“LIVE! From Hollywood, is Dancing with the Stars!” When you hear that saying, get your dancing shoes ready, as another season of Dancing with the Stars begins. For the next nine weeks, 13 celebrities partner with both professional Latin and ballroom dancers with the goal of winning the Mirrorball Trophy.
Fans are buzzing on social media, exhilarated to see the celebrities perform. Most of the celebrity contestants do not have a lot of dance experience, so fans are always excited to see how the stars will perform.
Last season’s competition is going to be hard to beat, with fan-favorite stars like Ariana Madix from Love Island, and winner Xochitl Gomez from the Netflix series The Baby-Sitters Club. After last season, more people started following the contestants’ journeys throughout the show, and 5.5 million people tuned in to watch the finale.
Dancing With the Stars has been a worldwide sensation since its start in 2005. Over the course of 33 seasons, the show has only risen in popularity. More and more audience members vote for their favorite stars and watch the entertaining dances each year. The show promotes self-love, the power of being yourself, and of course, dancing your heart out.
“I love watching the tango dance, because the costumes are always gorgeous, and I love the fast pace,” said freshman Rowan Danow.
This season, there are many new and exciting stars joining the dance floor. Some of the stars competing include reality star Phaedra Parks, of The Real Housewives of Atlanta partnered with pro-dancer and last year’s winner Valentin Chmerkovskiy. Chandler Kinney, an actress who starred as Werewolf Willa in the Disney Channel Original movie, Zombies 2, has been coupled with pro Brandon Armstrong.
Sports Illustrated’s model of the year, Brooks Nader, will compete with pro Gleb Savchencko, and Beverly Hills 90210 actress Tori Spelling is being partnered with dancer Pasha Pashkov. This year’s Bachelorette, Jenn Tran, will also be joining the competition, alongside her partner Sasha Farber. She was first introduced as a contestant on the past season of the Bachelor, starring Joey Graziadei, who will also be competing for this season’s Mirrorball Trophy, with his partner Jenna Johnson. Ilona Maher, who brought the USA Women’s Rugby team to the bronze medal at this year’s summer Olympics, is partnered with dancer Alan Bersten.
“I am so excited to watch Ilona Maher take the stage for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars, and to see all the dances her and Alan do this season!” said freshman Elle Tannenbaum.
There has been a lot of controversy about one specific contestant competing with the new pro dancer Ezra Sosa – infamous con artist Anna Delvey. She became infamous after getting caught posing as a “wealthy heiress” to steal money from banks and other institutions. Delvey was sentenced to 12 years of prison, but got out on bail just a few months ago after spending only four years in jail. Her life story has been documented in the hit Netflix series, Inventing Anna.
Fans and non-fans alike took to social media to express their frustration as to why this show allows someone who committed a crime to come and perform. Many feel as if it glorifies Delvey’s acts, and that she should not be seen in a positive light in the media. However, Delvey is ready to take the stage.
“I’m here for a redemption arc,” said Delvey for People in an interview after the news that she would participate in the show broke.
Film star Eric Roberts will join with partner Britt Stewart. He is known for popular films in the 70s-80s, such as Runaway Train. Reginald VelJohnson will also be competing, with dancer Emma Slater, who is known for his beloved role as Carl Winslow on Family Matters. This season also has some athletes competing, New England Patriots wide receiver and two time Superbowl Champion Danny Amendola is paired with returning pro Witney Carson, while Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard will dance with Daniella Karagach.
Stephen Nedoroscik, a fan-favorite Olympian, is known for winning two bronze medals for the USA Men’s Gymnastics team in the pommel horse event. He quickly became a social media star after this year’s Olympics, and is now joining the show partnered with pro Rylee Arnold. Fans were buzzing on social media when a rumor broke that he would be competing. Now that it is confirmed, people are ecstatic to see him perform!
“I am most excited to see Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach. She has been paired with basketball players before, and she knows how to use the height difference to her team’s advantage in her choreography, ” said junior Aurora Mata.
The show has already premiered on Sept. 17, but tune in to ABC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m., for the weekly episodes of Dancing With The Stars Season 33. Schreiber students have been anticipating the new season since last year, and can not wait to see what ensues. Let the best dancer win!