The Resurgence of Dancing With the Stars
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead
DWTS Season 33 Partnerships & Place
1st: Joey Grazedei & Jenna Johnson
2nd: Ilona Maher & Alan Bersten
3rd: Chandler Kinney & Brandon Armstrong
4th: Stephen Nordoaski & Rylee Arnold
5th: Danny Amadelo & Whitney Carson
6th: Dwight Howard & Daniella Karagach
7th: Phaedra Parks & Val Chmerkovskiy
8th: Brooks Nader & Gleb Savchencko
9th: Eric Roberts & Britt Stewart and Reginald VelJohnson & Emma Slater
10th: Tori Spelling & Pasha Pashkov and Anna Delvey & Ezra Sosa
If you didn’t watch Dancing With the Stars this season, you missed out on more than just dance. Since its premiere in 2005, DWTS has been a hit show, but this season, it soared to new heights. The voting for the finale broke records, with 32 million votes cast. TikTok is a major factor in this surge in popularity, which has undeniably attracted a younger audience. I have watched DWTS off and on over the years, but I had never followed an entire season until now. After seeing an overwhelming number of TikToks, I caved and decided to watch this season, and it did not disappoint. It was filled with drama, romance, humor, and never-ending searches for countless unanswered questions.
To start, the producers made bold choices this season, such as partnering pro dancer, Ezra Sosa with Anna Delvey, who served two years in prison for fraud and is currently under house arrest. Delvey performed with a bedazzled ankle monitor and was the first to be eliminated, alongside iconic 90210 actress Tori Spelling. The decision to have a former prisoner on the show drew mixed opinions and gained even more attention. Despite being eliminated early, there is no denying that Ezra was a huge part of the revival of this franchise. As a first-time pro, he truly brought it with his undying presence. His consistent TikToks gathered high engagement, even after being one of the first pros to be eliminated. Users found him very relatable and funny, as he too was confused by the romantic entanglements of some of the partners this season.
In addition, Joey Graziadei, this season's winner, (shown above) brought in a wave of younger viewers thanks to his popularity from the most recent season of The Bachelor. With his fiance, Kelsey Anderson in the audience each episode, The Bachelor lovers got a further taste of Kelsey and Joey’s relationship even after their season ended. Interestingly enough, Jenn Tran, who was also on Joey’s season of The Bachelor was on this season of DWTS as well. From a viewer’s perspective, nothing seemed awkward regarding that situation and they both remained very professional with each other throughout the season. Jenn’s partnership with pro, Sasha Farber, who has been on the show since Season 13 in 2011, started very strong, but as the weeks went on people began to suspect a romantic spark between them due to their closeness in videos and little remarks they would say in interviews. However, nothing has been confirmed and they continue to tease us with little hints here and there. This partnership and rumored romance captured everyone's attention, including Ezra, who eagerly sought answers just like the rest of us. He gave us a behind-the-scenes look into this season and made us feel like we were one of his friends by consistently posting his thoughts and getting the drama. It was a brilliant marketing tactic for the show even if he didn’t mean for it to be.
My favorite partnership this season was that of Rylee Arnold (shown above) and Stephen Nordoaski, an Olympic gymnast bronze medalist. At just 19 years old, she gave a youthful perspective to the show, especially compared to many pros in their 30s and 40s. The wholesome partnership of Rylee and Stephen captured the hearts of many viewers, including myself. As a new viewer, their hard work and gratefulness to be a part of this competition caused me to vote, which I had never done in the past. It’s truly amazing to see the special relationships that form on the show.
The judging panel–Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli–remained a central part of the show’s dynamic. However, Carrie Ann was a popular person to disagree with this season. Her critiques were often met with loud “boos” from the live audience, and social media joined, criticizing her inconsistency in scores and occasionally odd behavior. While the judges’ job is to score, Carrie Ann’s scoring choices sometimes baffled viewers. She would award a 10 to one dance and a more difficult dance a lower score. Despite this controversy, she brought additional drama to the show, embracing the role of the “villain” in the eyes of fans.
Season 33 was such a hit that many fans hope DWTS will return to its pre-COVID schedule of airing two seasons per year. I believe this could be possible because of the huge success of Season 33, and I am all in favor of it. For now, I don’t know what I will do with my Tuesday nights, but I’m looking forward to watching the next season, hopefully sooner rather than later.
