Dancing With the Stars is waltzing its way into new territory.
Videos by Suggest
The franchise is launching a new spinoff that takes the competition outside the ballroom, with a fan-favorite alum leading the charge.
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro will come to ABC later this year, hosted by Season 34 Mirrorball winner Robert Irwin, ABC and Hulu recently announced.
Premiering on July 13, the spinoff will follow “12 exceptional up-and-coming dancers who move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process, all vying for a coveted spot as a pro dancer” on Season 35, according to the network. The Next Pro is the first major expansion of the Dancing With the Stars franchise since its 2005 premiere.
Dancing With the Stars pro Mark Ballas and his mother, celebrated ballroom dancer Shirley Ballas, will serve as judges. They will be joined by a rotating panel of guest judges and mentors. Details about the returning pros and contestants will be announced later.
Robert Irwin Calls Stepping Back into ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Spinoff ‘an Honor’
Of course, Irwin is stoked to be part of the DWTS franchise again.
“It has been such an honor to step back into the Dancing With the Stars world,” Irwin gushed at the “Get Real” event on April 22. “Dancing With the Stars has changed my life, and honestly, we, the stars, could not do it without the most incredible pros giving everything to their partner every single season.”
“Now it’s time to find the next pro who can keep up with our seasoned pros in the ballroom, and whip those rookie stars into shape,” Shirley added.
At the “Get Real” event, ABC also announced the first two celebrity contestants for Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars. Maura Higgins, known for Love Island and The Traitors, will compete alongside Summer House‘s Ciara Miller in the upcoming season, which is set to premiere this fall.
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro will cha-cha its way onto your screens on July 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.