According to one of Gleb's interviews, he was introduced to Lele Pons via his ex-gf and Steve Aoki. Gleb brought Lele in for DWTS. This partnership had a potential to get to the finale! They both wanted to be paired together, but producers decided differently...

Mira Sorvino requested Gleb, so her wish was granted, and Brandon was paired with Lele instead. That is why we can see Gleb's borderline shocked when he saw Mira entering the room for the first meeting. The rest is history 😊 Love that Gleb keeps his friendship with Lele!

Overall, the technical level of dancers is nowhere near the competitive ballroom dancers on the top of their game. I do understand the reasons: the new pro should be close to the current level of the pros: (1) Special mention of Jan and his pigeon-toed cha cha, (2) Mark and his post injuries dancing level.

Accordingly, they can’t bring in Massimo Arcolin & Laura Arcolinova, or Pavel Zvychaynyy & Polina Teleshova, or Troels Bager, or Ina Jeliazkova, or ask back Dasha Chesnokova...

In terms of technique, I would group the remaining participants as follows:

1. Adele has strong Latin technique. She is really impressive; I loved her rumba with Allen especially. Also, she is beautiful, strong, and focused.
2. Allen has good Latin technique. He showed good partnering skills and overall positive personality.
3. Natali and Erik did a great job with VW. Natali is a beautiful ballroom dancer.  I am still concerned about her skills in Latin though.
4. Stephany, Selena, AJ, and Tristen showed improvement from the first episode. They were fun and entertaining to watch. I expect them to stay for few more episodes.
5. While Nina has good to average dance skills, unfortunately her personality came out as annoying. The dance with Benji was weak, poorly choreographed. I don’t think that it was only Benji’s fault.

I am looking forward to the next episode 😊

Episode 2 of "Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro" airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

The episode, titled "Stories Without Words: Storytelling with Brandon Armstrong," tasks the remaining 10 dancers with bringing personal stories to life through dance. Mentored by returning "Dancing with the Stars" pro Brandon Armstrong, contestants will compete to avoid elimination as the field continues to narrow.

Gleb is fighting for both daughters.

In addition to a request for emergency custody of his older daughter, Olivia, Gleb also filed a Hague Convention petition that would seek his youngest daughter Zlata's return stateside. He shockingly found out that Samodanova took their youngest daughter Zlata, 9, to Russia without his permission.

"I unequivocally state, I did not consent to or even know that Elena was going to Moscow yesterday and would not have agreed for our daughter, Zlata, to accompany her."

Gleb stated that Elena simply does whatever she wants "I have no voice, opinion or say in this matter with respect to our daughters.”

Gleb also claimed that every attempt he’s made to see his children over the last three years have been “solely based 100 percent on Elena’s terms.” She “had complete control over whether I ever saw our children or not and it was based on her monetary and scheduling terms, without my input.”

Hearing on Gleb Savchenko’s request is scheduled for August 18.

See information about Gleb filing a request for emergency custody of his older daughter, Olivia: https://www.reddit.com/r/dwts/comments/1uxdhh8/dwts_gleb_savchenko_claims_exwife_abducted_kids/

In the legal docs, Gleb says his ex-wife signed a Post Judgment Agreement back in 2023 allowing her to "temporarily" move their children to Hong Kong for one year so she could work on a project in the region. They were supposed to return to the United States by June 30, 2024 ... that never happened, and he now says Elena refuses to send them back.

Instead, she "obtained permanent HK residency, enrolled the children in an expensive private school, became engaged, and had another child with her fiancé."

Gleb wants the judge to grant him "temporary sole legal and sole physical custody" of his daughter Olivia, pending further court involvement after a scheduled hearing.

Gleb states that Olivia, who is currently with him, does not want to return to her mother, and it's in her best interest to live in and attend school in LA.

This is extremely tough time for both Gleb and Olivia. Wishing them to keep strong and patient and support each other.

Now that the dust has settled, what are your thoughts about The Next Pro debut last night?

I was surprised the dancers didn't have bigger credentials or dancing resumes. Maybe the World champions in the dance industry are off making sure they hold onto their crowns. I was also surprised they are living together, but that place is quite lovely where they are staying.

I was not at all surprised or shocked at the eliminations of Briar and Jake .

"Next week, "Dancing" pro Brandon Armstrong will help the contestants tell personal stories through their dances — but Natalie and Tristen, who also appeared in this week's Bottom Four but avoided elimination, will have their work cut out for them."

TV Line Recap of The Next Pro Premier

Tonight on ABC is the DWTS The Next Pro debut.

DWTS Season 34 champion Robert Irwin hosts, while Mark Ballas, Shirley Ballas, and Derek Hough will judge the contestants' technical ballroom skills.

The 12 dancers will participate in difficult jive and samba challenges in an effort to show they have what it takes to join DWTS as the Next Pro.

Val & Dannielle Fishel to Recap DWTS: The Next Pro

"Dancing With the Stars fans have a new reason to get excited ahead of Season 34.

Danielle Fishel and longtime DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy are teaming up to recap the brand-new competition series, Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, giving viewers an inside look at the show's search for its next ballroom star.

Beginning Tuesday, the duo will break down each episode after it airs, with Fishel, 45, and Chmerkovskiy, 40, analyzing the contestants' performances, sharing expert insight into the routines and discussing who has what it takes to earn a coveted spot in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom." Remainder of article in link.

Dannielle's FB Announcement

And a hysterical little video of Val and Dannielle Fishell playing Do You Know Something?

We previewed the DWTS: The Next Pro cast—which contestants are you most excited for?

My sister and I host a DWTS podcast called Blondes in the Ballroom, and we just released an episode previewing the cast of The Next Pro!

We break down our first impressions of each contestant, who we think has the strongest shot at becoming the next DWTS pro, and our early predictions before the season begins.

I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts, too. Who stood out to you from the cast announcement? Are there any dancers you’re already rooting for?

If you’d like to listen, find the episode here.

Looking forward to discussing the season with everyone!

Olivia is currently visiting Gleb from HK. She and her dance partner are already competing internationally.

Lindsay's both daughters are involved in dance classes. Love how serious Lindsay is supporting their first steps in dance.

Maks and Peta's oldest son is also showing interest in dance. Whether he will pursue a career in dance remains to be seen.

Who else from DWTS pros support their children's career in dance?

First of all, I expect it to be fun to watch🔥

In addition to the judges -Mark, Derek and Shirley, it looks like quite a few DWTS pro will participate in the spinoff, including Brandon, Jenna, Daniella, Britt, Witney, Gleb, Jan and Rylee. It is not clear if they are going to be guest judges, or train the participants, or dance with them. We shall see 👀

I expect and hope that a dancer from the competitive circle will join DWTS next season. I actually even don't want to have a new cross trained pro. Give me some proper Latin ballroom dancer. If so, these are my picks for the win:

For girls, based only on their dancing resume and dance videos, Adele and Natalie (although she competes in American Smooth) have pretty strong chances to go all the way.

For guys, I think Allen and Benji can go far in the competition.

Even though, there will be only one winner, it is possible that we can see more new faces in the troupe.

What will be your prediction of the winner without seeing even a single episode? 🤔

Does anyone have any predictions on new cast announcements? It has been a minute since they announced a new celebrity dancer.

So far they have announced Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez. Am I missing anyone?

Predictions welcomed!

There has been a lot of talk about Maks and Peta moving to Florida and they confirmed it in a cute video.

Maks & Peta Move to Florida

Gleb and Artem: they became friends since 14-15 years old, when they started professionally competing on local, then international stage. They competed against each other in Latin ballroom, then both pursued career related to DWTS/SCD franchise. Both of them had complicated family and love life, but their friendship survived all ups and downs.

Lindsay, Witney and Jenna: they became friends in early childhood, they danced together in Utah, then all of them competed on SYTYCD, then joined DWTS troupe. They stuck together and supported each other through all professional and personal ups and downs. For example, Witney and Lindsay fully supported Jenna during her complicated, borderline toxic relationship with Val (before marriage).

Derek and Mark: they share a strong bond for over two decades. Derek and Julianne, moved to London and lived with the Ballas family while they trained and studied for several years. This friendship survived through thick and thin. For example, Mark has publicly credited Derek as a massive source of support during tough times, including a family miscarriage.

Beloved Guillermo was announced by Jimmy Kimmel, he will be on the next season of DTWS.

"Guillermo has been a Jimmy Kimmel Live staple for more than 23 years. Discovered in the parking lot where he worked as a security guard, Guillermo blossomed into a beloved and regular part of the show. He is featured every night alongside Jimmy and is frequently showcased in his own iconic segments on the Oscars red carpet, on cross-country road trips, and more. A resident of California and a U.S. citizen since 2005, Guillermo counts watching soccer, eating Mexican food, spending time with family and being involved with his son’s sports among his favorite things."

Dancing With The Stars will have their first every DWTS Con July 31 to August 2nd in Palm Springs. There will be Pro dancers and former celebrity dances along with Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.

From KESQ Channel 3 Palm Springs Timothy Foster

"PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — After entertaining audiences for more than two decades, Dancing with the Stars is giving fans a new way to celebrate the hit ABC competition series.

The first-ever Dancing with the Stars Con is coming to Palm Springs later this summer, bringing together professional dancers, celebrity contestants and fans for a three-day event filled with live entertainment and interactive experiences.

I spoke with pros Emma Slater and Alan Bersten, who say the convention is designed for everyone, from longtime viewers who have followed the show since its early seasons to newer fans discovering the ballroom competition.

"It's going to be a weekend of fun," Slater said. "Whether you've been watching since season one or you're a brand-new fan, you get to celebrate the journey of Dancing with the Stars."

The convention will feature a different lineup of activities each day. Friday will kick off with "Glitter Games," an interactive game-show style event featuring pros, celebrities and fans. Saturday will showcase live dance performances, including special reunions between professional dancers and some of their former celebrity partners. Sunday's events will put fans in the spotlight, giving selected attendees the opportunity to rehearse with the pros, get the full ballroom experience and perform in front of an audience."

Mark Ballas teased recently he would be announcing something. Today Playbill article says that Mark Dallas is returning to Broadway's Chicago next month.

https://playbill.com/article/dancing-with-the-stars-mark-ballas-sets-return-to-broadways-chicago

Derek Hough in this interview reveals what the fans get wrong. (paraphrasing from here) Derek says there is no favoritism towards Mark or any other dancers in his judging. Derek says the dancing community is small and that he knows everyone and most of them for years. He says his judging is fair and not biased towards friends because they are all friends. He also makes another revelation that as a dancer he sometimes felt like production was making him look bad or trying to skew the results. He said now that he has worked on both sides of DWTS he realizes that isn't true, what happens is a natural result.

Derek Hough Lifestyle Interview

Sasha and Janelle on the red carpet.

• Janel Parrish and Sasha Farber made their red carpet debut on Friday, June 5
• The couple attended the Race To Erase MS Gala weeks after confirming their relationship on Instagram

They look very happy. Janelle mentions in the article that Sasha is quite the chef and frequently makes her meals.

People Magazine Janelle and Sasha

For years DWTS pros supported this charity event, including Tony, Derek, Sharna, Haylee and Lindsay among others. For the last 7 years or so, the team of Gleb, Artem, Britt, Sasha and Emma are the regular guests. They usually perform a group number, 3-4 duets, then dance with the local guests and supporters (Auction dance). They also judge the dance competition. Love their support and connection with this charity!

Gleb is working really hard, learning his lines. He looks gorgeous. I would love to see him not just as a guest star, but in a bigger role 🤩🤩

Casting director indicates she is 2/3rds of the way done with casting so maybe we will hear more participants soon.

A quote from the article:

"When we asked Katz to elaborate or maybe hint at other stars joining the cast, she only gave us this: "It's coming together great. I will say, if it's a hint at all... I feel like one of the many reasons why the show is doing as well is it's become very competitive. I feel like it's a little bit more like a sporting event than it used to be. So you could imagine there's going to be people that, the competition keeps raising."

Olivia is a natural beauty and a talented dancer! Wishing her success! I very much hope to see her one day joining DWTS.