‘Dancing With the Stars’ Is Proof We’re Becoming Our Parents

Growing up, one of my grandma’s defining traits was her love for ballroom dancing. You couldn’t talk to her for five minutes without her slipping in a reference to the foxtrot, commenting on how the song playing would make a fabulous samba, or reminiscing about some sort of award-winning ballroom move she used to be able to do. Naturally, with her love of ballroom dancing came a love for the pinnacle of ballroom dancing in pop culture—Dancing with the Stars. There was nothing I loved more than plopping down on the couch with her and stepping into the role of pseudo-judge, analyzing every dance on the TV.

While I love these memories with my grandma, for decades, Dancing with the Stars was just that: a show you watched with your grandma. It wasn’t something your group chat was fangirling over; it was that TV series your parents loved that you maybe caught the tail end of when you walked into the living room. But 34 seasons in, that has completely changed.

These days, you can’t open TikTok without seeing some sort of Dancing with the Stars content. Voting records are broken each week, and the collective obsession with the show is potentially the one thing Gen Z and millennials can agree on. But why is the buzziest TV show of the moment one that just celebrated its 20th anniversary? Is a collective obsession with American Idol next? I’m breaking down exactly what’s so different about Dancing with the Stars this season—and why we can’t stop talking about it.

Why is Dancing with the Stars more popular than ever?

The TikTok-ification of Dancing with the Stars

If you’re a new DWTS fan, it may feel like everyone suddenly started watching this season, but the show’s resurgence actually began a few years ago when Rylee Arnold—pro dancer and little sister of former pro Lindsay Arnold—joined the cast as the youngest pro. Posting her journey on TikTok, she brought in a wave of younger fans who wanted to see her thrive. Her pairing with reality TV star Harry Jowsey and the showmance rumors that followed only made the internet more obsessed. Plus, her bestie Ezra Sosa, a member of the Dancing with the Stars troupe (a group of dancers who act as backup for the pros and perform short dances between routines), also garnered a large TikTok following and brought in even more fans.

The next season, after Rylee and Ezra’s audiences exploded, the show promoted Ezra to pro and leaned into online audiences in a new way. Casting director Deena Katz capitalized on the newfound TikTok attention by casting internet celebrities and infamous figures alike (who can forget Anna Delvey’s short-lived but impactful stint in the ballroom?). She even tapped into one of the most powerful online communities, the Swifties, by adding the internet’s favorite Taylor Swift backup dancer, Jan Ravnik, to the pro lineup this season.

“The fan interaction, from voting to posting, is what has transformed DWTS from the show you’d heard of but never really tuned into to the viewing powerhouse that rivals that of an HBO Sunday night slot.”

Once a show where D-list sitcom actors came long after their careers peaked to snag five more seconds in the spotlight, this season’s cast isn’t people on the rise or decline—it’s some of the internet’s hottest personalities: Alix Earle, Whitney Leavitt, Robert Irwin, Jordan Chiles, Jen Affleck. Even the older stars who aren’t influencers have had viral TikTok moments. Elaine Hendrix may be known as an actress, but the Meredith Blake aesthetic (one of her most iconic roles) was once a major trend on TikTok. This season, eliminated pros have also started hosting a TikTok livestream while the show airs, so you don’t have to leave the app to take part in the DWTS conversation each week. Instead of sticking to its old ways, the show was willing to meet its audience where they already are and cast people we’re all watching and loving.

Everyone is in on the conversation

The show didn’t just give us an iconic cast and expect everything else to fall into place. They leaned into what is arguably just as important as the show itself: the post-show debrief that happens online. It isn’t enough for audiences to like who’s on the show. The fan interaction, from voting to posting, is what has transformed DWTS from the show you’d heard of but never really tuned into to the viewing powerhouse that rivals that of an HBO Sunday night slot.

In addition to the TikTok livestream, the show also launched an official Dancing with the Stars podcast hosted by last year’s winner and Bachelor star Joey Graziadei. He interviews celebrities and pros each week, giving fans even more fodder for discussion. Past pros have also jumped on the trend, using their own podcasts and social media accounts to recap episodes, critique dances, agree or disagree with judges’ scores, and offer their professional hot takes. Meanwhile, every pro and celebrity has leaned into social media to engage with fans and campaign for votes. With all the vlog content dropping every week, there’s something to consume every day between episodes. Not to mention the fans posting commentary nonstop. All of this supplementary content has created an incredibly engaged, opinionated fan base that not only tunes in each week but is truly impassioned about voting for their favorite competitors.

The production value is next level

All this fan discourse is important, but without a good show, it wouldn’t be enough to keep audiences around. Luckily, the production value is insane. From stage design to costuming to hair and makeup to the live band, the show is literally larger than life. Theme nights have also become a huge part of audience engagement. With nights like Taylor Swift Night and Wicked Night, the show leans into trending online moments they know fans are invested in, and they deliver. The set design in Wicked Night alone rivaled the sets in Wicked: For Good, and the night was even complete with director John M. Chu as a guest judge. The show is entertaining from start to finish, and in an era where a 60-second TikTok pushes our attention spans to the limit, the fact that we all sat through a three-hour finale is truly a feat.

Is the Dancing with the Stars hype here to stay?

We’re all obsessed with Dancing with the Stars right now, but is its popularity just a flash in the pan? On the heels of the finale, the entire internet is mourning the loss of our favorite pop-culture topic of the last ten weeks. But will we still be eager for another season months from now, after new movies and shows inevitably capture our attention? Honestly, yes. DWTS has proved over the last few years how deeply it understands its audience, and its willingness to cater to them—even when it means bending show traditions—will ensure its future success. Trends always come and go, but for now, Dancing with the Stars is once again a pop-culture fixture. Maybe some of our parents’ other favorite shows will follow in its footsteps.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Blue, Assistant Editor

As an Assistant Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of must-read books, movies, home tours, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Goodreads for new releases to feature on the site.

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