“Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” Ready For Its Debut! Why 3-time DWTS Champ Mark Ballas Says To Tune In
It's pretty cool to see this happening, and for this new show, you’re going to get to know these dancers a little bit more closely before they step into the big stage. - Mark Ballas
For everyone who’s been craving a summertime “Dancing with the Stars” series like we have, get ready for “The Next Pro.” For the first time in history, the best dancers will compete for a spot as the next professional in this new addition to the DWTS hit series franchise. And it all starts Monday night!
“Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” premieres July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with episodes available the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Hosted by wildlife conservationist and “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34 Len Goodman Mirrorball Champion Robert Irwin, “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” features 12 exceptional up-and-coming dancers who move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process, all vying for a coveted spot as a pro dancer on Season 35 of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas and his mother, Shirley Ballas, “The Queen of Latin” and head judge of BBC1’s flagship show “Strictly Come Dancing,” will serve as judges. They will be joined by a star-studded lineup of returning pros including Derek Hough and Britt Stewart, who will serve as rotating mentors and guest judges.
We had a chance to catch up with Mark Ballas last Friday afternoon to get his take on what we’re about to see and why he believes DWTS is stronger than ever.
Ballas, who has competed in a total of 21 seasons of “Dancing with the Stars” made his debut in Season 4. He won his first Mirrorball trophy in Season 6 with Kristi Yamaguchi, his second in Season 8 with Shawn Johnson, and his third in Season 31 with Charli D’Amelio. First and foremost, he told us he’s excited for the incredible level of dance the viewers are about to see and how the new show stays true to the DWTS ballroom roots.
“First, all the kids can dance, obviously, but at the end of the day, “Dancing with the Stars” is centered around ballroom and Latin dancing. Yes, we throw in jazz and contemporary, and yes, it’s great to be multi-trained, right? But at the end of the day, if you make it to the end, 80% of your dances will be either the five ballroom or the five Latin dances. On this journey, you’ll see all levels. You can see people’s strengths and people’s weaknesses, and what their specialties are.”
Working so closely alongside his mom and Hough is nothing new for Ballas, who loves the family atmosphere at the judging table on “The Next Pro” and the opportunities it brings for a few friendly debates throughout the series.
“It’s just another day at the office for me!” he laughed. “I was cueing my mom and dad’s music when I was 6 years old. My mom and my dad were both my coaches; Derek, Julianne (Hough), Daniella (Karagach), Pasha (Pashkov), Val (Chmerkovskiy) … you name them, they trained them.
“There’s no one more knowledgeable than [my mom]. She is the elite of the elite. The cool thing is that she’s always come at it as a judge. I’m coming at it as someone who’s done this show for 21 seasons as a pro, and I’ve been in every scenario. Because I’m trained by my mom, we see a lot of things very similar. But we also disagreed on quite a lot, because she comes from a very elite-like technical standpoint and is also a beautiful artist in her own right. And I’ve spent the last 20 years crafting routines for celebrities in this show, and I understand that very well. “
Ballas also said to expect a few surprises along the way as the series progresses and the dancers get ultra-competitive. “It takes a lot to surprise me, just because I’ve been doing “Dancing with the Stars” for so long, and my mother is an elite ballroom dancing champion. I’ve been watching the best of the best since I was born. It takes a lot to really rock me. But I will say I was rocked a couple times. I saw some really good stuff out there, which I’m looking forward to the audience getting into.”
What Ballas also loves most about “The Next Pro” series is how the show is focused on who the professional dancers are just as much offstage as on.
“This show is focused around these pro dancers—they’re not pros yet for our show, but they’re fighting for that pro spot,” he said, “I’m hopeful to watch it back and [see them] highlight how intricate the job is of the pro. “Dancing with the Stars” did a great job of putting all these challenges together from choreography challenges, chemistry challenges, group work challenges, and teaching challenges, that are really high stakes. Trust me, I’ve done the job 21 times. It’s high pressure, but this particular show is focused around the pro, so I’m hopeful that throughout this journey, you will really get invested in dancers, and most importantly in our winner.”
Getting to know the dancers on an even deeper level is something he believes fans of the franchise crave even more as the show continues to see a resurgence in ratings and popularity. “Dancing with the Stars” celebrated its milestone 20th Anniversary last fall, setting records week after week with more viewers and more votes. The show’s strong performances in week three pushed ABC to a resounding win for the night in entertainment among both Total Viewers (5.30 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.92 rating). It’s also one of the few dance reality-type competition shows that has stood the test of time and continues to attract new audiences—TikTok night turned in the show’s strongest performance among Adults 18-34 (1.38 rating) in over eight years. The Season 34 finale (November 26, 2025) shattered all voting records by logging 72 million votes in a single episode.
In addition, in so many ways, the DWTS professionals have become the real stars of the show and the ones we love to follow so much on social media. Over the years, the cast has seen incredible growth in their creation, direction, and production of live tours, competitions, conventions, and masterclasses. They are regulars on the morning show circuit, and in addition to expanding their own platforms, they have also become authors, lifestyle influencers, and podcast hosts, with product launches and promotions on and off the ballroom floor.
Ballas believes there are multiple reasons for the show’s longevity and popularity—the art and the access—and that those reasons feed directly into why “The Next Pro” should prove to be an exciting addition to the DWTS franchise.
‘It’s always about the art first for me. I just try my best to be a vessel and a ship for my celebrity to sail to the best destination that they can, ” he said. “It’s really cool that “Dancing with the Stars” is essentially back better than ever. It feels like the good old days, like when it first started, but even more modern. You get more access and learn more about the show. When I started, Twitter didn’t even exist! So it’s pretty cool to see this happening, and for this new show, you’re going to get to know these dancers a little bit more closely before they step into the big stage.”
And for the fans tuning hoping to see the usual cast of pros they’ve come to love, Ballas encourages everyone to enjoy what the new dancers bring to the table. “I just encourage our fan base to to tune in, enjoy it, have an open mind. We’re not doing “Dancing with the Stars.” It will feel similar. There will be things that are similar, and have an open mind.”
“Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” is produced by BBC Studios. Conrad Green serves as showrunner and executive producer. Ryan O’Dowd, Krystal Whitney, Alex Cross and Jenny Groom are executive producers. Deena Katz and Quinn Lipton are co-executive producers.
See much more from Mark Ballas, including the heartwarming moment that made us cry, and the “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” in the next issue of Inside Dance magazine.
