Derek Hough says Shirley Ballas is “like my mom,” and he is eager for U.S. viewers to see the judge he trained with years ago as she joins Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. Hough called Ballas an “absolute icon in the ballroom” and said, “I’m excited for America to meet her.”
Ballas, 65, will judge the new spinoff alongside her son, Mark, as the franchise expands with a format built around 12 up-and-coming dancers who will live and train together before facing an audition process. The winner will earn a spot as a pro on the flagship series.
The addition of Ballas gives the spinoff another familiar face with deep ballroom credentials. She is already known in dance circles as the Queen of Latin and currently serves as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing in England, while Robert Irwin was confirmed as host of the program last month after winning the DWTS Mirrorball trophy last season with Witney Carson.
The show’s early cast list is also starting to take shape. Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins and Jackson Olson are among the contestants confirmed for Season 35, though the full cast and pro dance partners will be announced later.
That leaves the competition with a familiar setup and a fresh twist: a training-house format designed to test whether a dancer can survive both the daily grind and the pressure of the audition stage. With the premiere set for ABC on July 13, the franchise is betting that the mix of new talent, old rivalries and a judge with ballroom pedigree will give the spinoff an identity of its own.
