Yes- it’s already that time again! Cramming to get your last-minute votes in to “21523”, and impatiently waiting to reveal which couple will be sent home… Dancing With the Stars!
Known and loved by many, Dancing With the Stars has entered its 34th season on Tuesday, September 16th, with many exciting couples. Professional dancers are partnered up with “amateurs” and embark on an 8-10 week-long journey, competing for the Mirrorball prize. Each week generally has a theme for each couple to follow, a genre, or its own twist, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. In years past, celebrities such as Charlie D’Amelio, Jordan Fisher, and Laurie Hernandez have all won the Mirrorball prize. The real question is- Who will win it this year?
Well, it’s difficult to make predictions this early on in the season, as the celebrities have not had much of a chance to show off their capabilities, but we can still analyze them and make predictions on the best teams.
- Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
There is a wide variety of “stars” from all different backgrounds, and I am excited to see how this season will play out. Alix Earle will start out fairly strong and may stand out from the very beginning; however, as the show progresses, she may hit her “peak” too soon. In other words, sometimes the best couples are the ones that struggle the first few rounds and gradually begin to improve, displaying a more drastic growth. All things aside, Earle has a large following due to her social media presence and has the potential to go far this season
2. Andy Richter and Emma Slater
Although he may not bring home the Mirrorball prize this season, Andy Richter is sure to bring a positive attitude and some hilarious jokes to keep the mood up. Partnered with Emma Slater, I am hopeful that Andy will have fun during his journey on the show, even though he may not win. This past week, Richter completely surprised fans, as he managed to move forward to yet another week of DWTS. While definitely not the strongest dancer on the show, his positive attitude is truly carrying him through the season, and he shows what it means to have fun.
3. Baron Davis and Britt Stewart
Unfortunately eliminated the second week, Baron Davis and Britt Stewart had a brief journey on Dancing With the Stars. Davis was a fairly decent contestant- definitely with room to improve, though their season was cut short. Davis struggled with learning dance, considering his background in sports in the NBA, which is entirely different from performing. Despite this, I believe he had the potential to improve, though he made the most of his two performances on the show.
4. Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson
A controversial couple to say the least…many had mixed feelings about Corey Feldman being on the show due to his background with “Corey’s” Angels, which inevitably hurt him, causing him to be voted off pretty much immediately. Aside from this, Feldman has the potential to do well, especially with his fantastic partner, Johnson; however, his social media presence and reputation ended his journey quickly.
5. Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
A fan favorite! I was thrilled to see that Danielle Fishel would be a star on the show, as I grew up watching her act in the beloved Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World. She is such a positive, outgoing person with a bubbly personality- she’s hard not to like. Fishel has a lot of potential to go far on the show through her success on the dance floor, and her passionate fans have supported her immensely.
6. Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach Pashkova
Not Zac Efron- but his brother, Dylan Efron! This is another couple I am particularly excited about this season, as I believe Daniella Karagach Pashkova can make any amateur look amazing. She is an unbelievable choreographer, which was especially showcased last year when she was partnered with the tallest star, Dwight Howard, and her being the shortest star, which was a bit of a challenge. Despite this, Karagach managed to make it far with Howard, and I am confident she will do the same, if not better, with Efron.
7. Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
Elaine Hendrix has definitely come as a surprise to many this season, while viewers did not necessarily expect her to do poorly, though her technique and stage presence have stood out more than expected. All things aside, Hendrix and Alan Bersten are working on moving together as one, rather than two separate dancers, dancing two different dances. I am excited to see how far Hendrix will go this season- she has a lot of potential.
8. Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko
Honestly, this is not my favorite couple this year. I think Gleb Savchenko is a great professional dancer and is a great choreographer, but I cannot seem to find anything special about Hilaria Baldwin. She is absolutely a beautiful dancer, but I feel like she is missing the shine that many of the others have, which is taking away from her performance quality. In general, Baldwin is doing fairly well, but in comparison to the other well-known stars that have a larger following, she may not make it too far.
9. Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
From just giving birth two months ago, to now twirling across the dance floor, influencer Jen Affleck seems to be able to do it all. I give her props for being this committed to the show just after having a child, though he has shared some of the difficulty with it. Affleck has explained how ballroom dancing is much more intense than it may seem to people. Despite this, she has worked hard this season, and I am curious to see how far she and Jan Ravnik will make it. Affleck has a large following on social media and starred on the show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
10. Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
While they may not have started off at the top of the scoreboard, Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa have already made quite the improvement and have reached the top this past week. Chiles is finding the balance between being sharp and fierce, while also learning to loosen up a bit and be less rigid, which is a bit of a challenge for gymnasts. I am excited to see how far this couple will go, and I am excited for Sosa this season. They are navigating how to work with their height difference, but are really able to play into the bit.
11. Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong
Despite the last-minute rush to get Brandon Armstrong a partner, he and Lauren Jauregui made quite a good team! Jauregui has impressed viewers, and I was excited to see her progress throughout the season. She was naturally graceful across the dance floor and had a lot of potential to do very well. Unfortunately, this past Tuesday, Jauregui was sent home, which left many shocked and confused, as many were expecting a couple, Andy Richter and Emma Slater, to be sent home.
12. Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
Ah, Robert Irwin! What a refreshing star to have on the show- he is such an outgoing and positive person with a bubbly personality and a contagious smile. If his optimistic attitude doesn’t take him far this season, his dance moves absolutely will. Partnered with Witney Carson, I am excited to see how far he makes it. Carson is an amazing choreographer who truly plays into the stars’ strengths, and I cannot wait to see Irwin’s energy play out on the dance floor in the weeks to come.
13. Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold
Based on their past few performances, Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold are working hard, and it is clear that Hoying has already improved. However, I am not positive he will be able to make it as far as the other dancers, partly because of their ability, and partly because of his following. Yes, Hoying is very well known for his band “Pentatonix”, but it is likely that the younger viewers will gravitate towards stars such as Alix Earle and Whitney Leavitt, who are more known on social media platforms. Furthermore, Hoying is working hard with Arnold to improve his performance quality, though he struggles with different dance styles like ballroom and tango, different from his jazz this past week.
14. Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
WOW! Whitney definitely stands out from the other dancers, to say the least, as she seems to take control of the stage and owns all of her moves. However, after some more research, there has been some controversy and mixed reviews regarding Whitney’s participation as a star this season due to her background in dance, which seems to be much more intense than people thought. Supposedly, Leavitt has a degree in dance from Brigham Young University, giving her an advantage over others. Despite this, she has done extremely well so far, and I am interested to see how far she will make it, knowing her experience with dance.
In all, there are several incredible “Stars” this season who have the potential to do very well. Most of the couples are doing well working together, keeping up with each other, and improving at a fast pace. I am excited to see the outcome of the show and to continue to watch the dancers’ progress each week.
