My Love For DWTS

My favorite time of year is whenever Dancing with the Stars is on my TV. For as long as I can remember, I have sat on my couch every Tuesday night for however many weeks it is airing, and then, not so patiently, waited until it was back on my screen. It started as something my mom and I shared. As a little girl, it was the one night a week I got to stay up past my bedtime. After the episode, we’d remake the dances in our own way, and dance around the kitchen. As I got older and had practices or games on Tuesdays, we’d record it and watch it the next day together. It wasn’t as fun watching it having seen spoilers online, but we loved it anyways. Now, every Tuesday night, my roommates and I gather on the couch to watch and rehash it with the rest of our friends as soon as it ends. 

I have never been so loyal to a show, to people I have never met, than I am to this two hour, once a week segment. We Americans do love to vote, but the thrill of the show is more than placing a vote for my favorite couple. It’s seeing their faces filled with pride once they finish their dance. It’s the respect the stars have for an art they only just learned and are witnessing for probably the first time. It’s the joy on everyone’s face just to be in that ballroom. It’s the mesmerizing dances that show a new side of celebrities whose life is otherwise just a series of news articles and pictures. It’s the overwhelming number of emotions when someone receives a 10 or wins the coveted Mirrorball. The show has evolved over the years, reaching new audiences and platforms, and gaining a larger fan base. Its production has evolved into full blown sets, ballroom wide speakers, advanced cameras and costumes, and a clear picture, but the reasons I love this show stay the same. 

Professionals have come and gone, stars have too, but some will stay in my heart forever. Some dances stick with you and are the ones you watch on a loop ten years later and reminisce about all the feelings you felt when you first saw them. There’s something to say about watching someone at your experience level go through the journey and dance like they’ve been dancing their whole life. And not just dancing, telling a story that you can always relate to if you invest yourself enough. It heals you. Dancing can be incredibly therapeutic if you let it. 

I have been alive for every season of the show, but even though I only witnessed probably 16 seasons, I would classify myself as a Dancing with the Stars connoisseur. I know pretty much everything about everything on this show. So, in no particular order, here are my all-time favorite DWTS celebrities!

1.     Zendaya

I am an all-around Zendaya fan, on DWTS and not on it, I love her. But she was on DWTS at just 16 years old in 2013. She was one of the youngest to ever be on DWTS and did amazing. She was another natural dancer, with so much talent, and just a beautiful dancer. Everyone truly fell in love with her. 

2.     Amber Riley

I had never heard of Amber before she went on DWTS, but I quickly fell in love with her. She had so much personality, and it showed in her dances. She danced with so much charisma, shining so bright with every move she made. 

3.     Alfonso Ribeiro

A current host of DWTS, Alfonso Ribeiro, was on the show in 2014. He is probably one of my favorites to watch to date. He was so, so good. He could do any style of dance and tell a story. He danced with so much energy and was hilarious in the behind-the-scenes tapes. I really fell in love with him.

4.     Jordan Fisher

I already loved Jordan when he was cast on DWTS. He was a Disney star on Liv and Maddie and Teen Beach Movie, so I was already rooting for him. But wow. He was arguably the best celebrity to ever be on the show. He had so much musicality and made the dances look so easy. He just illuminated joy, loved dancing, and did every dance so perfectly. 

5.     Meryl Davis

Although I am naming celebrities whom I was obsessed with, Meryl wouldn’t be complete without her partner, Maks. The two of them were insane together. Their friendship really showed through their dances, often featuring comedy, but also showcasing their incredible chemistry. They were mesmerizing every week to watch. Oh, and Meryl was an amazing dancer. 

Although she is not included in my official list, if Alix Earle continues on the path she is going, she very well may be my favorite celebrity on the show. I was obsessed with her before the show; I even dressed up as her for Halloween last year, and I continue to love her more every episode. There is something about this current season of DWTS that is even more thrilling. Maybe it is the fact that every year I watch, the more I appreciate the show. It is such a great presentation of a lost art, especially one as captivating as dancing.

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