Cue Music! Five, six, seven, eight…
As of last Tuesday, Dancing with the Stars is officially back for another season, and I have a feeling it is going to be a good one. With a stacked cast of stars and an impressive lineup of 13 veteran pros and one newbie, this is going to be one tough race to call. Luckily, I consider myself to be somewhat of a Dancing With the Stars expert, and I am here to give you my predictions for who will hold the top five spots at the end of the season.
Coming in at my predicted number five is Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov. I wasn’t expecting to be so impressed by Fishel, also known as Topanga from “Boy Meets World,” but her week one tango to “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” absolutely blew me away. She had great fluidity and frame, and the only comments from judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli for week one were to watch her shoulders and make sure she is maintaining her frame. For week two, the duo returned with a cha-cha to “Rhythm of the Night,” which received slightly harsher criticism from the judges, but still achieved overall good scores. Fishel has expressed that although criticism from the judges “keeps her up at night,” it ultimately fuels her towards improvement. I think her determination will be fruitful and that we will continue to see a lot of improvement from her throughout the season.
In fourth place, I predict we will have Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy. For those who don’t know, Earle is a TikTok influencer. But, unlike other TikTokers who have been on the show, she is famous for her “get ready with me” videos, not for dances. However, she still proved to be a strong presence on the dance floor. Her week one cha-cha to “Circus” by Brittany Spears was sharp, clean, and powerful. Tonioli and Hough both made comments on making sure her precision doesn’t turn into stiffness, which Earle addressed in her week two jive to “Mambo No. 5.” The judges applauded her performance as well as the difficulty of the routine that Chmerkovskiy choreographed. I think these two factors, combined with votes from Earle’s young fanbase, will likely aid in carrying her far into the competition.
My prediction for the holders of third place are Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong. Jauregui is a singer and member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, meaning that she has really great musicality and presence on the ballroom floor. She showcased these skills in both her week one Tango to “yes, and?” and her week two foxtrot to “Love Fool.” Her main comments from the judges during week one were about finishing movements with strength, but all the judges praised her in both weeks on her elegance. In addition to Lauren’s strengths, I think viewers will be vying for Brandon Armstrong, who many fans (including myself) believe deserved a higher placement last season with his partner Chandler Kinney.
In second place, I have Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas. Leavitt is one of two “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” stars on the show this season, and she has had two very impressive performances. Both her week one tango to “Golden” and her week two cha-cha to “Play that Funky Music” were sharp, clean, and heavily praised by the judges. She received high scores from all the judges both weeks and is currently tied for first place. In addition to Whitney’s strengths, Ballas is truly the best of the best and has already created challenging and content-filled choreography for Leavitt. I can’t imagine any version of this season where this pairing doesn’t make it to the top two.
Last, but most certainly not least, my prediction for first place is Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. Although Irwin is Australian, he is proving to be America’s sweetheart of the season. I felt absolutely certain as soon as the duo started their week one jive to “Born to be Wild” that Irwin would be this season’s winner. Not only does he have great musicality and precision in his dances, but he also has amazing energy on the ballroom floor. Hough—winner of season 21 with Irwin’s sister Bindi—called Irwin’s night one dance “the best first dance he’s ever seen on this show.” Irwin and Carson came back strong with a week two tango to “Move Your Feet,” which solidified my belief that he will win the whole thing. In beautifully performing both a jive and a tango back-to-back, he has really showcased his versatility as a dancer. As an added plus, I think Witney Carson is the best female pro on the show, and she always has exciting choreography that highlights her partner’s strengths. I’m so excited to see what this partnership does for the rest of the season, and I can’t wait to watch them win.
All in all, I think this is going to be a season like no other. With tough competition and dedicated dancers at every turn, there is truly no saying for certain what the top five will look like by the final week. I can’t wait to see what these dancers have in store for us viewers, and I encourage you to tune in on Tuesdays at 8pm. You’ll be in for a real treat!