Over the course of 21 years, “Dancing With the Stars” has featured a wide cast of pro dancers. As fans eagerly anticipate the premiere of “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro,” current pros are remembering their own journeys.
See what they had to say about their own auditions and what the road to DWTS truly looks like.
Emma Slater & Alan Bersten Both Started in the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Troupe
Pros Alan Bersten and Emma Slater appeared on the “Not Married to This” podcast with Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt to talk about their experiences on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“I got an invite because I was on a Broadway show,” Emma remembered about her journey to the show. “And this Broadway show was like, the biggest ballroom dancing show in the world. I was actually on the show with Sharna [Burgess], and Sasha [Farber], and Peta [Murgatroyd]. So a lot of people that came from the show called ‘Burn the Floor’ went to ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ So they knew who I was and recruited me from there.”
“I did ‘So You Think You Can Dance,‘” Alan chimed in. “I did an interview on camera, I was very nervous, very sweaty. And then I think they already knew I could dance a little bit from ‘SYTYCD,’ but I did a dance as well, just like with a partner. And then from there they put me on troupe. So I started season 20.”
The podcast host inquired if the troupe was a typical first step to achieving pro status. Emma and Alan confirmed that it was fairly common and they were both in the troupe first. But every pro dancer has their own unique journey. They discussed Jan Ravnik, who came directly from Taylor Swift’s tour, bypassing the troupe altogether.
“Neither was Rylee [Arnold],” Alan continued. “But like again, Rylee did [‘Dancing With the Stars: Juniors’]. So she had a small feel for it.”
On top of that, Rylee’s oldest sister, Lindsay Arnold, was a pro dancer on the show for years. She grew up watching her sister compete and spending time with the other pros on set.
Ultimately, Emma Slater and Alan Bersten believe it’s an excellent idea for future pros to go through the troupe first.
“I think it’s very good for people to go on troupe first, just to like, learn the show,” Alan explained. “Because if you’re thrown into it, it’s scary.”
Ezra Sosa Says ‘Nothing’ Could Have Prepared Him For Being a Pro
This year, Ezra Sosa will experience his third season as a pro dancer. Like many others, he got his start on “So You Think You Can Dance” and went on to be part of the DWTS troupe. However, it wasn’t easy. He joined the show during season 30, during the height of the pandemic.
“It was during COVID, so not a typical audition,” Ezra told Parade. “It was all through Zoom. And actually, I felt like when I got on the show, I had catfished them.”
“I just sat on Zoom with them, and I was just sending them pictures and videos of me,” the 25-year-old explained. “It’s not like you’re meeting them in real life. So I’m like, ‘What if I meet them and I’m just not what they expect?’ I remember every interview and meeting I had with them, they kept asking my height, like, ‘You’re six feet, right?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m six feet!’ And when I met them in person, they were like, ‘Oh, we just didn’t really believe you.’”
After season 30, Ezra Sosa went on tour with JoJo Siwa. They practiced for his future DWTS auditions in hopes that Ezra would achieve pro status someday. He later made his pro debut in season 33.
“I always say no matter, no matter how much practice or prepping that you can do, nothing can prepare you for being a pro,” the Utah dancer continued. “I probably came up with 15+ dances with JoJo Siwa. And then my first partner was Anna Delvey. There is no way to prepare for that.”
Execs Hunt For the Next ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro
New pros grace the ballroom every season. But this year, executives held a reality competition to find the next pro dancer. This summer, 12 hopeful dancers compete for a spot on “Dancing With the Stars.”
“Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” begins on Monday, July 13, on ABC. DWTS season 35 premieres this fall.
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