Dancing with the Stars 2025: Season 34 Premiere — Dance Styles and Song Choices
Dancing with the Stars celebrates its 20th anniversary with Season 34, returning to the ballroom with a fresh lineup of celebrity competitors and new troupe members. The season is co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, while Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough return to the judges’ table. Fourteen celebrity-and-professional pairs will make their live-performance debuts, bringing a mix of classic ballroom technique and contemporary pop energy.
Season 34 premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 16 (8:00–10:00 p.m. EDT/PDT; 7:00–9:00 p.m. CDT) and will be simulcast live across ABC and Disney+ in local time zones, with episodes available the following day on Hulu. The premiere episode includes a high-energy opening number choreographed by Ray Leeper and set to “Kill the Lights” by Whitney Myer, plus a showcase from the new troupe—Carter Williams, Hailey Bills, Onye Stevenson and Jaxon Willard—dancing to “Just Keep Watching” by Tate McRae.
How to vote
Viewer participation plays a key role in each week’s results. Fans can vote during the live simulcast in the Eastern and Central time zones. During the live window, online voting will be open to viewers across the U.S., its territories and Canada through the show’s official voting site. Viewers in participating U.S. wireless carrier regions can also vote via SMS/text; Canadian viewers are not eligible to vote by text. For the first two weeks of competition, viewer votes will be combined with judges’ scores from both weeks to determine which couples may be at risk of elimination.
Premiere Dance Styles and Song Choices
- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck and partner Jan Ravnik will open the season with a Salsa to “NUEVAYoL” by Bad Bunny.
- Author and wellness influencer Hilaria Baldwin and partner Gleb Savchenko will perform a Cha Cha to “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez.
- Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles and partner Ezra Sosa will take the floor with a Salsa.
- NBA All-Star Baron Davis and partner Britt Stewart will dance a Cha Cha to “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer.
- Social media personality Alix Earle and partner Val Chmerkovskiy will perform a Cha Cha to “Circus” by Britney Spears.
- Social media and reality TV star Dylan Efron and partner Daniella Karagach will deliver a Cha Cha to “Milkshake” by Kelis.
- Actor and musician Corey Feldman and partner Jenna Johnson will perform a Tango to “It’s Still Rock & Roll To Me” by Billy Joel.
- Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel and partner Pasha Pashkov will dance a Tango to “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson.
- Film and television actress Elaine Hendrix and partner Alan Bersten will take on a Cha Cha to “Woman” by Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns.
- GRAMMY winner Scott Hoying of Pentatonix and partner Rylee Arnold will perform a Tango to “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga.
- Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and partner Witney Carson will bring high energy with a Jive to “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf.
- Former Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui and partner Brandon Armstrong will perform a Tango to “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande.
- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas will dance a Tango to “Golden” by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast.
- Comedian Andy Richter and partner Emma Slater will perform a Cha Cha to “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam & Dave.
The premiere promises a mix of classic ballroom styles—Tango, Cha Cha, Salsa and Jive—paired with contemporary and iconic songs chosen to showcase each celebrity’s personality and the pro partners’ choreography. The rehearsals, costume designs and first live performances will set the tone for the competition, giving viewers an immediate sense of which pairs might be early contenders and which may need time to develop.
In addition to the competitors and judges, the season highlights fresh choreography, new troupe members and production elements intended to mark the show’s 20th anniversary. Fans can expect the familiar structure—opening ensemble numbers, individual couple performances judged by the panel, and a combined scoring system that blends judges’ scores with live viewer votes as the season progresses.
Dancing with the Stars returns with its signature blend of celebrity competition, theatrical staging and live entertainment. With experienced hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough leading the broadcast and a veteran judging panel, Season 34 aims to honor the series’ legacy while introducing new talent and memorable performances.