‘Dancing With the Stars’: Every Season 34 Theme Revealed After Epic Premiere

Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars is officially underway! The show premiered on Tuesday, September 16, and just two days later, the show’s official Instagram account revealed all the themes that the pairs will be dancing to in the weeks to come.

This season will feature 11 episodes in total. Week 1 featured all 14 contestants dancing to their “personal anthem” songs. For the next nine weeks, there will be a different theme for each episode (which we lay out below). Plus, of course, the epic finale will feature the freestyle dances and more.

Now that it’s been 20 years since the show premiered, the stakes are higher than ever this season! (Check out our exclusive Season 34 Fall TV preview here.) From the premiere date to the Season 34 pros and themes, here’s what we know about Season 34 of DWTS.

When will Dancing With the Stars Season 34 premiere?

Dancing With the Stars returns on Tuesday, September 16, at 8/7c. ABC confirmed the premiere news on July 17 after previously revealing that the show will air in a two-hour time slot on Tuesdays at 8/7c. It is followed in the lineup by High Potential.

Who is in the DWTS Season 34 cast?

The full cast list was announced on September 3. However, ahead of the big reveal, ABC confirmed four celebrities who would be putting on their dancing shoes: wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin, social media star Alix Earle, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Whitney Leavitt and Jennifer Affleck. “Crikey! The first celebrity for the new #DWTS season is here! Who else do you want to see in the ballroom this fall? 🪩✨” the DWTS page posted on April 22. The video revealed Irwin as the first celebrity.

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Exactly one month later, news of Earle’s casting was made on Good Morning America. She appeared live on the morning show to share the news.

“I’ve always been a fan of Dancing With the Stars. I used to watch it when I was so young with my grandma and she always used to say to me, ‘Maybe one day you could be on there.’ I was always so in love with dance. When this opportunity came to me, it was like, what can I do next? Where can I take this? I’m ready to challenge myself. I think it’s going to be fun. It was a very obvious answer to say yes.”

Meanwhile, Affleck and Leavitt’s casting was revealed during The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Reunion Special. At first, host Nick Viall only named Affleck as a contestant, but noted that both she and Leavitt wanted it the most. “I cannot tell you how excited I am,” Affleck gushed through tears. Later, Viall added that Leavitt would also be part of the show.

The rest of the cast includes Dylan Efron, Corey Feldman, Hilaria Baldwin, Andy Richter, Danielle Fishel, Jordan Chiles, Baron Davis, Elaine Hendrix, Scott Hoying, and Lauren Jauregui. On GMA, Jauregui revealed that she had just joined the show two days earlier!

Which pros are on DWTS Season 34?

The list of pros on Dancing With the Stars changes every season based on various circumstances. The first pro confirmed for Season 34 was actually the only rookie: Jan Ravnik. Ravnik was previously a dancer on Taylor Swift‘s Eras tour.

The rest of the pros on Season 34 are: Alan Bersten, Emma Slater, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Britt Stewart, Daniella Kargach, Brandon Armstrong, Jenna Johnson, Pasha Pashkov, Witney Carson, Gleb Savchenko, Rylee Arnold, Ezra Sosa, and Mark Ballas. This is Ballas’ first time returning to the ballroom since Season 31, which he won with Charli D’Amelio.

Noticeably missing from the list is Sasha Farber, who has been part of the show since 2012, first as a member of the troupe, and then as a pro. Interestingly, Savchenko first said he wasn’t returning as a pro for the new season, but he, indeed, is part of the cast.

The dancers in the troupe this year are: Hailey Bills, Onye Stevenson, Carter Williams, and Jaxon Willard.

Judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli are coming back to the judges’ table for Season 34, as well as co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. Inaba and Tonioli have been with the show since its first season.

What are the Dancing With the Stars Season 34 pairings?

Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik
Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko
Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa
Baron Davis and Britt Stewart
Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach
Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten
Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold
Robert Irwin and Witney Carson
Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas
Andy Richter and Emma Slater

What are the themes for Dancing With the Stars Season 34?

Tuesday, September 23 — One-Hit Wonders Night
Tuesday, September 30 — TikTok Night
Tuesday, October 7 — Disney Night (in celebration of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary)
Tuesday, October 14 — Dedication Night
Tuesday, October 21 — Wicked Night
Tuesday, October 28 — Halloween Night
Tuesday, November 4 — Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night
Tuesday, November 11 — A 20th Birthday Party (in celebration of the show’s 20th anniversary)
Tuesday, November 18 — Prince Night (Semifinals)
Tuesday, November 25 — Three-Hour Finale

Dancing With the Stars Season 34, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC, Disney+ (next day on Hulu)

For more Dancing With the Stars, pick up a copy of TV Guide Magazine’s Dancing With the Stars: 20th Anniversary Special Collectors Issue, on stands now or available at DWTS.TVGM2025.com.