Dancing with the Stars kicked off their 34th season on Tuesday, September 16, introducing the stars and their partners dancing together for the first time.
This season has a wide range of different stars that have a variety of backgrounds. Some of these stars include Robert Irwin, a wildlife conservationist, Jordan Chiles, an Olympic gold medalist, Lauren Jauregui, from “Fifth Harmony,” Dylan Efron, a social media and reality TV star and Alix Earle, a social media influencer. USA Today has a full roster of the stars, what they are known for and which pro dancers they are partnered up with.
Many fan favorite pro dancers from last season have returned for this season including Jenna Johnson, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Daniella Karagach, Mark Ballas and many more. This season, Jan Ravnik is a brand-new pro partner to the show. He was previously a backup dancer for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. These pros and their star partners will compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, dedicated to previous judge Len Goodman who passed away in 2023.
This season’s hosts are Alfonso Ribeiro, former star and Season 19 Mirrorball Trophy winner and Julianne Hough, former pro dancer and judge on the show. This season welcomes back Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough as the judges on the panel.
The cast was invited onto Good Morning America to introduce the pairs and learn what they have been up to during rehearsal and the lead-up to the premiere. Alfonso Ribeiro and Bruno Tonioli shared words of wisdom to the stars.
“Your pros are pros for a reason,” Ribeiro said. “Listen to them. We all have this idea that we know, oh I want to be like this, no, listen to your pros. They are amazing. They are the most talented dancers in the world.”
“If you only do steps, it’s just movement,” Tonioli said. “You have to tell a story, like a great singer or great actor. It takes you out of the dance and it brings you to the world.”
Following the premiere, one pair will be eliminated each week, by a combination of the judges scores and viewer votes. As the season gets closer to the end, double eliminations might appear.Dancing with the Stars is live on ABC and Disney+ every Tuesday at 7 p.m..
