‘Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro’ Cast: Get to Know the Contestants
When Dancing With the Stars returns for Season 35 in September, there will be a new pro dancer on the ballroom floor. However, we won’t know who it is until closer to the premiere because the winner is being chosen on the summer spinoff, Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.
Hosted by Season 34 DWTS champ Robert Irwin, The Next Pro will feature 12 contestants living together and competing to become the new DWTS pro. Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas are serving as judges, while there will also be a rotating guest judge.
All of the cast members are incredibly talented dancers, so picking just one to make it onto the main DWTS cast will be no easy feat.
Below, we rounded up more to know about the 12 contestants, including their ages and how to follow them on Instagram. Scroll down to learn more and pop into the comments section to make your prediction for who will win.
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Series Premiere, Monday, July 13, 9/8c, ABC
AJ Pritchard
Age: 31
Instagram: @aj11ace
AJ Pritchard’s brother is Love Island UK alum Curtis Pritchard. AJ was a semifinalist on 7 of Britain’s Got Talent and danced on Strictly Come Dancing for four seasons.
Adele Zaikman
Age: 24
Instagram: @adele.zaikman
Adele Zaikman, who is Israeli and Ukranian, lives in Los Angeles and currently works as a dance teacher.
Benji Castro
Age: 25
Instagram: @benjamincastro01
Benji Castro was on Season 16 of So You Think You Can Dance and made it to the Top 8. He is from Chile but moved to America when he was 2 years old.
Briar Nolet
Age: 27
Instagram: @briarnolet
Briar Nolet hails from Canada, but currently lives in Los Angeles. In addition to dancing, she is also an actress best known for starring on The Next Step in Canada.
Erik Linder
Age: 26
Instagram: @erik_linder1
Erik Linder and his ballroom partner, Shelly Linder, auditioned for Season 16 of America’s Got Talent but did not make it onto the show. He was a semifinalist on the show’s fourth season with partner Rickie.
Allan Genkin
Age: 35
Instagram: @allengenkin
Allen Genkin was on Season 15 of SYTYCD, but was eliminated in the Top 20. He won the DWTS Ballroom Battle in 2012 and now owns a dance studio in California.
Jake Monreal
Age: 22
Instagram: @jakemonreal33
Jake Monreal was on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors. He was partnered with Sophia Pippen and they were the fourth couple eliminated. Jake also finished in seventh place on SYTYCD Season 13.
Natalie Jolley
Nina Mayster
Age: 28
Instagram: @ninaxmayster
Nina Mayster lives in Pennsylvania and owns a dance boutique that sells practice wear, competition attire, and more. She moved to the U.S. from Ukraine when she was 4.
Selena Hamilton
Age: Unknown
Instagram: @selenarhamilton
Selena Hamilton was in a GAP ad with KATSEYE and has worked as a backup dancer for Doechii.
Stephani Sosa
Age: 2
Instagram: @stephychica
Stephani Sosa’s brother is DWTS pro Ezra Sosa. She was previously in the DWTS troupe for Season 33, but was let go ahead of Season 34.
Tristen Sanders
Age: Unknown
Instagram: @tristen.christopher
Tristen Sanders specializes in ballroom and hip-hop dance. He is a manager at a dance studio in Atlanta.
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