Dance Television
Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro Puts the Professional Dancer at Center Stage
The new ABC competition premieres July 13 with 12 dancers competing for a real job on Season 35 — and a rare chance to show audiences what a television dance professional actually does.
By Dance Mogul Magazine | Dance Television
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, premiering Monday, July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, changes that perspective. Twelve dancers live and train together in Australia through a demanding competition for one professional position on Season 35 of the flagship series. New episodes stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. The series is 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 Is 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 is effectively a televised hiring process for one of dance television's most visible roles.
Technique alone will not 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 can help audiences understand that being a professional dancer is not one skill. It is a bundle of artistic, interpersonal, and production responsibilities.
ABC describes the process as grueling. Hulu's official guide says the challenges are 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.”
Robert Irwin Moves From Champion to Host
Robert Irwin, the Season 34 Len Goodman Mirrorball champion, returns as host. His placement gives the series an interesting point of view. He recently experienced the franchise from the celebrity side, learning how much trust a nonprofessional partner places in a pro dancer. As host, he can speak to the emotional and educational labor contestants are being asked to demonstrate.
Three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas and his mother, renowned ballroom champion Shirley Ballas, lead the judging panel. Returning DWTS professionals will appear as rotating mentors and guest judges, giving contestants feedback from people who understand the exact job they are seeking.
The 12 Contestants
AJ Pritchard — Former Strictly Come Dancing professional and Britain's Got Talent semifinalist.
Adele Zaikman — Los Angeles-based dance teacher with Israeli and Ukrainian roots.
Allen Genkin — So You Think You Can Dance alumnus, studio owner, and former DWTS Ballroom Battle winner.
Benjamin Castro — So You Think You Can Dance Season 16 Top 8 finalist.
Briar Nolet — Dancer and actor known for The Next Step.
Erik Linder — Competitive ballroom dancer and former America's Got Talent semifinalist.
Jake Monreal — DWTS: Juniors alumnus and So You Think You Can Dance finalist.
Natalie Jolley — Eight-time U.S. national dance champion.
Nina Mayster — Ballroom dancer, entrepreneur, and dance-apparel business owner.
Selena Hamilton — Commercial dancer with campaign and touring experience.
Stephani Sosa — Former DWTS troupe member and sister of pro Ezra Sosa.
Tristen Sanders — Ballroom and hip-hop dancer who manages an Atlanta dance studio.
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 can correct that imbalance. It can show the difference between performing choreography and building choreography for another person. It can reveal how a dancer gives notes, responds to notes, handles rejection, manages fatigue, and adjusts when a concept fails.
For emerging dancers, that exposure may be 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.
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 suggests a deliberately varied group, including national champions, television alumni, teachers, studio leaders, commercial performers, and dancers with hip-hop experience.
What DMM Will Be Watching
Dance Mogul Magazine will be watching how choreographic credit is handled, how mentors discuss leadership, how cultural styles are introduced, and whether the series explains the labor behind television dance. We will also watch whether contestants are allowed to show distinct artistic identities or pushed toward one acceptable version of the DWTS professional.
The most valuable episodes may be the ones that show 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.
A Fresh Search Spike — and a Larger Opportunity
The July 13 premiere creates a timely search window, but the article should not be treated as disposable entertainment coverage. The series opens a lasting conversation about who gets hired, what a professional dancer actually does, and how television can make dance labor visible.
If the program succeeds, viewers may leave with more respect for the people behind every celebrity journey. The glitter will still be there. So will the competition. But this time, the dancer's career is not background. It is the story.
Viewing information: Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro premieres Monday, July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. New episodes stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro premiere?
The series premieres Monday, July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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.
What does the winner receive?
The winner earns a professional dancer position on Dancing with the Stars Season 35.
Who hosts and judges the series?
Season 34 Mirrorball champion Robert Irwin hosts. Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas judge, joined by rotating mentors and guest judges from the DWTS professional community.
How many dancers compete?
Twelve dancers compete through training, performances, and challenges designed to test technique, versatility, creativity, stage presence, and professional readiness.
Watch: Dancing with the Stars — The Next Pro Official Trailer
Time-sensitive article: update the opening and FAQ after the premiere if publishing after July 13, 2026.
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