2 Fan-Favorite ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros Return for Season 30

Dancing With the Stars welcomes professional dancers Witney Carson and Lindsay Arnold back to the ballroom for Season 30, which premieres on ABC on Monday, Sept. 20. The two fan-favorite pros are making their highly-anticipated return to the ballroom after taking a year off, during which they gave birth to their firth children, son Leo and daughter Sage, respectively.

Arnold told Entertainment Tonight, she was “so excited to be back,” noting that she’s ready to get back in the game and compete for the Mirrorball Trophy alongside her yet-to-be-revealed celebrity partner. “I feel refreshed and even more ready than ever before to get back,” she said. Diving into the intense pre-season rehearsal period with a little one at home is going to be a different experience than in the past, she explained: “There’s no breaks with this show, and now that we’re moms, it’s going to be 24/7 [work]. I’m so excited for it but I’m also bracing myself for impact.”

Carson joked to the outlet that after so much time off, she had to ask herself, “Can I even dance? Do I even remember how to do that?” She continued that she feels “a little bit more nervous” than her bestie Arnold “just because I really haven’t danced in, like, over a year and a half.” Prepping herself for the season by taking some lessons, she noted, “nothing can prepare you for this beast of a show. I am literally like, ‘OK, well, I’ll get in shape when I get in shape.’”

Also returning as female pros are Britt Stewart, Cheryl Burke, Daniella Karagach, Emma Slater, Jenna Johnson, and Sharna Burgess. The male pros taking on the season are Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Gleb Savchenko, Pasha Pashkov, Sasha Farber, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, and Artem Chigvintsev. Chigvintsev will be going for a two-year win streak this year as he and celebrity partner Kaitlyn Bristowe took home the win last year.

The full list of stars competing for the Mirrorball Trophy will be announced on Sept. 8 on Good Morning America, but two celeb contenders have already been revealed. YouTube star and Dance Moms alum JoJo Siwa will compete this year in the first same-sex dance couple, and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee will be competing with her male partner, who has yet to be announced. Other public figures rumored to appear this season include Olivia Jade Giannulli, Matt James and Kenya Moore.