Filmed just a short drive from USC’s campus, the long-running competition show “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) has captivated audiences for 34 seasons through its celebrity talent, mesmerizing choreography and live weekly performances.
Each Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on ABC and Disney+, celebrities like actors, musicians, and even Olympians compete for the iconic Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. Paired with professional dancers, they take on everything from the cha-cha to the rumba, performing live as millions of viewers tune in and cast votes.
While this show has been on air for 20 years, the help of social media, Gen-Z Pros, and increasing connection to the celebrities has led the show to gain immense traction in recent years. “Wicked” Night alone had 6.63M viewers with 53.1M votes cast during the show, which according to Disney is up 6% from the week prior.
Through the years, “Dancing with the Stars” has been a massive success within Hollywood, and USC has quietly become an integral part of its story. The partnership began 16 years ago when the Trojan Marching Band first performed on the show, accompanying the dancers in a live routine that marked the start of USC’s presence in the ballroom.
USC alumni like former football player Keyshawn Johnson and television personality Rob Kardashian have all competed on the show. But that is just the start. In 2018, USC freshmen Kameron Couch performed on “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.”
In season 34, singer Scott Hoying, known for his role in a capella group Pentatonix, was a contestant on the show. As a student at USC, he studied Popular Music Performance at the Thornton School of Music. He was a part of the on-campus a capella group, the SoCal-VoCals. After performing on “The Sing-Off,” he formed Pentatonix with the help of fellow USC Thornton alum Ben Bram, who became the group’s vocal arranger. Hoying was partnered with Rylee Arnold on “DWTS,” who is dating USC tight end Walker Lyons. Unfortunately, the pair were eliminated Tuesday evening.
New to the “DWTS” family is Onye Stevenson who graduated from USC Kaufman school of dance in the spring. She is a member of the show’s “Troupe,” or a group of professional dancers who play a crucial role in bringing the ballroom to life. The Troupe supports the competing pros and celebrities in large ensemble numbers, assists with choreography and often performs during opening sequences or special, themed episodes.
It’s impossible to talk about “Wicked” night without discussing USC School of Cinematic School alum, Jon M. Chu. He is the director of “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Wicked” and “In the Heights.” And Oct. 21, he brought his talent and “Wicked” expertise to the position of guest judge.
A day before the live taping, Chu visited campus to speak to the students in the “Transmedia Entertainment: The Wonderful World of Wicked” class to talk with students about his experience at USC and the film industry.
Last Tuesday’s episode of “DWTS” was unlike any other, with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey introducing dance numbers and songs. Then, Chu announced and cued an unseen clip from “Wicked: For Good,” giving a sneak peak into the song “Wonderful” in a special video message to the audience before its simultaneous digital release across major streaming platforms.
“Wicked: For Good” will hit theatres on Nov. 21 but until then, tune in for the second half of the “Dancing with the Stars” season with show’s 20th birthday celebration on Nov. 11. As the excitement around these performances continues, it’s a great reminder of the special connection USC shares with the world of “Dancing with the Stars.”