I know fall has officially started once my favorite sporting event is back on TV. I’m not talking about the new NFL season or WNBA playoffs (though those are close seconds); I’m referring to my absolute favorite competition: Dancing With the Stars.
The show is a reality series where professional dancers teach their celebrity partners how to ballroom dance. For 10 weeks, couples compete to win the highly coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. And for three months, my entire life revolves around ballroom and Latin dance. Seriously, don’t talk to me unless you want to hear about foxtrots, jives, and rumbas.
Being a DWTS watcher feels like an entire sport in itself. Something about this show channels the most anxiously passionate version of myself, and I have no choice but to embrace it. After only watching the season premiere, I have strong opinions on who I want to see in the finale. And luckily for me and my growing attachment to several partnerships, it’s rumored that this year will be the largest finale in history, with six couples.
ciara and brandon
Fans know reality star Ciara Miller from Summer House, but I was first introduced to her in the ballroom. Already, I’ve fallen in love with her personality and her partnership with Brandon Armstrong. I think this is a hilarious duo, but I also see their potential to be strong contenders. For their opening performance, they danced a foxtrot to Whitney Houston’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).” After their routine, Miller got candid about what this experience means to her, and I felt every word.
I’m also rooting for them because I think Armstrong is one of the most underrated professionals on the show. He’s now competing in his ninth season, but he’s only reached one finale. Even so, the finale freestyle that he choreographed is my favorite dance in DWTS history.
Their potential finale run would be a bigger deal than just dancing. If they reach the finale together, they’ll be only the second all-Black couple in the show’s history to do so, and representation like this is really meaningful to me. I’m genuinely thrilled about this pairing, and I hope to see them together all season long.
jenna and val
This is an elite partnership. Jenna Dewan, star of the 2006 dance drama, Step Up, is paired with three-time Mirrorball champion, Val Chmerkovskiy. While everyone has different opinions on DWTS casting celebrities with dance experience, I personally love it. There will always be an uneven playing field when it comes to dancing, but the show is a popularity contest above all. You can never truly predict who will get enough votes to advance.
I also understand that ballroom dance is very different from ballet or commercial dancing, and dance-trained celebrities have their own unique struggles in unlearning their previous technique. That being said, Dewan and Chmerkovskiy performed a stunning tango at the premiere, and I hope that I get to see this couple compete until the end. I love to see fabulous dances, and Dewan can guarantee that.
ezra and daniella
The couple that impressed me the most during the premiere was Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech and his partner Daniella Karagach. And don’t get me wrong — I knew that this couple was going to be good. I had high expectations for their first dance, and they still blew me away. It’s rare for even professional dancers to keep up with Karagach’s speed and precision, but Frech held his own during their “Since U Been Gone” tango.
This pairing is nothing short of perfect. Not only are they having a blast working together, but a world-class athlete is exactly the type of partner to nail Karagach’s highly technical choreography. Combining his discipline and work ethic with her teaching skills makes for an absolutely lethal duo. I have no doubt that Frech will flourish in the ballroom, and if I were competing against them, I’d be scared.
harry and jenna
DWTS may be crediting him as a star from Grey’s Anatomy, but most people associate Harry Shum Jr. with his Glee character Mike Chang. While serving as the glee club’s primary male dancer, Shum delivered iconic dance scenes like “Valerie” and “Cool.”
He also has an impressive hip-hop resume, dancing backup for artists like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and more. His dance skills are undeniable, but his biggest advantage might be having the entire Glee fandom on his side. If there’s anything I know about them, it’s that they’re loyal and active as ever.
Shum and Jenna Johnson tied for the highest scores of the premiere, earning 21 out of 30 points on their cha-cha to “Let’s Groove.” This number was so fun to watch, and exactly why I love when experienced dancers get to compete on the show. He definitely has room to grow in ballroom, but they’re off to a great start.
julia and ezra
As someone who sleeps next to a 10 Things I Hate About You poster every night, it’s safe to say I was thrilled about this pairing. Kat Stratford is an icon to me, so I didn’t even have to see them dance to know that I’d be voting for them.
In my opinion, actor Julia Stiles and partner Ezra Sosa are one of the most electric couples this season. Their personalities complement each other perfectly, and I think that they have the chemistry to help them last a long time in the competition.
Sosa’s creative choreography was a highlight of last year’s season, and I’m very excited to see what he curates for Stiles. At the premiere, they danced a quickstep to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” and I was thoroughly impressed. I love watching actors dance because they nail the performance aspect. The facial expressions and stage presence are always riveting, and Stiles was no exception. Within the first eight-count, I knew she was going to bring it. And after learning that she’s a longtime superfan of DWTS, I want her to experience her own finale even more.
amber and pasha
A woman in sports on DWTS — this is everything I ordered. In February, figure skater Amber Glenn won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, and now she’s gracing the ballroom alongside Pasha Pashkov.
Figure skaters have historically had great success on DWTS, so I’m confident that this pairing will go far. Olympians Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis, and Adam Rippon are all Mirrorball winners, so Glenn has big shoes (or skates) to fill. Fortunately, she came out hot in the premiere, showcasing athleticism and elegance in her debut cha-cha. She even had a solo moment in her very first dance.
Glenn is a major advocate for mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ visibility in sports, and I love everything she stands for. At the Winter Games, she used her platform to represent the queer community and remind the world that queer people are everywhere, even amongst the top athletes in the world. She has my vote in a heartbeat.
From now until the end of November, I’ll (hopefully) be voting for each of these couples every week. Regardless of who ends up making it to the end, these are the finalists in my heart. The excitement of DWTS is how unpredictable it is, so it’s impossible to really imagine what the final group of contestants will look like. I can’t wait to see how everyone improves this season, but I’ve locked in my client list, and I’m sticking by them the rest of the way.
And yes, I do have a personal favorite couple, but I am superstitious, so I’ll be holding onto that for a little bit longer.