by Marissa Harris ‘22

From my elementary school years to now, I have always enjoyed watching Dancing with the Stars. The pairs take each week’s theme very seriously, and the eliminations become more intense over time.While ratings have been dropping this season, I still find the show to be just as entertaining and exciting as it was years ago. It does get corny at times, but the show is overall very positive and is very real, unlike a lot of other so-called “reality”shows and competitions. 

One of the main reasons why I always come back to this show is because I enjoy hearing about the backstories of the contestants. They all have endured different obstacles and situations throughout their lives. This season, TV personality Amanda Kloots’s story touched me like no other. Her husband, Nick Cordero, passed away last year due to Covid-19 complications. “I grew up dancing, I did Broadway for 17 years and then everything that happened to me, the pandemic and losing my husband, this opportunity is kind of a way to find myself again and to feel his presence every day,”  said Klootsat the beginning of the season. She is truly a warrior and I am very glad she was asked to be on the show. 

The social media star Jojo Siwaalso was chosen to participate on the current season of Dancing with the Stars. I was happy to hear this as I remember watching her on the reality show Dance Moms. Specifically, I have loved Siwa’s costumes so far on the show. During Disney week, Siwa and her partner took on the roles of Prince Charming and Cinderella, with Siwa as the prince. 

The show keeps viewers hooked with intense eliminations each week. I always enjoy playing a guessing game with either myself or with my family. My parents and I will sometimes watch the dances and each try to guess the scores they are going to get. I always like to place a guess as to who will be going home each week. 

The show chooses stars with a range of ages. While the older competitors do not usually end up winning, I do like how the producers choose people of all ages to participate. This makes it exciting to watch with family as my parents may know some of the stars that I have never heard of and vice versa. 

Another aspect of the show that keeps me tuning back each season is how the show is live every week. This ensures that nothing is really edited in, and I am watching the performances at the same time the judges are. Also, I can vote right on the spot. While some may say the show is not as good as it used to be, Dancing with the Stars is just as enjoyable to watch as it was during previous seasons.