Overview
- Producers say they are deep into casting and theme planning for season 35, with Maura Higgins and Ciara Miller confirmed as the first celebrity contestants.
- Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro is set to debut July 13 to choose a new professional dancer, and showrunner Conrad Green says the winner is already lined up.
- The full season 35 lineup will be revealed in late summer or early fall, with the competition expected to premiere in September on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu.
- Deena Katz calls Miller’s booking an of‑the‑moment choice tied to current Bravo headlines, while Higgins has openly campaigned to join and even named Mark Ballas as her preferred partner.
- After a season 34 finale that drew the show’s best ratings in a decade, the producers are making an awards push to reenter the top reality competition conversation at the Emmys.