Mirrorball champs or not, Dancing With the Stars has featured some impeccable professional dancers in the years since the ABC competition series premiered in 2005. Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are among the talent who have lit up the ballroom.
Some of the show’s stars went on to achieve major success in their careers while others opted to build thriving personal lives. Still, some maintain their roles as pros year after year, returning to the beloved job with their as-close-as-family castmates and vying once again for the title.
Julianne Hough, for one, is perhaps one of the biggest names to come out of the show. The actress won season 4 — her first as a pro — and season 5 with partners Apolo Anton Ohno and Hélio Castroneves, respectively. She left after season 8 to pursue other goals but returned as a judge for seasons 19 through 24 (with the exception of 22).
“Look, never say never because you never know what one day will be from the next,” Julianne told Us Weekly in August 2019 of whether she would return to Dancing With the Stars. “But I owe my career to that show! I was 18 and they brought me back in two different ways. I was a dancer, I was a judge and I’m so happy for everything that’s going on there.”
Meanwhile, some of the show’s stars leaned on each other when it came to making baby plans. “A lot of them have come to me because … they liked how I scheduled [my pregnancy] and how I could get back to work,” Peta Murgatroyd revealed exclusively to Us in October 2019. “I think women nowadays definitely are wanting to work still and not just be a stay-at-home mom. They still want to have careers, they still want to be out there being successful.”
The New Zealand native predicted “a massive baby boom” among the cast at the time. “I think a lot of them are going to do it really soon,” she explained. “They’re all kind of on the verge of, ‘Yes, let’s do it now,’ or, ‘Let’s wait another six months.’”
Lindsay Arnold and Witney Carson both sat out season 29 in 2020 while expecting. The Catch 21 star opened up in February 2021 about her desire to return to the ballroom.
“That’s the goal,” Carson exclusively told Us. “That’s what I’m working toward. That’s in the plans for now. So if anything changes, we’ll just go with it, but that is in our sights for right now.”
Ahead of the premiere of season 30 in September 2021, both Arnold and Carson were announced as returning pros.
Scroll down to find out where every Dancing With the Stars pro is now.
Credit: Shutterstock(4)
Every ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Through the Years: Where Are They Now?
Mirrorball champs or not, Dancing With the Stars has featured some impeccable professional dancers in the years since the ABC competition series premiered in 2005. Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are among the talent who have lit up the ballroom.
Some of the show’s stars went on to achieve major success in their careers while others opted to build thriving personal lives. Still, some maintain their roles as pros year after year, returning to the beloved job with their as-close-as-family castmates and vying once again for the title.
Julianne Hough, for one, is perhaps one of the biggest names to come out of the show. The actress won season 4 — her first as a pro — and season 5 with partners Apolo Anton Ohno and Hélio Castroneves, respectively. She left after season 8 to pursue other goals but returned as a judge for seasons 19 through 24 (with the exception of 22).
“Look, never say never because you never know what one day will be from the next,” Julianne told Us Weekly in August 2019 of whether she would return to Dancing With the Stars. “But I owe my career to that show! I was 18 and they brought me back in two different ways. I was a dancer, I was a judge and I’m so happy for everything that’s going on there.”
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Meanwhile, some of the show’s stars leaned on each other when it came to making baby plans. “A lot of them have come to me because … they liked how I scheduled [my pregnancy] and how I could get back to work,” Peta Murgatroyd revealed exclusively to Us in October 2019. “I think women nowadays definitely are wanting to work still and not just be a stay-at-home mom. They still want to have careers, they still want to be out there being successful.”
The New Zealand native predicted “a massive baby boom” among the cast at the time. “I think a lot of them are going to do it really soon,” she explained. “They’re all kind of on the verge of, ‘Yes, let’s do it now,’ or, ‘Let’s wait another six months.’”
Lindsay Arnold and Witney Carson both sat out season 29 in 2020 while expecting. The Catch 21 star opened up in February 2021 about her desire to return to the ballroom.
“That’s the goal,” Carson exclusively told Us. “That’s what I’m working toward. That’s in the plans for now. So if anything changes, we’ll just go with it, but that is in our sights for right now.”
Ahead of the premiere of season 30 in September 2021, both Arnold and Carson were announced as returning pros.
Scroll down to find out where every Dancing With the Stars pro is now.
Credit: Sipa/Shutterstock
Alec Mazo
The season 1 winner earned his MBA from Stanford University after departing following season 9 and became the CEO of the Genesis Dance Sport studio. He runs a production company. Mazo is married to fellow former pro Edyta Śliwińska, with whom he shares two children.
Credit: Picture Perfect/Shutterstock
Charlotte Jørgensen
Jørgensen appeared on season 1. She is a board member for Dance 4 Health and teaches at Q Ballroom in Massachusetts.
Credit: Sipa/Shutterstock
Ashly DelGrosso
She left after season 10. DelGrosso married Dancing With the Stars field producer Mike Costa in October 2006, and the couple have four children.
Credit: Paul Mulley/Shutterstock
Jonathan Roberts
Roberts exited after season 9. He was married to fellow pro Anna Trebunskaya from 2003 to 2013.
Credit: Picture Perfect/Shutterstock
Edyta Śliwińska
Śliwińska left after season 22. She married Alec Mazo in September 2007 and went on to welcome son Michael in January 2014 and daughter Leia in June 2017.
Credit: Blair Raughley/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Louis Van Amstel
He departed after season 21 and runs a dance fitness program called LaBlast. Van Amstel married Joshua Lancaster in January 2017, and the pair adopted son Daniel in December 2019. Van Amstel returned to the ballroom for DWTS season 31 alongside partner Cheryl Ladd.
Credit: Blair Raughley/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Cheryl Burke
Burke tied the knot with Matthew Lawrence in May 2019. Us confirmed in February 2022 that the dancer filed for divorce after nearly three years of marriage, revealing in court docs that they split in early January.
Professionally, she replaced Abby Lee Miller on Dance Moms in 2017. She cohosts the “Pretty Messed Up” podcast with her season 29 partner, AJ McLean. She announced her DWTS pro retirement in November 2022 ahead of the season 31 finale.
Credit: Dan Steinberg/Shutterstock
Anna Trebunskaya
She left the show after season 21. Trebunskaya owns a dance studio in California with her mother and was married to Jonathan Roberts from 2003 to 2013. She and fiancé Nevin Millan share daughter Amalya and son Kaspyan.
Credit: Mjt/Admedia/Sipa/Shutterstock
Tony Dovolani
Dovolani departed after season 22 and became an international dance director at Fred Astaire Dance Studios. He shares daughter Luana as well as twins Adrian and Ariana with wife Lina Dovolani.
Credit: John Photography/Shutterstock
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
The season 18 winner left the show after season 25. He married fellow pro Peta Murgatroyd in July 2017; they welcomed son Shai in January 2017. Maksim and brother Val Chmerkovskiy — whom he tours with — own the Dance With Me company. In January 2023, Murgatroyd announced that she is pregnant and expecting the couple’s second child.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Kosovich/Facebook
Nick Kosovich
Kosovich departed after season 3 and went on to become an event organizer and international traveling consultant for several dance organizations. He and his wife, Lena Kosovich, also run a costume manufacturing business called LeNique.
Credit: ABC/BOB D’AMICO
Andrea Hale
Hale appeared on season 2. She still works with up-and-coming dancers in Utah, teaching classes and mentoring people at local studios.
Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Karina Smirnoff
Smirnoff — who exited after season 22 — has her own dance studio. Us confirmed in April 2020 that she gave birth to her first child.
Credit: AFF-USA/Shutterstock
Kym Johnson
The Australia native left after season 24 but not before falling for her season 20 partner, Robert Herjavec. The pair tied the knot in July 2016 and welcomed twins Hudson and Haven in April 2018. She also hosted the “Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast.”
Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins Photo / MEGA
Jesse DeSoto
DeSoto appeared on season 3. He is in real estate development and co-owns a Fred Astaire Dance Studio. The former reality star is married and welcomed son Elias in March 2019.
Credit: Newscom / MEGA
Elena Grinenko
Grinenko left after season 4. She wed Rib Hillis in August 2012. She co-owns Dance Stars Festival with Karina Smirnoff, hosts Dance Talk TV and teaches online dance classes.
Credit: AFF-USA/Shutterstock
Julianne Hough
Julianne departed after season 8, at which point her career took off. She starred in Safe Haven, Footloose, Rock of Ages and Grease Live!, appeared as a judge on America’s Got Talent and Dancing With the Stars, toured with brother Derek, released a self-titled album and launched a fitness program called Kingry. The two-time champ married Brooks Laich in July 2017, but they announced their separation in May 2020. She filed for divorce in November 2020.
Credit: Piers Allardyce/Shutterstock
Brian Fortuna
Fortuna appeared on season 4. He went on to pursue theatre and acting.
Credit: KCR/Shutterstock
Derek Hough
With a record-breaking six wins under his belt, Derek exited the series after season 23. He went on to become a judge on World of Dance, tour with sister Julianne, star in the 2016 production of Hairspray Live! and appear on Nashville. He returned to Dancing With the Stars as a judge beginning with season 29. In June 2022, Derek announced his engagement to former DWTS troupe dancer Hayley Erbert.
Credit: Stewart Cook/WWD/Shutterstock
Mark Ballas
The two-time champ left after season 25. He is part of the musical duo Alexander Jean with wife BC Jean, whom he married in November 2016. Ballas appeared on Broadway in Kinky Boots and Jersey Boys. Ballas is set to return for season 31, the series’ first on Disney+, to dance with TikTok personality Charli D’Amelio.
Credit: Stewart Cook/Shutterstock
Fabian Sanchez
Sanchez appeared on season 6. He owns a Fred Astaire Dance Studio and lives in Alabama.
Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock
Lacey Schwimmer
Schwimmer exited after season 13. She is the cocreator of TheBallroomProject dance convention and an instructor at NRG danceProject.
Credit: Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock
Corky Ballas
Corky departed the show after season 11. He still teaches dance.
Credit: Tony DiMaio/iPhoto Newscom / MEGA
Inna Brayer
Brayer appeared on season 7. After the show, she graduated from Hunter College and opened two dance schools in New York.
Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock
Chelsie Hightower
Hightower exited after season 15. She is the creator of Dance Elevated and teaches at Revive Dance Convention. She also cofounded Inside Out, a dancewear company.
Credit: Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Dmitry Chaplin
Chaplin left after season 12. He acts, continues to dance and is married. He also appeared on the Ukrainian version of Dancing With the Stars.
Credit: Ramey/MEGA
Anna Demidova
Demidova appeared on season 9. She is an actress, model and host.
Credit: Ryan Miller/Shutterstock
Damian Whitewood
Whitewood appeared on season 10. He is a grooming specialist in addition to continuing his work as a dancer.
Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock
Tristan MacManus
MacManus left after season 17. He is a judge on the Australian version of Dancing With the Stars and shares two children — daughter Echo and son Oisín — with wife Tahyna Tozzi.
Credit: John Photography/Shutterstock
Val Chmerkovskiy
Val owns a dance company and tours with brother Maksim. He married fellow pro Jenna Johnson in April 2019. The couple announced in June 2022 that they were expecting their first child. Their son arrived in January 2023.
Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Peta Murgatroyd
The two-time winner wed fellow pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy in July 2017 and gave birth to son Shai in January 2017. She is the cocreator of Peta Jane tanning mist. In September 2021, it was confirmed that she would not be part of DWTS‘ 30th season. After suffering multiple miscarriages, Murgatroyd announced in January 2023 that she is pregnant with her second child.
Credit: John Photography/Shutterstock
Sharna Burgess
Burgess exited after her controversial season 27 win but later returned to compete again. She is a judge on Dancing With the Stars in Australia and previously considered being the lead on the Australian version of The Bachelorette. She has been dating Brian Austin Green since November 2020. Burgess and Green, who competed on DWTS season 30 together, welcomed son Zane in June 2022.
Credit: Rob Latour/BEI/Shutterstock
Lindsay Arnold
Arnold married her high school sweetheart, Sam Cusick, in June 2015. She announced in May 2020 that they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Sage, arrived in November 2020. The TV personality also has a YouTube channel with her sisters. After sitting out season 29 during her pregnancy, she went back to the ballroom the following year.
Arnold announced in October 2022 that she is expecting baby No. 2, another little girl.
Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Gleb Savchenko
Savchenko has his own dance studio, ProDanceLA, and underwear line as well as finds time to model. He and estranged wife Elena Samodanova are parents of daughters Olivia and Zlata. The duo announced their split in November 2020 after 14 years of marriage.
Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Emma Slater
The season 24 winner is an instructor for WollenDance. Us broke the news in March 2018 that she married fellow pro Sasha Farber. In August 2022, Us exclusively confirmed that the duo called it quits after more than four years of marriage.
Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Sasha Farber
Farber wed Emma Slater in March 2018, and the two often collaborate on online dance courses. The two often collaborated on online dance courses before Us confirmed their split in August 2022.
Credit: Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock
Tyne Stecklein
Stecklein appeared on season 17. She is an actress, teacher and mother of sons Brecken and Ocean with husband Corey Anderson.
Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Witney Carson
The season 19 champ married Carson McAllister in January 2016. She stars on Catch 21 with her former partner Alfonso Ribeiro and has her own line of athleisure called CAPRI. Carson welcomed son Leo in January 2021 and made her triumphant to the ballroom later that year. Carson revealed during the season 31 semifinals that she and her husband are expecting their second child.
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Henry Byalikov
Byalikov appeared on season 18. He went on to perform in several stage musicals and on numerous TV shows. He is engaged to Kelsey Kramer.
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Artem Chigventsev
Chigvintsev was not asked back to the show for season 28, but returned for season 29. He appeared on Total Bellas with fiancée Nikki Bella, and the pair welcomed their first child, a son, in July 2020.
Credit: Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Allison Holker
Holker departed after season 23 and cofounded CLI Studios. She also owns Boss Empire clothing line. The dancer married Stephen “tWitch” Boss in December 2013, and went on to welcome son Maddox and daughter Zaia. She is also the mother of daughter Weslie from a previous relationship.
In December 2022, Holker’s husband, tWitch, died by suicide. He was 40.
Credit: David Buchan/Shutterstock
Jenna Johnson
The season 26 winner wed fellow pro Val Chmerkovskiy in April 2019. The Utah native confirmed in June 2022 that she was pregnant with her first child, a baby boy. Their son arrived in January 2023.
Credit: Shutterstock
Alan Bersten
Bersten briefly dated season 27 partner Alexis Ren and sparked romance rumors with season 28’s Hannah Brown, but he vowed to Us in January 2020 that he would never date his partners again. “I learned after a few seasons to not mix business with pleasure,” he revealed. The season 28 champ appeared as a mentor on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors and cofounded Frown Clothing with Joe Amabile.
Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Brandon Armstrong
Armstrong was a mentor on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors. Armstrong married Brylee Ivers in July 2022.
Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Pasha Pashkov
Pashkov married Daniella Karagach in July 2014. Us confirmed in November 2022 that the couple are expecting their first child.
Credit: Courtesy of Britt Stewart/Instagram
Britt Stewart
The show’s first Black female pro is the president of Share the Movement, which aims to increase diversity in the professional dance community by offering support to young BIPOC dancers. She also teaches dance.
Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Daniella Karagach
Karagach has been married to Pasha Pashkov since July 2014. The couple teach dance together. Us confirmed in November 2022 that Karagach is pregnant with the pair’s first child.
Credit: ABC/Andrew Eccles
Koko Iwasaki
The So You Think You Can Dance alum joined the pro lineup during season 31, where she was partnered with Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino.
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