Dancing With the Stars is starting season 35 with a two-night premiere, but Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy are already thinking about how the show could go even bigger in the future.
Speaking with Us during a visit to the set of RJ Decker, Johnson, 32, said the past two seasons have helped push DWTS back into the center of pop culture and opened the door to new possibilities.
“I think the last two seasons have really put our show on the map,” she said, adding that the series has exceeded expectations when it comes to what the franchise can do next.
One of Johnson’s biggest dream ideas is taking the ballroom outside its usual home.
“I would love to see an episode done at the Hollywood Bowl,” she said, acknowledging that the logistics would be complicated but insisting that the show may now be big enough to pull it off.
Johnson pointed to several recent opportunities as proof of how much the DWTS brand has expanded, including a collaboration with Project Runway, the upcoming spinoff The Next Pro and a performance at the Disney Upfronts.
She said representing the franchise remains a major honor and that she is excited to see what new opportunities could come next.
Season 35 is also an important milestone for Johnson personally, marking her 10th anniversary as a professional dancer on the show.
Looking back, Johnson credited the producers, camera teams, wardrobe department, glam team and others behind the scenes with helping shape her career since she joined the program at age 19.
She also made it clear that she has no plans to slow down.
Johnson said she feels “invigorated” and inspired this season, adding that she hopes to continue choreographing and creating on DWTS for another 10 years.
Chmerkovskiy, 40, shared the same enthusiasm.
The longtime pro, who has been part of the DWTS family since season 2, said that while he has changed over the years, his passion for performing and his gratitude for the show remain the same.
He even suggested he has “another 20 years” in him.
Chmerkovskiy also said the series has recently “exploded into the center of culture,” becoming a conversation point for both younger viewers and adults.
Despite their packed DWTS schedules, the married couple also traveled to Florida to film a dance sequence for ABC’s RJ Decker.
Johnson said they had limited rehearsal time because of their ballroom commitments, but both immediately agreed to the opportunity because it allowed them to try something creatively different.
The crossover also featured Johnson’s former season 33 celebrity partner, Joey Graziadei, in a scripted role.
With season 35 beginning with a special two-night event, Johnson and Chmerkovskiy seem eager to keep pushing the franchise beyond what fans have seen before.
Dancing With the Stars premieres Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. RJ Decker returns Tuesday, September 15, at 10 p.m. ET.
