The ballroom is back! Dancing with the Stars returns for its 34th season on Tuesday, September 16 on ABC and Disney+. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as hosts, and this year’s celebrity lineup is one of the most exciting yet.
Among the new cast (including Dylan Efron, Andy Richter, and Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles) two LGBTQ fan-favorites are stepping into the spotlight: GRAMMY winner Scott Hoying of Pentatonix, who will dance with Rylee Arnold; and singer-songwriter Lauren Jauregui, fresh off a reunion performance with Fifth Harmony, dancing with pro Brandon Armstrong.
For both Scott and Lauren, this season is about more than just dazzling footwork, it’s about telling stories, embracing authenticity, and bringing more queer visibility to the dance floor.
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According to Hoying, the best dance partners share the same qualities as the best allies: they create a space where you can be yourself. “I feel like I instantly clicked with Rylee. We try things, send each other videos, and it just flows,” Scott Hoying shared. “When someone accepts and loves you for who you are, and you never feel judged, you can be your best self. You’re not putting up filters or acting a certain way. I can be my weird, awkward self around Rylee, and that’s when the dancing really works.”
When asked about dance’s relationship to storytelling, Scott– who recently co-authored a children’s book with his husband Mark Hoying about inclusivity and chosen families – shared how deeply he connects storytelling with representation. “Storytelling is how you make people feel safe,” he said. “Representation is everything. My husband and I wrote a book ‘FA LA LA FAMILY’, about how families look different, especially around the holidays, and that’s really important to us. It’s at the heart of everything we do.”
Lauren, meanwhile, is ready to bring her signature artistry to the ballroom. “A good dance partner is someone who is communicating with you and elevating what you can already do,” she said, praising her partner Brandon Armstrong for striking that balance. Brandon added, “I’m the frame, she’s the picture.”
When it comes to queer representation, Lauren sees storytelling as essential to building empathy. “Stories help us to conceptualize other people’s perspectives. That’s one of the most important parts of being an empathetic and caring neighbor, reading someone else’s experience and really resonating with what they go through. Reading is important because it gets us out of our own little egos and assumptions.”
Her message to LGBTQ fans watching at home? “I love you babies, I love us! Keep being you! Love, spread that love!”
Dancing with the Stars returns Tuesday, September 16 (8–10 p.m. ET) on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming next day on Hulu.
