All Dancing with the Stars Winners: Complete Guide, Spinoff Champions, and Voting Rules
By Alexander Ross
The production company has repeatedly modified the standard weekly layout to test condensed runs and demographics. In spring 2018, the network staged Dancing with the Stars: Athletes, an accelerated four-week tournament featuring ten professional athletes. Figure skater Adam Rippon and partner Jenna Johnson captured the condensed trophy, outlasting NFL cornerback Josh Norman and Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding.
Later that year, ABC premiered Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, pairing celebrity children and child prodigies with junior ballroom competitors, mentored by veteran adult pros. Ten-year-old skateboarder and surfer Sky Brown won the title alongside partner JT Church and mentor Alan Bersten. These variations showcased how younger performers handle complex syncopation and ballroom timing under intensive rehearsal schedules.
The franchise has continued assessing talent pipelines, developing format concepts such as The Next Pro to evaluate prospective choreographers before elevating them to main-stage celebrity partners. This sustained farm system prevents choreography from stagnating, introducing fresh coaching philosophies into the live series year after year.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
