The race to secure a professional slot on Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is officially underway, and the spinoff series is already cutting contenders. ABC and Hulu premiered Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro on Monday, throwing 12 up-and-coming ballroom and commercial dancers into a single house in Australia. The stakes are entirely straightforward. The single winner automatically books a pro slot for the main series this fall.
Season 34 Mirrorball champion Robert Irwin is hosting the chaos. The judging panel features a serious generational flex, anchoring three-time champion Mark Ballas alongside his mother, Shirley Ballas, who actively serves as the head judge on the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing. Monday’s premiere episode, subtitled “The Journey Begins: Technique With Derek Hough,” did not waste any time getting to the cuts.
The dancers were immediately split into pairs. The men were tasked with performing Jives, while the women tackled Sambas. The pressure cracked two early favorites. Contemporary and commercial dancer Briar Nolet slipped during her routine, which ultimately cost her a spot. She and former DWTS: Juniors contestant Jake Monreal were eliminated Monday night by the end of the broadcast. The remaining 10 contestants are now advancing to Week 2.
The casting department pulled heavy hitters for this Australian boot camp. Fans tracking the dancer backgrounds will recognize several familiar faces from the global ballroom circuit. The roster includes Stephani Sosa, who previously worked in the Season 33 troupe and is the sister of current pro Ezra Sosa, alongside former Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard. Whoever survives this gauntlet has a highly publicized assignment waiting for them back in the United States. The winner will join a Season 35 celebrity cast that already includes reality stars Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins, Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez, and Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson.
The Verdict
This spinoff is a mandatory watch for reality television purists. Stripping away the celebrity gimmick and focusing purely on the cutthroat audition process of working professional dancers gives The Next Pro a surprisingly intense edge. If you want to know exactly who will be choreographing the routines this fall, tune in to Hulu.