There’s been a lot of talk about Dancing With The Stars‘ newest spin off series DWTS: The Next Pro, since FOX announced the cancelation of So You Think You Can Dance. Does DWTS: The Next Pro have the potential to be the next So You Think You Can Dance?
So You Think You Can Dance Canceled by FOX
The news of So You Think You Can Dance being canceled was admittedly not a surprise to many. The show, who’s last season premiered in 2024 has been a dynamic competition for dancers hoping to make it in Hollywood. There was a clear So You Think You Can Dance to Dancing With The Stars pipeline, since the FOX series was known well for discovering brand new talent.
In its prime, So You Think You Can Dance was the prime competition show for dancers, since it featured several dance types, like Hip-Hop, Street, Ballroom, Latin Ballroom, Contemporary, Classical Ballet, and more. There was a space for almost any dancer hoping to make a career out of their passion.
Following So You Think You Can Dance‘s coronavirus pause, the show tried to re-brand bringing in new judges, with the same competition format. This was followed with a ton of controversy with Matthew Morrison being ejected from the panel, Nigel Lythgoe being accused of sexual assault by Paula Abdul, and the passing of legendary dancer Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss.
Will DWTS: The Next Pro Replace So You Think You Can Dance?
Even though Dancing With The Stars is on a completely different cable network than So You Think You Can Dance, there has always been a clear link between the two shows. Since the dance competition series featured ballroom dance as apart of their competition, it makes sense that casting would look directly at the fellow competition show when casting new professionals.
It’s kind of a stretch to say that DWTS: The Next Pro has the potential to be as big as So You Think You Can Dance at this time. To begin, the main objective of the FOX series was finding up and coming dancers in multiple different genres. While the ABC show is directly linked with ballroom/latin ballroom dance styles.
Though, opportunities have the potential to be similar to the FOX series, since ballroom dancers were typically picked up by the ABC series after anyway. It will be interesting to see how this works out in the long run and if the series gets renewed.
Which DWTS Pros Were on So You Think You Can Dance?
Believe it or not, some of the well-known professional cast has taken apart of So You Think You Can Dance. Of the current cast, Witney Carson, Jenna Johnson, Alan Bersten, and Ezra Sosa are most notable for being on the FOX competition show. Other professional dancers that previously took part in the competition include, Artem Chigvintsev, Lindsay Arnold, Hayley Erbert, Lacey Schwimmer, Chelsie Hightower, Alison Holker, Koko Iwasaki and Alexis Warr Burton.
There’s also two cast members from DWTS: The Next Pro who has taken part in the FOX series before, Jake Monreal and Stephani Sosa. Jake took part in the thirteenth season of the show, finishing out the competition in seventh place. While Stephani competed on Season 16 and placed in the Top 10 of the series.
Are you excited for DWTS: The Next Pro? Do you wish So You Think You Can Dance would return to FOX? Let us know on X!
Words by:
Corey Cesare Corey Cesare is Talent Recap's Managing Editor and featured YouTube Host. She has a love of all things pop culture and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. She spends her spare time shooting astro, nature, and portrait photography, and coming up with movie ideas that she hopes to make into a film someday.
