Three former Dancing with the Stars pros — Artem Chigvintsev, Peta Murgatroyd, and Sharna Burgess — recently discussed their opinions on how the show has changed in recent years. They seemed to throw some shade at new pro Jan Ravnik, without naming him.
Former DWTS Pros Discuss the Show Changing
During a recent episode of the Penthouse with Peta podcast, Peta Murgatroyd spoke with her former DWTS co-stars Sharna Burgess and Artem Chigvintsev. Part of their conversation focused on how the show has changed.
Chigvintsev argued that people are “more confused about dancing and what it’s supposed to look like” in recent years, with Murgatroyd chiming in to say that “ballroom has gone out the window.” Chigvintsev gave the example of foxtrot routines that have “no foxtrots steps in it.”
“If you don’t know that type of dance, go and study. That’s not that difficult,” Chigvintsev argued. “Just because you’re getting offered a job, that’s okay. It’s up to you to accept it because you know you can do it.”
A fan on the DWTS Reddit posted this snippet of the podcast earlier this week, speculating that the pros are referring to Jan Ravnik, who joined the show last season and notably received criticism from former pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who questioned Ravnik’s ballroom skills.
During the podcast discussion, Burgess suggested that DWTS is “heading into a space where it’s not really about the purest of ballroom anymore.” Chigvintsev wondered how the series strayed so far from its original purpose.
Murgatroyd suggested that the show is “appealing to more people.” She said she’s had to “come to accept” that the judges won’t pick apart the ballroom technique like they used to. As Chigvintsev said, “It’s a shame, because that’s where you come from.”
In contrast, Burgess said she thinks that Strictly Come Dancing (the UK version of the show) has “stayed pretty authentic.” Chigvintsev questioned how DWTS will be able to differentiate between different styles of dance if the fundamentals are ignored.
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Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
