Dancing with the Stars: Pre-Season Summary by Bahar Motarjemi

Stephen Nedoroscik, Paris Olympic gymnast and pommel horse specialist, is competing yet again, although for something a bit different than what he’s done before. He was the first celebrity competitor revealed before the show’s official announcement on September 4. Dancing with the Stars is a competition dance show where multiple celebrity and professional dancer duos perform a themed routine to a panel of judges each week. The competition show has been on air since 2005 and has been a favorite among households nationwide. Part of the show’s found success is through the use of viewer participation. Each week, viewers can vote on their favorite dance performance via text message. 50% of a dance duo’s total score is based on the judge’s scores 1-10, and the other 50% relies solely on the votes from the viewers. The pair with the lowest combined score is eliminated from the competition. The often disputed rule change to allow audience votes to impact results has added to the show’s success, with almost 7 million viewers in the last season alone.

Celebrities on the show include actors, singers, athletes, and more. Casting is done intentionally to include a range of trending celebrities and famous figures from the past — a design to bring both nostalgia and intrigue regarding the new season. This season, two contestants, Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran, are from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette franchises, which have seen tremendous growth in viewers and popularity recently. Tori Spelling is another celebrity contestant, although she is most known for the show 90210, which was at its peak popularity in the 1990s. The show is also known to have competitors on the show who may be controversial or are likely to cause discussion among viewers. One example in the new season is Anna Delvey, who is infamous for being a con artist pretending to be a wealthy heiress in New York City. Although the celebrity competitors change every season, the TV show has attracted all audiences, from seasoned dancers to those who simply enjoy viewing the famous figures and professional dancers performing routines each week.

Each week of Dancing with the Stars consists of dance routines related to an overall theme. One popular theme is Disney Night, which first appeared in Season 18, and has especially risen to popularity after the show’s most recent season aired on Disney+. Other themes include Whitney Houston Night, Music Video Night, Monster Night, and many others. Although dances involve creative themes, the dancing pairs themselves actually have little to no creative control. The production team decides on most details, such as the pairings of celebrities and pros themselves, costumes, lighting, and songs. The competitors have to agree to any of the producer’s decisions about the dance and be prepared for last-minute changes, which is said to happen often on the show.

Like most reality shows, Dancing with the Stars comes with its fair share of alleged dramas and conflicts. Fans of the show have noticed that for quite a few celebrities, being on the show tends to cause problems in one’s personal life. In an interview with Fox News, former Dancing with the Stars “Pro” contestant Cheryl Burke said “We call this the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ curse. I think it started because of the ‘Bachelor’ or ‘Bachelorette’ franchise, where they would have these bachelorettes or bachelors come on after being newly engaged, and most of them didn't make it through.” Burke later went on to say that chemistry with partners is of utmost importance in succeeding on the show, and said that connection can potentially lead to jealousy in contestants’ relationships on and off the show. Although the “DWTS curse” has been a topic of conversation for DWTS fans for a while, fans had recently sparked conversation on social media with rumors of Season 32 contestants Harry Jowsey and Rylee Arnold being in a relationship. Fans posted clips of the two during rehearsals, performances, and appearances, and the internet quickly believed that they were dating. Months after the rumors started, Harry Jowsey denied him and Arnold dating in the premiere episode of his podcast, “Boyfriend Material.” He also stated that he had a girlfriend during the season’s filming, and that “...it ended up ending and it fizzled out because it is so difficult to see your boyfriend or girlfriend on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ being that close with someone else,” he explained. “Day in and day out [seeing] the TikToks, the news articles… absolutely everything.” Situations such as Jowsey and Arnold’s and others seen in previous seasons make it clear that the show is a potential factor in damaging relationships. The frequent rehearsing and performing with a partner for weeks at a time seems to explain why this could happen on the show.

Dancing with the Stars has had a major impact on the world of dance, reality television shows, and in a sense, the world of pop culture itself. The unique partnerships, costumes, dances, and songs all add to the engaging aspect of the show. The first episode of Season 33 does not air until September 17, giving viewers plenty of time to generate buzz about the show, make their first predictions, and mark their calendars to celebrate the reappearance of an influential show like Dancing with the Stars.