Kamri Peterson will join the cast of “Dancing With The Stars” for season 35 this fall as a troupe member. Peterson, 18, is a “Dancing With The Stars: Junior” pro who competed on the spinoff show in 2018. At the first-ever DWTS Convention this weekend, fans got a sneak peek at the upcoming season at the For The Fans event on Sunday, August 2.
Watch the Announcement
Alan Bersten, Jenna Johnson, and Sasha Farber were there to officially welcome Peterson to the cast.
“We are so excited to have you a part of the family,” Johnson said as she put her arm around Peterson. “Um, Kamri, we actually grew up in the same studio. And I remember when you were so little, watching you grow up in training.”
Bersten cut in to mention watching Peterson on “Juniors.”
“That’s when I was taller than you,” Farber joked, pointing to Peterson and throwing a hand up in mock exasperation.
The three “Dancing With The Stars” veterans welcomed Peterson to the troupe cast by walking down memory lane on their own journeys. Bersten, Johnson, and Farber were all once members of the troupe.
“I actually don’t know if you know this, Kamri, the three of us started on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ on troupe, actually. And all our hard work, and dedication, and training, it led me to being a plate on troupe,” Johnson said. Gesturing to the big screen, a video of Johnson played.
“A beautiful plate, at that,” Bersten made sure to interject. “As most kids aspired to be a tree, I wanted to be seaweed.”
The big screen then showed Bersten dressed as seaweed during his time in the troupe. “You can see the raw emotion on my face. It’s like I’m in the ocean and seaweed touches me,” he joked.
What to Expect Before Season 35 Premieres
Fans are calling this a “full circle moment” for Peterson, given her extended history with the franchise. Beyond her “Juniors” run, Peterson has stayed connected to the ballroom world in the years since. She has worked as an assistant for Intricate Training and competed at national levels. She also represented the United States at the Open World Championships in Paris, earning her a feature in Dance Spirit Magazine along the way.
Peterson’s “Dancing With The Stars” roots go back nearly a decade. During her run on “Dancing With The Stars: Juniors,” she partnered with Akash Vukoti under the mentorship of pro Witney Carson. The pair placed sixth overall in that season. A dancer from Mapleton, Utah, Peterson trained at Center Stage Performing Arts Studio, the same studio that has produced several current and former DWTS pros and troupe members. Alumni of the studio include Rylee Arnold, Lindsay Arnold, Witney Carson, and Brandon Armstrong.
During the convention’s “Behind the Mirrorball” panel, casting director Deena Katz teased that fans should expect several pro dancer surprises in the weeks ahead, with the full cast reveal set for September 2 on “Good Morning America.”
The full troupe cast will be announced closer to season 35’s premiere. The show will premiere with a special two-night event on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16 at 8 pm EST.
