DANCE TELEVISION | FRANCHISE COVERAGE | SEASON 1 RECAP
Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Puts the Professional Dancer at Center Stage
Twelve dancers competed in Australia for one real job on Season 35 — and on August 31, 2026, Adele Zaikman became the first winner of the franchise’s newest spinoff.
By Dance Mogul Magazine | Originally published July 13, 2026 | Updated with Season 1 recap September 2026
Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro 2026 — the professionals take center stage. | DMM cover / R2
Season 1 — Concluded August 31, 2026
Winner: Adele Zaikman — the twenty-four-year-old Los Angeles–based Latin dancer of Israeli-Ukrainian heritage secured the pro spot on Dancing with the Stars Season 35 after eight weeks of ballroom challenges filmed in Australia.
Runner-up: AJ Pritchard | Third place: Selena Hamilton
Season 35 begins September 15, 2026 — Zaikman joins pros Witney Carson and Sharna Burgess on the flagship show, where she is paired with Kimmel sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez.
A Dance Competition About the Dancers
Most viewers meet the professionals on Dancing with the Stars after the job has already been won. They see the finished partnership, television-ready choreography, costumes, rehearsal packages, and live performance. The long audition path that comes before the ballroom usually remains invisible.
Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, which premiered Monday, July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, changed that perspective. Twelve dancers lived and trained together in Australia through a demanding competition for one professional position on Season 35 of the flagship series. New episodes streamed the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. The series was pre-taped rather than aired live.
The premise is simple, but its cultural significance is larger: the professionals are no longer supporting characters in someone else’s transformation story. Their training, versatility, leadership, camera awareness, and ability to build a celebrity partnership become the central drama.
What the Winner Was Actually Competing For
The prize is not a trophy disconnected from the industry. The winner earns a job as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars Season 35. That means the competition was effectively a televised hiring process for one of dance television’s most visible roles.
Technique alone was never going to be enough. A DWTS professional has to teach, choreograph, coach, protect a partner’s confidence, adapt to weekly themes, communicate under pressure, perform for cameras, and create memorable television without losing ballroom integrity. The new series helped audiences understand that being a professional dancer is not one skill. It is a bundle of artistic, interpersonal, and production responsibilities.
ABC described the process as grueling. Hulu’s official guide said the challenges were designed to reveal technique, versatility, creativity, and stage presence. Those categories reflect a real industry truth: the dancer who wins a competition is not always the same dancer who can lead a long television season.
“The most important audition may not be the biggest routine. It may be the moment a dancer proves they can make someone else believe they can dance.” — Dance Mogul Magazine editorial, July 2026
Robert Irwin: From Champion to Host
Robert Irwin, the Season 34 Len Goodman Mirrorball champion, returned as host. His placement gave the series an interesting point of view. He had just recently experienced the franchise from the celebrity side, learning how much trust a nonprofessional partner places in a pro dancer. As host, he was able to speak to the emotional and educational labor contestants were being asked to demonstrate.
Three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas and his mother, renowned ballroom champion Shirley Ballas, led the judging panel. Returning DWTS professionals appeared as rotating mentors and guest judges — including Derek Hough for the finale, alongside guest appearances from Kym Johnson — giving contestants feedback from people who understand the exact job they were seeking. For the finale itself, Robert Irwin was joined at the microphone by Witney Carson, his own Season 34 championship partner — the first time the two shared broadcast duties.
THE 12 CONTESTANTS
AJ Pritchard — Former Strictly Come Dancing professional and Britain’s Got Talent semifinalist. (Runner-up)
Adele Zaikman — Los Angeles–based dance teacher with Israeli and Ukrainian roots. (WINNER)
Allen Genkin — So You Think You Can Dance alumnus, studio owner, and former DWTS Ballroom Battle winner. (4th place)
Benjamin Castro — So You Think You Can Dance Season 16 Top 8 finalist. (Eliminated Week 3)
Briar Nolet — Dancer and actor known for The Next Step. (Eliminated Week 1)
Erik Linder — Competitive ballroom dancer and former America’s Got Talent semifinalist. (Eliminated Week 6)
Jake Monreal — DWTS: Juniors alumnus and So You Think You Can Dance finalist. (Eliminated Week 1)
Natalie Jolley — Eight-time U.S. national dance champion. (Withdrew Week 3)
Nina Mayster — Ballroom dancer, entrepreneur, and dance-apparel business owner. (Eliminated Week 7)
Selena Hamilton — Commercial dancer with campaign and touring experience. (3rd place)
Stephani Sosa — Former DWTS troupe member and sister of pro Ezra Sosa. (Eliminated Week 5)
Tristen Sanders — Ballroom and hip-hop dancer who manages an Atlanta dance studio. (Eliminated Week 5)
The contestants brought a deliberately varied set of dance backgrounds — ballroom, Latin, commercial, and hip-hop. | DMM editorial
Season 1 Winner: Adele Zaikman’s Path to the Ballroom
Adele Zaikman’s win on August 31, 2026 was, according to Dancing with the Stars executive producer Conrad Green, a story about consistency more than any single explosive routine. Green told TVLine after the finale that Zaikman “was just the most consistent” of the twelve dancers competing, and that she “never dropped the ball once” in the finale itself.
In the final round, each of the top three contestants was paired with a former DWTS celebrity finalist and asked to build two routines — a chosen ballroom or Latin style, and a freestyle. Zaikman was partnered with Catfish host Nev Schulman, who had finished runner-up on Season 29. Their first dance was a samba to “Bun Up the Dance” by Dillon Francis and Skrillex. Their freestyle, set to “Natural” by Imagine Dragons, was built around a paso doble rather than the multi-style medley her competitors chose.
Guest judge Derek Hough called the finale freestyle “on fire, pun intended,” and specifically praised Zaikman’s decision to commit to a recognizable ballroom discipline rather than jump between styles. Mark Ballas responded to the ferocity and drama of the choreography; Shirley Ballas noted that Zaikman had made her partners work hard all season rather than just danced around them.
Watch: Adele Zaikman’s Winning Freestyle
Adele Zaikman & Nev Schulman — The Next Pro finale freestyle to “Natural” by Imagine Dragons | ABC / DWTS
Why This Format Matters for Dance Careers
Dance television has often used dancers to elevate celebrities without giving viewers enough language to evaluate the professionals themselves. The Next Pro corrects that imbalance. It shows the difference between performing choreography and building choreography for another person. It reveals how a dancer gives notes, responds to notes, handles rejection, manages fatigue, and adjusts when a concept fails.
For emerging dancers, that exposure is educational. A young ballroom competitor can see that television readiness includes communication and storytelling. A commercial dancer can see how ballroom technique is translated for mass audiences. Studio owners can use the series to discuss professionalism, adaptability, and career pathways beyond competition medals. Explore the Dance Mogul Magazine Dance Styles Hub to see how each of these disciplines fits into the broader dance industry.
The show also raises questions the industry should keep asking. What backgrounds are recognized as professional? How much room is there for dancers who cross between ballroom, hip-hop, commercial work, teaching, and performance? Does the selection process reward originality or familiarity? The contestant list was a deliberately varied group, including national champions, television alumni, teachers, studio leaders, commercial performers, and dancers with hip-hop experience.
What DMM Was Watching
Dance Mogul Magazine watched how choreographic credit was handled, how mentors discussed leadership, how cultural styles were introduced, and whether the series explained the labor behind television dance. We also watched whether contestants were allowed to show distinct artistic identities or pushed toward one acceptable version of the DWTS professional.
Some of the most valuable episodes were the ones that showed failure clearly. Audiences already know how television packages a breakthrough. Fewer programs show how dancers recover after a weak rehearsal, rework material overnight, or support a castmate while competing for the same opportunity. The Next Pro leaned into that side more than we expected.
Where This Story Continues — Season 35
Adele Zaikman’s prize wasn’t a trophy in a cabinet. It was a professional dancer contract on Dancing with the Stars Season 35, which premieres September 15 and 16, 2026 as a two-night event on ABC and Disney+. Her celebrity partner was announced on Good Morning America on September 2: Guillermo Rodriguez, Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s longtime sidekick.
For a full look at what happens next, see our companion feature Dancing with the Stars: From Ballroom Beginnings to Season 35 and Beyond and the DWTS Interview Hub. For the full-circle story of the pro who helped train Robert Irwin the year before he became this show’s host, see Alfonso Ribeiro & Witney Carson’s Season 19 story.
Watch: The Original Series Trailer
Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro — official series trailer released ahead of the July 13, 2026 premiere
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Season 1?
Adele Zaikman won on August 31, 2026, defeating AJ Pritchard (runner-up) and Selena Hamilton (third place). Her prize was a professional dancer contract on Dancing with the Stars Season 35.
When did The Next Pro premiere and end?
The series premiered Monday, July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and concluded with its finale on Monday, August 31, 2026 — an eight-week run.
Where can viewers stream The Next Pro?
Episodes are available the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Hulu + Live TV subscribers may also be able to watch ABC live, subject to plan and regional availability.
Who is Adele Zaikman’s Season 35 celebrity partner?
Adele Zaikman is paired with Guillermo Rodriguez of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for Dancing with the Stars Season 35, which premieres September 15, 2026.
Who hosted and judged the series?
Season 34 Mirrorball champion Robert Irwin hosted. Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas judged, joined by rotating mentors and guest judges from the DWTS professional community, including Derek Hough and Kym Johnson. Witney Carson co-hosted the finale.
How many dancers competed?
Twelve dancers competed through training, performances, and challenges designed to test technique, versatility, creativity, stage presence, and professional readiness. The competition was filmed in Australia over the summer of 2026.
Continue Your Journey
Explore more from the Dance Styles Hub and discover how dancers across every genre are shaping culture, community, and the future of movement.
Dancing with the Stars: The Full Franchise Overview — twenty years of ballroom, every champion, and the current Season 35 chapter.
DMM DWTS Interview Hub — long-form Q&As with champions, pros, and choreographers from across the franchise’s twenty-year run.
Alfonso Ribeiro & Witney Carson — The Season 19 Full-Circle Story — a decade later, a champion and his pro come back for another chapter.
Exclusive Interviews Archive — two decades of dancer-first storytelling from Dance Mogul Magazine.
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