‘DWTS’ fires Gleb Savchenko, brings back fan-favorite pro for season 34 — the ballroom just got interesting

Is Mark Ballas coming back to 'DWTS'? Kristyn Burtt's viral TikTok fuels fan excitement just weeks before the season premiere
PUBLISHED AUG 21, 2025
 (L-R) Brandon Armstrong, Gleb Savchenko, Hayley Erbert, Bobby Bones, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, and Artem Chigvinsev perform in New York in 2019 (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mike Coppola)
(L-R) Brandon Armstrong, Gleb Savchenko, Hayley Erbert, Bobby Bones, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, and Artem Chigvinsev perform in New York in 2019 (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mike Coppola)

'Dancing With The Stars' Season 34 is just around the corner, and fans are buzzing with excitement to see which celebrities and pros will soon be lighting up the ballroom. The new season of the hit ABC dance competition is set to premiere on September 16, 2025. So far, the confirmed cast includes Australian conservationist Robert Irwin, TikTok star Alix Earle, and 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' personalities Jennifer Affleck and Whitney Leavitt. Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl about which professional dancers will be returning to compete for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.


 
 
 
 
 
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According to a report by Daily Express US, some professional dancers have been confirmed for 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 34. Yeah, you read that right. Recently, pro dancer Gleb Savchenko was axed from the show after he allegedly cheated on his season 33 partner, Brooks Nader. However, there is a strong possibility that one pro dancer will return to 'DWTS.' As per Kristyn Burtt, well-known as an expert for her 'DWTS' connections and vast knowledge about the show, Mark Ballas will be seen making a comeback in the show's new season.

Not long ago, Burtt took to her TikTok page and posted a video of herself where she sat in her car and danced her heart out to a song from the musical 'Jersey Boys', which Ballas has starred in. At the end of the TikTok video, Burtt took a break from singing and expressed her excitement about Ballas' return to 'Dancing With The Stars.' Then, Burtt inserted a text message at the top of the video that read, “Mark is back! Mark!!!!” Burtt simply captioned the video, "Welcome back!”

At the time of writing, Ballas hasn't made any official comment about his return to 'Dancing With The Stars.' On July 31, Ballas shared a dancing video of himself alongside his fellow pro dancer Jenna Johnson on his Instagram page. "Going back to basics is not a step backward. It’s often the first step to progress," Ballas wrote in the caption of the video. Then, many fans bombarded the comments section of the post with exciting messages. One social media user wrote, "Would love to see Mark on this season." Followed by a second fan who penned, "I miss seeing Mark on DWTS. His choreography was always on another level. Pure art." Another netizen commented, "Wow! You’re such a great dancer. You know what? You should be a judge on Dancing With the Stars! 😏."


 
 
 
 
 
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Burtt also revealed that Val Chmerkovskiy and Brandon Armstrong will also be returning to 'DWTS' for Season 34. However, Burtt didn't make any comment about other Season 33 pros like Ezra Sosa, Pasha Pashkov, Sasha Farber, and Alan Bersten, so the fans will have to wait a bit longer to learn the fate of these pro dancers on 'DWTS.' Later in the video, Burtt also revealed the full female pro lineup, which includes Britt Stewart, Season 30 winner Daniella Karagach, Season 24 champion Emma Slater, reigning two-time champ Jenna Johnson, Rylee Arnold, and Season 19 champ Witney Carson. 

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