By Ella Siebert

When Dancing with the Stars premiered on ABC on June 1, 2005, it introduced a reality competition format that paired celebrities with professional ballroom dancers. These pairs compete in weekly themed routines judged by a panel, and contestants’ success is decided by audience votes. The concept was adapted from the British series Strictly Come Dancing and became part of the broader international Dancing with the Stars franchise. 

Over 20 years, the show has grown tremendously in popularity and votes. Early seasons built a formula of sparkly gowns, Latin and ballroom dance steps, celebrity names (often athletes, actors, and reality stars), live audiences, and the “Mirrorball Trophy” for the winners. 

What keeps Dancing with the Stars compelling after 34 seasons?

First, the celebrity and pro dancer format. Celebrities bring recognizable names, and professional dancers bring technical skill and showmanship. The pairing creates narratives of growth, challenge, and transformation. Viewers latch on to the journey; not just the successes, but also the rehearsal stories, backstage tensions, costume reveals, and music choices.

Secondly, there are weekly rituals and themes. Each episode has a theme (80s night, Disney night, Halloween, etc.) The combination of live performance, audience voting, and judges’ critiques gives a structure that fans can anticipate, dissect, and rally around. Fans vote for their favorite couples during the live broadcast. This is either done on ABC’s voting site or by texting the celebrities’ names, combined with judges’ scores to determine who stays each week. For many viewers, it becomes a ritual: tune in, watch, discuss, and vote. The ritual builds a community and is a social and emotional investment. Fans follow not just the performances but the personalities. The professional dancers, now stars themselves, captivate the audience with their journeys and emotional transformations. The show also often highlights stories of perseverance, risk, and vulnerability. 

Dancing with the Stars gives the fans the power to vote, ensuring they return each week. Because the show incorporates viewer voting, fans feel they have a real influence. That tends to fuel deeper engagement. Fans organize, campaign, share clips online, then vote. In fact, for a recent episode—“Wicked Night” on Tuesday October 21—Deadline revealed that the show received over 6.63 million viewer votes. For long-time viewers, the show not only offers comfort because of the familiar format but also reinvention, with new pros, new celebrities, and new music each season. It balances predictability and surprise. That mix can lead to obsessive watchers who track not just weekly outcomes but choreographer choices, costume designers, and celebrity guest appearances. In short, the show is built for obsession. Fans keep coming back because there’s always something to analyze, rally, for, and talk about. 

In recent years, Dancing with the Stars has shifted in how it engages with audiences, especially through TikTok. This strategy has transformed both the show’s promotion and its cultural footprint. Showrunner Conrad Green explained in a 2024 New York Times article, “We’ve kind of hit this tipping point where now we feed TikTok, TikTok feeds back to us.” High visibility moments, like lifts, dance transitions, and costume reveals, are being captured and uploaded to TikTok, where they show up in “For You” feeds, attract millions of views, and bring new views to the show. 

In 2022, the season 31 cast included influencer Charli D’Amelio, whose massive TikTok following (150+ million) brought that platform’s audience into the ballroom. In 2025, Season 34 introduced a “TikTok Night” theme in Week 3: the songs, the styling, and the choreography were explicitly TikTok-inspired, generating millions of views on the show’s TikTok page. Viral moments like a lift, a freestyle, or even a shirt-rip become social media sensations, driving both fan engagement and media coverage. 

Pro dancers and celebrities now extend the show to TikTok, sharing rehearsals, challenges, and recaps. Pro dancer Rylee Arnold, initially scared of posting, has embraced this behind-the-scenes social media component and has built a large following.

This shift from social media has not been without criticism. Some long-time fans feel the show’s push toward platform-friendly moments comes at the expense of pure dance technique or traditional structure.

While Dancing with the Stars had older viewers, in the last few seasons, its fanbase has shifted significantly, with Gen Z and younger viewers entering via social media. 

Over the years, Dancing with the Stars has featured some of the most recognizable names in entertainment, politics, and sports. Reality star Kim Kardashian captivated audiences with her charisma and willingness to take risks on the dance floor. Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer brought a surprising competitive spirit that kept viewers talking, and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles wowed audiences with her incredible athleticism and precision. These stars not only showcased their talent but also helped make Dancing with the Stars a must watch. 

Casting influences have become strategic. These contestants bring their own built-in followings and social media experience. Their participation means their fans tune in to see them, boosting the show’s audience. 

This year’s edition, Season 34, is a milestone for the show, celebrating its 20th anniversary, and it arrived with a refreshed cast. The season premiered on Tuesday, September 16, at 8:00 p.m. on ABC and streamed live simultaneously on Disney+. The show airs weekly on Tuesday evenings. 

This season of Dancing with the Stars has brought some surprising moments, especially with comedian Andy Richter. Though he’s consistently been near the bottom of the leaderboard, his warmth and dedication kept him around much longer than many expected, and his improvement week after week earned praise even from hard critics. His emotional elimination on the show’s 20th anniversary episode stunned many but was needed so the show could make its way to the finale. Meanwhile, some contestants expected to be frontrunners haven’t quite lived up to the hype, notably Lauren Jauregui, whose early exit after TikTok Night stunned many.

The cast features a broad mix of celebrities from social media, athletics, music, film, and conservation. Social media personality Alix Earle paired with pro Val Chmerkovskiy, and Olympian Jordan Chiles with partner Ezra Sosa. 

Season 34 leans strongly into themed episodes, including “One-Hit Wonders,” “Disney Night,” “Wicked Night,” “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night,” and a special “20th Birthday Party” episode. 

For the first time in two decades, Dancing with the Stars saw an increase in viewership for two consecutive weeks since its premiere episode, according to Hollywood Reporter. 

Personally, I love DWTS because it gives me a fun way to connect with friends. We watch together, compare favorites, and get excited about each week’s results. It also gives me something to look forward to; some entertainment in the middle of the week. Plus, the voting aspect makes me feel genuinely involved, like I am part of the action and helping shape the outcome of the show. 

Whether you’re tuning in live or catching clips on your feed, the ballroom spectacle remains alive, and for many younger fans, Dancing with the Stars is now as much a social media event as a television one.

All photos courtesy of Dancing with the Stars via Instagram @dancingwiththestars.