‘Dancing With the Stars’ Adds Familiar Face as New Troupe Member for Season 35

A Dancing With the Stars: Juniors alum is joining the cast of the upcoming 35th season of the flagship series.

DWTS: Juniors dancer Kamri Peterson was announced as the first troupe dancer joining the mothership show for Season 35 on Sunday at DWTS Con in Palm Springs.

“It’s a full circle moment for @kamri_dancer,” read a message on the show’s Instagram page. ‘This #DWTSJuniors pro is officially a #DWTS troupe dancer!” Peterson said in the comments of another Instagram post that the accomplishment was “a dream come true.”

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Peterson, 18, is a World ProAm champion, a three-time Latin National vice champion and a 12-time Latin finalist, according to ABC. She has also represented the United States at the Open World Championships in Paris. She was just 10 years old when she served as a pro on DWTS: Juniors. She was under DWTS pro Witney Carson’s mentorship during the first and only season of Juniors in 2018. She finished the competition in sixth place alongside her partner, spelling bee champion Akash Vukoti.

Although troupe dancers are not paired with celebrity contestants on the show, they do perform in the show’s opening and other large group numbers. They also help serve as stand-ins during rehearsals and can even step in if one of the pro dancers gets injured. Current pros Carson, Britt Stewart, Alan Bersten and Jenna Johnson all started out as troupe members before getting promoted to pro status.

Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is set to premiere with a two-night, four-hour event on Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 8-10 p.m. on ABC and Disney+.

So far, four celebrity cast members have been revealed: Love Island and Traitors alum Maura Higgins, Summer House darling Ciara Miller, Savannah Bananas player Jackson Olson and Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo Rodriguez.

ABC is currently airing its inaugural season of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, where one up-and-coming dancer will earn a coveted spot as a pro dancer for Season 35. That series finale will air on Monday, Aug. 31, followed closely by a full cast announcement for Season 35 on Wednesday, Sept. 2 on Good Morning America.

Ahead of the announcement, Polymarket traders are making bets on who else they think will be cast on the show. Love Island: USA and Traitors fan-favorite Rob Rausch has 50% odds to be cast, with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Miranda McWhorter coming in with a 42% chance. Ashtin Earle, the sister of Season 34 finalist Alix Earle, has a 47% chance of being announced as a cast member, according to Polymarket.

The predictions market is also making wagers on who will win the series. Though the odds will surely change as more celebrity contestants are announced, Miller and Higgins both sit with 50-50 odds currently.

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