybe some that weren’t as strong also,” said Atara Lowenberg, a junior Chinese major.
Season 35 has a mix of a star-studded cast and lesser known celebrities. Some of the contestants dancing this season are Higgins, Julia Stiles, Amber Glenn, Tyler Cameron, Harry Schum Jr. and Jackson Olson, baseball player for the Savannah Bananas.
“I was a little bit uneasy with the cast at the beginning because I didn’t know a lot of them,” said Lauren Kideckel, a sophomore hearing and speech sciences major. “But after seeing the first episode and the part before the dances where it’s meet the cast, I really like them.”
This season has also highlighted diversity. People with disabilities are represented by Ezra French, a two-time paralympic gold medalist.
“I think it shows a lot that because he has a disability, he could still be able to dance,” said Brooke Dreyfuss, a junior finance major.
The show also features its second same-sex couple competing for the mirrorball. Sarah Jane Nader, star of “Love Thy Nader” is paired with pro Hailey Bills.
Episodes air every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on Disney+.