“Dancing With The Stars” is Back
Everything around us may be burning, but “Dancing With the Stars” makes everything feel like it's okay.
Source: Instagram
The 35th season of the show started last week, and I started watching for the first time since I was 13; my favorite ritual with my grandma. I didn’t realize how much this show meant to me until I was explaining the premise to those around me.
It’s a feel-good show. It’s people who are famously messy, becoming dedicated to learning how to dance. There’s no cynicism—no villain. People we know and love are mutually supporting each other in learning a complicated art form.
“Dancing With the Stars” shows people for who they are. We see the celebrities' vulnerabilities throughout the week as they try and fail to learn a new dance number. Many of the professionals have been there for over a decade, viewers have created bonds with these incredibly talented people, sometimes more than with the “stars.”
Connor Wood and Ciera Miller are two top celebrities in this year’s competition.
Ciera Miller went through a very public breakup this last year with West Wilson, who started dating Ciera’s alleged best friend within the Summer House universe. West Wilson also happens to be best friends with Connor Wood; something you wouldn’t know by watching the show. Any other show, or really any kind of media, would have taken this information and run with it to gain traction. Nothing about this relationship is said, which I think is really beautiful and respectful to the stars. It’s not about putting these people in a bad light for the things they’ve done publicly; it’s about watching people be vulnerable and learn how to dance.
Ezra Frech is a gold medal Paralympian who is winning over all our hearts, while foxtrotting with a full above-the-knee amputation. This season also showcases the many talents of our beloved Guillermo, ripping his shirt off last week to reveal the phrase “DANCING 4 THE PEOPLE” at the end of his dance, in response to the judges’ low scores. This season also started with the second woman-partner duo, Sarah Jane Nader and pro Hailey Bills, ever in the show. Unfortunately, they were voted out the first episode.
Source: Instagram
“Dancing With The Stars” is one of the few left. One of the only forms of entertainment that isn’t a marketing trap. We must keep it alive, let it bring us peace, and let it bring us together.
Does “Dancing with the Stars” resemble any other forms of entertainment? Leave a comment below.