On September 26th, Dancing with the Stars returned to ABC and Disney+ for the premiere of the show’s 32nd season which included a new star-studded cast, phenomenal professional dancers, and a series of cha-cha dance duet performances.
The new season brings in a variety of celebrities, most notably including, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, Zoey 101 actress Jamie Lynn Spears, Too Hot to Handle star Harry Jowsey, and Marvel actress Xochitl Gomez.
Each week following the premiere, an episode will air with a specifically themed night that all the dances and dancers must follow. The dancers are scored by the judges as well as voted for by audience members watching the show live from anywhere. The dancers who receive the lowest amount of points and votes are eliminated from the show. The competition will continue over the course of several weeks until only one dancer-celebrity duo remains.
For a show that would be perceived as light-hearted entertainment, there has been controversy surrounding the show’s season premiere. In the lead-up to the premiere, the show received criticism from the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) after the show’s first episode of the new season was set to air in the midst of the writers’ strike even though the WGA covers the show. Many celebrities who are partaking in the new season of the show are members of the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) union that is striking among WGA writers for compensation for issues surrounding staffing, wages, and artificial intelligence.
Allegedly the show stated they would “be working in compliance with SAG-AFTRA rules,” and be focused “not to put talent in a tough spot, given that many Season 32 cast members are part of the actors’ guild,” according to Variety. In the days prior to the show’s premiere, the WGA reached a tentative agreement ending the writers’ strike. With that, Dancing With the Stars premiered the show on September 26th as they originally planned. However, the SAG-AFTRA strike has still not reached an end.
SAG-AFTRA member and season 32 cast member, Jamie Lynn Spears, took to Instagram after announcing her part on the show, sharing she will “use this unique opportunity to bring more awareness and to donate the salary I get for dancing each week back to the community (SAG-AFTRA).”
Despite the criticism leading up to the return of the series, the show has continued to air a new episode each week. The new episodes that have so far been released had themes including Motown night and Latin night and had shocking early eliminations including the elimination of model Tyson Beckford and actress Jamie Lynn Spears. As for what’s to come, several episodes are still yet to be released that will surely bring more dances and drama, and hopefully, one of these episodes will have the Taylor Swift-themed night that many have been eagerly anticipating for this new season.
