Skip to main content

Dancing with the Stars returns on Sept. 19 with week one performances from the season 31 cast. This is a big week, as it gives fans and the judges a better idea of who stands a chance at winning the coveted Mirrorball. Discover the two stars from the cast of DWTS Season 31 fans can’t stop buzzing about going all the way, plus where they think the rest of the cast will fall in the rankings after dancing in week one.

Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro pose among the headshots of the 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 31 cast who will perform for the first time in week 1 on Sept. 19
Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro pose among the headshots of the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 31 cast | Disney+

Cast of ‘DWTS’ and their pro partners

This year, the following celebrities and their professional ballroom dance partners will compete on Dancing with the Stars:

  • Gabby Windey — Val Chmerkovskiy
  • Teresa Giudice — Pasha Pashkov
  • Shangela — Gleb Savchenko
  • Charli D’Amelio — Mark Ballas
  • Heidi D’A’melio — Artem Chigvintsev
  • Selma Blair — Sasha Farber 
  • Trevor Donovan — Emma Slater 
  • Daniel Durant — Britt Stewart 
  • Jason Lewis  — Peta Murgatroyd
  • Cheryl Ladd — Louis van Amstel
  • Jessie James Decker — Alan Bersten 
  • Joseph Baena — Daniella Karagach
  • Sam Champion  — Cheryl Burke 
  • Vinny Guadagnino — Koko Iwasaki
  • Jordin Sparks — Brandon Armstrong
  • Wayne Brady — Witney Carson

‘Dancing with the Stars’ premiere predictions 

Gold Derby, a site that predicts “Hollywood races,” considers Sparks and Brady the frontrunners for season 31 (according to user-submitted votes). The American Idol star’s odds are 4:1 according to the outlet because “… singers and recording artists, in general, have had a strong track record on DWTS.” In the past, performers like Drew Lachey (season 2), Nicole Scherzinger (season 10), and Nick Carter (season 21) have gone on to win or place as finalists in the competition series. 

Brady’s odds are 9:2. His experience performing on Broadway in Chicago and Kinky Boots and improvisational skills from his days on Whose Line is it Anyway? rival previous Mirrorball winners like Alfonso Ribeiro (season 19) and Jordan Fisher (season 25). 

With Sparks and Brady at the top of the fictional leaderboard, here’s what the rest of the rankings look like for week one: 

3. Shangela
4. Charli D’Amelio
5. Daniel Durant
6. Selma Blair
7. Gabby Windey
8. Jessie James Decker
9. Jason Lewis 
10. Teresa Giudice
11. Trevor Donovan
12. Vinny Guadagnino
13. Cheryl Ladd
14. Sam Champion
15. Joseph Baena
16. Heidi D’Amelio

‘Dancing with the Stars’ cast members who could surprise fans in season 31 

Brady and Sparks might be at the top of the fan leaderboard for now. However, since we haven’t actually seen anyone perform yet, we think several other members of the season 31 cast with performing experience could go far in the competition, if not all the way. 

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star Guadagnino could make it to the finale of DWTS Season 31 based on his experience performing with Chippendales. Sure, it’s a different kind of performing, but he understands what it means to move his body rhythmically, which is a great place to start in terms of a ballroom competition. Similarly, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Shangela has plenty of experience performing that could translate into a DWTS win. 

Charli D'Amelio enters 'Dancing with the Stars' rehearsals ahead of week 1
Charli D’Amelio | phamous2/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Related

‘Dancing with the Stars’: This Backstreet Boy Once Talked About ‘Possibly’ Doing the Show

Another contender we can see going far is Charli D’Amelio, who built a career out of doing viral dances on TikTok. Both she and her mother, Heidi, competed in childhood dance competitions, which could prove useful in the race to the Mirrorball. 

Tune in to the new season of Dancing with the Stars on Monday, Sept. 19, only on Disney+. 

Best in Entertainment