Dancing With The Stars: Juniors [2026]

The story of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors is a short-lived but memorable chapter in the Dancing with the Stars franchise, marked by youthful energy, mentorship, and a "wholesome" departure from the main show's high-stakes atmosphere. The Vision and Launch

The show was hosted by two familiar faces: Season 25 champion and third-place finisher Frankie Muniz . The judging panel brought together diverse expertise, featuring: Mandy Moore : An Emmy-winning choreographer. Valentin Chmerkovskiy : A two-time DWTS pro champion. Dancing with the Stars: Juniors

: An Olympic figure skater and Athletes season champion. A Unique "Mentorship" Dynamic The heart of the show was its three-tier structure: The story of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors

: Veteran DWTS professionals who choreographed the routines and guided the young pairs through rehearsals. Valentin Chmerkovskiy : A two-time DWTS pro champion

: 12 young stars ranging from athletes to actors.

Premiering on , the series was an interim special designed to bridge the gap between adult seasons. Unlike the flagship show, Juniors was entirely pre-recorded , meaning the home audience didn't vote in real-time. Instead, a studio audience used voting clickers to decide who advanced alongside the judges' scores.