After 2 years of the show being delayed due to covid-19, the ABC TV series Dancing with the Stars has returned. Now streaming only on Disney Plus, the show has two new hosts, Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro, who were just added this season. In each season, 16 new people who don’t have much experience with ballroom dancing get partnered with a professional dancer.  

In each episode, the dance pairs get a new genre to choreograph an elaborate dance to. After each dance, the pairs get feedback from the judges and are interviewed by Alfonso Ribeiro about how they think their dance went. After getting interviewed, the judges deliberate on a score out of 40, which then places the pairs on the leaderboard. After all the pairs have danced, the audience gets to vote for their favorite pair, and after each episode, a pair is eliminated.

The newest season of Dancing with the Stars has been streaming since September 19, 2022, with advertisements being done months in advance. Some of the new contestants in this season are Charli D’Amelio, Sam Champion, Daniel Durant, and Heidi D’Amelio. What surprised most teens was the first ever mother and daughter on the show, Heidi D’Ameli and Charli D’Amelio. The inclusion of the D’Amelio duo is to promote the show to a younger audience. D’Amelio often promotes her dances on Snapchat and TikTok, garnering support from teenagers to watch the show and vote for her dances.  

Just from the beginning introductions of the guests, it is easy to predict which contestants will stay on the show.  Multiple contestants have shown that they don’t have the skill to make it very far, which makes watching it interesting: some contestants have natural talent and others need more effort and training, which affects the outcome of their performance.  There are always a few contestants who are poorly coordinated but manage to stay in the show via getting votes.  

During Vinny Guadanino’s interview before his dance, he seemed really proud and egotistical. However, his dancing was “rough, [his] legs were too flexed.” stated judge Len Goodman after Guadaninos dance.  The judges also mentioned how he had timing issues and he needed more passion.  After receiving his scores, his demeanor changed and he became gloomy. Guadanino, unfortunately, got the lowest score of the night.  His partner, Koko Iwasaki, who is a professional, stole the show and it made him look like a backup dancer. 

Dancing with the Stars brings a lot of fun and entertainment for their viewers and there is still a great deal for the new inexperienced dancers to learn. As returning members and new members dance together, there will be more to cover and enjoy.