How Old Are The Pros On Dancing With The Stars
Let’s talk about Dancing With the Stars. You know the show. Glitter, tangos, and tears. But have you ever wondered: How old are these pros? Spoiler alert: they’re not all you...
Let’s talk about Dancing With the Stars. You know the show. Glitter, tangos, and tears. But have you ever wondered: How old are these pros?
Spoiler alert: they’re not all young whippersnappers. Some are seasoned champs. Others are barely legal to rent a car. It’s a glorious age salad.
The Ageless Powerhouse: Mark Ballas
Mark Ballas is 37. He joined the show at just 21. That’s over sixteen years of sequins and swing.
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He’s won the Mirrorball Trophy three times. He’s also a singer, guitarist, and former child star. Basically, he’s a sparkly unicorn who never ages.
Fun fact: Mark choreographed his first dance before he could drive. Now he’s practically the grandpa of the ballroom. A cool grandpa.
The Baby of the Bunch: Koko Iwasaki
Koko Iwasaki is only 26. She joined in Season 32. That makes her the youngest pro on the current roster.
She’s been dancing since she was five. Kazoo’s choreography is fast, furious, and full of joy. She’s like a human espresso shot.
What’s wild? She’s been a pro for less than two seasons. Yet she’s already out-dancing people twice her age. Respect.
The Veteran Survivor: Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Burke is a legend. She’s 39 and has been on the show since Season 2. That’s 26 seasons of perfect posture and spray tans.
She won twice early on. Then she kept coming back because… why not? She’s literally the definition of a ballroom queen.
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Cheryl has danced with everyone from Emmitt Smith to Tom DeLay. Yes, that Tom DeLay. Age didn’t stop her from lifting a former House Majority Leader.
The Oldest Pro (Yes, Really): Louis van Amstel
Louis van Amstel is 50. That’s right—half a century of Latin and ballroom fire. He joined in Season 1.
He’s still spinning, still grinning, still teaching celebrities to samba. At 50, he’s the oldest pro currently dancing. And he’s fast.
Don’t call him old. He’ll hip-hop you into the ground. He once choreographed a dance for a 60-year-old partner. No big deal.
The Ageless Riddle: Val Chmerkovskiy
Val is 37. Wait—didn’t he just start? Nope. He’s been on the show since Season 13. Time flies when you’re spinning.
He’s won twice (with Rumer Willis and Gabby Windey). He’s also a dad now. His son Romeo is a toddler.
Here’s the curveball: Val and his wife Jenna Johnson (pro, age 29) are married. She’s eight years younger. Talk about an age-gap power couple on the dance floor.
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The Newbie with Nerve: Ezra Sosa
Ezra Sosa just turned 24. He’s the second youngest pro, right after Koko. But he’s got the energy of a toddler on sugar.
He joined as a troupe dancer first. Then he got promoted to full pro in Season 33. His first partner? A 40-year-old reality star. He handled it like a pro.
Funny thing: he’s younger than some of the contestants he’s teaching. Imagine a 24-year-old telling a 50-year-old how to rumba. That’s the magic of DWTS.
Why This Age Stuff Matters
Age in dance is a weird thing. Most ballroom pros peak in their 30s and 40s. It’s not like gymnastics where you’re done at 25.
Your body learns control. Your brain learns storytelling. So a 50-year-old Louis can out-cha-cha a 20-year-old every time. Experience wins.
But the youngsters bring fire. Koko and Ezra are fearless. They try crazy lifts and risky spins. It’s a beautiful old-vs-new battle.
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Here’s a brain teaser: the current pro roster spans from 24 to 50. That’s a 26-year age gap. That’s like a millennial and a Gen Xer dancing together.
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And guess what? They all learn from each other. Louis teaches Koko about musicality. Koko teaches Louis about TikTok. It’s adorable.
Plus, the celebrities they teach are often older. Think 60-year-old actors, 55-year-old athletes. So the pros are sometimes younger than their students. Wild, right?
The Quirky Truth: No One Cares
Here’s the best part: the audience doesn’t care about age. We vote with our hearts. We cheer for the 50-year-old pro who spins like a top.
We also scream for the 24-year-old who does a backflip into a tango. Age is just a number… when you’re covered in glitter and sweating to a cover of “Uptown Funk.”
So next time you watch, look at the pros. Count the candles on their cake. Then watch them fly. It’s magic that only gets better with time.
Final Fun Fact
The oldest pro to ever win was Tony Dovolani. He was 40 when he won in Season 18. The youngest pro to ever win? Julianne Hough at 19.
That’s a 21-year gap. Both danced the same cha-cha. Both got the same trophy. Age is just a number—especially when you own the floor.
Now go watch an episode. Stare at the pros. Guess their age. Then realize: they’re all ageless in the ballroom.