‘Dancing With the Stars’ Shows That We Are Becoming Like Our Parents

      Growing up, one of my grandmother’s most notable characteristics was her passion for ballroom dancing. You couldn’t engage her in conversation for five minutes without her mentioning the foxtrot, suggesting how a particular song would make a great samba, or reminiscing about some award-winning dance moves she once mastered. Naturally, her enthusiasm for ballroom dancing extended to her fondness for the epitome of ballroom dance in popular culture—Dancing with the Stars. There was nothing I enjoyed more than settling onto the couch with her, taking on the role of a makeshift judge and critiquing each performance on screen.

      While these memories with my grandma are dear to me, for many years, Dancing with the Stars was simply that: a show watched alongside your grandma. It wasn't something that sparked excitement in group chats; it was merely that TV program your parents adored, which you might have caught a glimpse of when entering the living room. However, after 34 seasons, that has drastically changed.

      Nowadays, you can’t scroll through TikTok without encountering content related to Dancing with the Stars. Voting records are shattered each week, and the collective fascination with the show seems to be one of the few things Gen Z and millennials agree upon. But why is a show celebrating its 20th anniversary the hottest topic of discussion? Is a comparable obsession with American Idol on the horizon? I’m diving into what makes this season of Dancing with the Stars distinct—and why it’s dominating conversations.

      Why is Dancing with the Stars more popular than ever?

      The TikTok Influence on Dancing with the Stars

      If you're a new fan of DWTS, it may seem like an influx of viewers began watching this season, but the show’s revival actually started a few years back when Rylee Arnold—professional dancer and sister to former pro Lindsay Arnold—joined as the youngest cast member. By sharing her journey on TikTok, she attracted a wave of younger fans eager to see her succeed. Her partnership with reality TV star Harry Jowsey and the ensuing romance rumors only heightened the internet's intrigue. Additionally, her friend Ezra Sosa, part of the Dancing with the Stars troupe (a team of dancers who support the pros and perform short routines between dances), also gained a significant following on TikTok, drawing in even more fans.

      The following season, following the surge in popularity of Rylee and Ezra, the show promoted Ezra to a professional dancer and embraced a new strategy to engage online audiences. Casting director Deena Katz capitalized on the newfound TikTok attention by selecting internet celebrities and well-known figures (who could forget Anna Delvey's brief but memorable appearance on the show?). She even tapped into the robust Swiftie community by including Taylor Swift's favored backup dancer, Jan Ravnik, in the lineup this season.

      “The fan engagement—through voting and posting—has transformed DWTS from a show you might have heard of but never really watched into a viewing powerhouse that rivals the Sunday night slots of HBO.”

      Once a platform where D-list sitcom actors came to capture brief moments of attention after their careers declined, this season’s cast features some of the internet’s most popular personalities: Alix Earle, Whitney Leavitt, Robert Irwin, Jordan Chiles, and Jen Affleck. Even the more seasoned stars, who aren't influencers, have stirred up viral moments on TikTok. Elaine Hendrix may be recognized as an actress, but the Meredith Blake aesthetic (one of her memorable roles) was once a major TikTok trend. This season, eliminated pros have begun hosting TikTok livestreams during the show, allowing fans to engage in the DWTS dialogue without leaving the app. Rather than clinging to its traditional format, the show was prepared to meet its audience where they already are by featuring personalities we’re all following and enjoying.

      Everyone is part of the discussion

      The show didn't just present an engaging cast and hope everything else would align. They embraced something that’s arguably as crucial as the show itself: the online post-show discussions. Simply having an appealing cast isn’t enough; the interaction from fans—voting and posting—has significantly changed DWTS from a show you might have known about but didn’t really engage with into a dominant viewing force that rivals popular Sunday night programming.

      In addition to the TikTok livestream, the show introduced an official Dancing with the Stars podcast, hosted by last season's winner and Bachelor star Joey Graziadei. He interviews celebrities and pros weekly, providing fans with more material to discuss. Former pros have also jumped on the trend, utilizing their own podcasts and social media to recap episodes, critique performances, debate judges' scores, and share their professional insights. In the meantime, every pro and celebrity has utilized social media to connect with fans and solicit votes. With new vlog content being released weekly, there’s always something to engage with between episodes, not to mention the endless fan commentary. All this supplementary material has cultivated an incredibly engaged and opinionated fanbase that