‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 31 Is Introducing a New Pro Dancer

Dancing With the Stars is bringing in a new pro dancer for Season 31. Dancer Koko Iwasaki will join the pro family on DWTS in the upcoming season premiering Sept. 19, making her debut alongside Vinny Guadagnino from Jersey Shore. Iwasaki took to Instagram Thursday to announce her big news after the cast reveal on Good Morning America. 

“I CAN FINALLY SCREAM IT OUTTTTTTTT THAT I AM A PRO ON DANCING WITH THE STARS!!!!” she captioned a post of her posing alongside a massive sign for the show. “What is ACTUALLY LIFE?!?!? I have so much to say but I’ll have to do that when I’m back from a dream.”

Iwasaki’s fellow pros, past and present, were quick to congratulate her achievement, with Lindsay Arnold, Sharna Burgess, Jenna Johnson, Witney Carson, Gleb Savchenko and Maksim Chmerkovskiy all leaving their well-wishes in the comments. “YESSSSS KOKO!!!” Arnold wrote alongside applause and heart emojis. “So happy for you!!” Burgess added, “Yay babe!!! I am soooo excited for you [hearts] ya gonna crush it,” while Johnson added, “My queen!!!!! SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!”

Iwasaki joins the Dancing With the Stars pro team shortly after Arnold and Burgess announced they would not be returning to Season 31. Burgess gave birth to her first child with former DWTS partner Brian Austin Green in June, and Arnold told fans that it was too difficult for her to move 22-month-old daughter Sage to Los Angeles with her for DWTS while her husband works full-time in Utah.

Competing alongside Iwasaki and Guadagnino this season are Joseph Baena and partner Daniella Karagach, Selma Blair and partner Sasha Farber, Wayne Brady with Carson as his partner, Sam Champion, and partner Cheryl Burke, Charli D’Amelio and partner Mark Ballas, Heidi D’Amelio and partner Artem Chigvintsev, Jessie James Decker and partner Alan Bersten, Trevor Donovan and partner Emma Slater, Daniel Durant and partner Britt Stewart, Teresa Giudice and partner Pasha Pashkov, Cheryl Ladd and partner Louis van Amstel, Jason Lewis and partner Peta Murgatroyd, Shangela and partner Gleb Savchenko, Jordin Sparks and partner Brandon Armstrong, and Gabby Windey and partner Val Chmerkovskiy

Season 31 will be judged by Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, and Season 19 DWTS winner Alfonso Ribeiro will join Tyra Banks as a co-host. Dancing With the Stars Season 31 premieres Monday, Sept. 19 on Disney+.