ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” has released its celebrity and pro pairing on Sept. 3 on “Good Morning America”. This has already started a stir about season 34, which premiered on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
This is an influencer filled season with the celebrities including Alix Earle, Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck. This has drawn more young adults watching the show and following along with their favorite celebrities on social media.
“Now more than ever, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ just lives online, by the shows own social media,” says Dr. Lori Bindig Yousman, a professor in the School of Communication, Media & the Arts and associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Arts & Sciences.
In addition, she said that the show’s social media combines with the cast members’ reach to draw in audiences and create buzz.
“Dancing with the Stars” casting director, Deena Katz, has been expanding the show’s reach in recent seasons by featuring relevant celebrities. Choosing celebrities like Corey Feldman, famous for “The Goonies,” Danielle Fishel, known for her role as Topanga on “Boy Meets World,” and with professional athletes cast a wide net for an audience.
“I am excited to see the span of talent this year and people I know like Alix Earle, Jen, Whitney, and the singer from 5th Harmony,” said sophomore Kendall Souza.
This year, “Dancing With the Stars” is switching up its pro dancers with Sasha Farber’s leave of absence after four seasons. The show is welcoming back threetime winning Mark Ballas and new member Jan Ravnik. Ravnik is most known for being a dancer on Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
“That was a deliberate strategy to shake things up,” said Yousman. “You can see the videos about people who were past pros creating drama, it’s very hard to know if that’s legitimate or if that’s all just part of the marketing cycle of the show to get controversy out there so people want to tune in and watch.”
This media attention is working, as last season’s finale brought in six million viewers, a 16% increase from the season before. Last season also had a lot of engagement as Disney stated the seasons finale broke the fan voting record with 32 million votes for the finalists.
Being its 34th season, “Dancing with the Stars” has continued to catch viewers’ eyes and has become a bucket list activity for celebrities.
“I’ve always been a fan of ‘Dancing with the Stars,” said Earle, in an interview with E! News.
Earle and Robert Irwin were revealed to be competing on the show before the pro pairing on “Good Morning America.” In an interview with E! news, Earle said, “I’m ready to challenge myself, I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
Irwin said to E! news, “I am over the moon to be joining ‘Dancing with the Stars’ this season.”
The excitement around the show has allowed more relevant celebrities to be a part of this season’s cast. In the past, celebrities may have included athletes, reality TV stars, celebrity relatives, and individuals from the “Bachelor” franchise. This season, Earle is one of the first social media influencers to take the ballroom.
“She’s a great example of an influencer as she’s a really authentic person,” said sophomore Alexandra Vorlicek. “I think it will be fun to watch her improve.”
The pro and celebrity pairing being revealed on “Good Morning America” is a tradition used to create excitement for the new season of the show. “Dancing with the Stars” fans and the celebrities’ followers alike are already looking forward to the new season.
“I’m really excited for the new season, not only for the competitors on it but to see what’s in store for the dancers,” said Souza.
