Disney is leaning into the recent resurgence of Dancing with the Stars. Deadline has learned the network is eyeing a spinoff series focused on finding the series’ next pro dancer.
Deals are still in the works, but we understand that Season 34 winner Robert Irwin is in talks to host the new series, currently titled Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. Longtime pro Mark Ballas and his mom Shirley Ballas, also a pro ballroom dancer and head judge on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, are in talks to serve as judges.
There will be a third judges slot, expected to be filled with a rotating judge each week — likely including many from the DWTS family.
DWTS: The Next Pro is expected to air this summer and stream on Hulu. The winner would then appear on Season 35 of the flagship series, which generally premieres in September.
ABC declined to comment.
This marks the first major expansion of the Dancing with the Stars since it premiered in 2005. Over the years, the series has gone through dozens of pro dancers, many of whom returned for last season’s 20th anniversary celebration. Ballas has been with DWTS on and off since 2007, most recently dancing with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt for Season 34.
Dancing with the Stars exploded in popularity last season, raking in its largest audience in years driven by interest from younger viewers. In November, Season 34 posted the show’s highest-rated finale in nearly a decade.
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