Ginger Zee has spent a decade adjacent to “Dancing With The Stars,” but this weekend, she says, feels different. Speaking with EntertainmentNow at the first-ever DWTS Convention, the “Good Morning America” chief meteorologist and Season 25 contestant described the convention as something entirely unlike any other convention.
“It’s the celebration of dance, it’s the best,” she said about the energy of the convention.
A Decade in the ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Orbit
Zee’s relationship with the show stretches back further than her own season on the dance floor. “It’s been a decade, but I’ve been lucky enough to be kind of integrated with the family of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ because of my day job for the whole 10 years,” Zee explained. She has covered the show as a part of ABC’s broader entertainment umbrella alongside her weather duties.
Even with her longstanding connection, Zee said nothing has quite matched what fans experiencing this weekend.
“Tonight, though, is different,” she said. “Tonight is the first time that the fans get to feel and tangibly touch the thing that they’re always wondering, ‘What would that be like?'”
She pointed out that curiosity, along with the appeal of watching someone’s character arc, has kept fans watching.
‘Nothing Like it in the World’
Zee did not hold back her praise for the DWTS Convention when comparing it to other fan conventions she has attended or heard about over the years. “This is the show of shows,” she told EntertainmentNow. She explained that other conventions grant fans access, which is wonderful. Between panels, meet-and-greets, and conversation, that is enough for some shows. Not for “Dancing With The Stars.”
“Here, you get that plus a show, plus you get to be a part of the show. I don’t think there’s anything like it in the world,” she said.
Reconnecting With the DWTS Family
Beyond the fan interactions, Zee said a part of what has made the weekend special so far is reconnecting with fellow DWTS alumni from different eras of the show. Zee competed on the show in 2016, meaning there are a lot of dancers she has not yet connected with. She highlighted figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi as someone she had never had the chance to properly meet, despite their shared history on the show.
“There are people that I either haven’t seen for years or that I never got a chance to meet because they were on a totally different season,” Zee explained. “If you’ve done this show, then you already know each other. You have this kind of unspoken understanding.”
The chance to share the experience with other alumni and to watch fans see the show up close is what most excites Zee this weekend. “I just wanna do that and get the time with the fans. Just to be able to watch them is gonna be like watching my children love something for the first time. It’s gonna be watching someone touching and feeling and smelling the dancing they so have loved for years.”
