Mirrorball champs or not, Dancing With the Stars has featured some impeccable professional dancers in the years since the ABC competition series premiered in 2005. Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are among the talent who have lit up the ballroom.
Some of the show’s stars went on to achieve major success in their careers while others opted to build thriving personal lives. Still, some maintain their roles as pros vying for the mirrorball trophy year after year, returning to their beloved job with their as-close-as-family castmates.
Julianne Hough, for one, is perhaps one of the biggest names to come out of the show. The actress won season 4 — her first as a pro — and season 5 with partners Apolo Anton Ohno and Hélio Castroneves, respectively. She left after season 8 to pursue other goals but returned as a judge for seasons 19 through 24 (with the exception of 22).
Scroll down to find out where every Dancing With the Stars pro is now:
Alec Mazo
The season 1 winner earned his MBA from Stanford University after departing following season 9 and became the CEO of the Genesis Dance Sport studio. He runs a production company. Mazo is married to fellow former pro Edyta Śliwińska, with whom he shares two children.
Charlotte Jørgensen
Jørgensen appeared on season 1. She is a board member for Dance 4 Health and teaches at Q Ballroom in Massachusetts.
Ashly DelGrosso
She left after season 10. DelGrosso married Dancing With the Stars field producer Mike Costa in October 2006, and the couple have four children.
Jonathan Roberts
Roberts exited after season 9. He was married to fellow pro Anna Trebunskaya from 2003 to 2013.
Edyta Śliwińska
Śliwińska left after season 22. She married Alec Mazo in September 2007 and went on to welcome son Michael in January 2014 and daughter Leia in June 2017.
Louis Van Amstel
He departed after season 21 and runs a dance fitness program called LaBlast. Van Amstel married Joshua Lancaster in January 2017, and the pair adopted son Daniel in December 2019. Van Amstel returned to the ballroom for DWTS season 31 alongside partner Cheryl Ladd.
Cheryl Burke
Burke tied the knot with Matthew Lawrence in May 2019. Us confirmed in February 2022 that the dancer filed for divorce after nearly three years of marriage, revealing in court docs that they split in early January. Their divorce was finalized in 2022.
Professionally, she replaced Abby Lee Miller during season 7 of Dance Moms in 2017. She currently cohosts the “Pretty Messed Up” podcast with her season 29 partner, AJ McLean. She announced her DWTS pro retirement in November 2022 ahead of the season 31 finale.
Anna Trebunskaya
She left the show after season 21. Trebunskaya owns a dance studio in California with her mother and was married to Jonathan Roberts from 2003 to 2013. She and fiancé Nevin Millan share daughter Amalya and son Kaspyan.
Tony Dovolani
Dovolani departed after season 22 and became an international dance director at Fred Astaire Dance Studios. He shares daughter Luana as well as twins Adrian and Ariana with wife Lina Dovolani.
Credit: John Photography/Shutterstock
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
The season 18 winner left the show after season 25. He married fellow pro Peta Murgatroyd in July 2017; they welcomed son Shai in January 2017. Maksim and brother Val Chmerkovskiy — whom he tours with — own the Dance With Me company. In January 2023, Murgatroyd announced that she is pregnant and expecting the couple’s second child.
Murgatroyd gave birth to their second child, Rio, in June 2023 followed by baby No. 3, Milan, in July 2024.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Kosovich/Facebook
Nick Kosovich
Kosovich departed after season 3 and went on to become an event organizer and international traveling consultant for several dance organizations. He and his wife, Lena Kosovich, also run a costume manufacturing business called LeNique.
Credit: ABC/BOB D'AMICO
Andrea Hale
Hale appeared on season 2. She still works with up-and-coming dancers in Utah, teaching classes and mentoring people at local studios.
Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Karina Smirnoff
Smirnoff — who exited after season 22 — has her own dance studio. Us confirmed in April 2020 that she gave birth to her first child, Theo.
Credit: AFF-USA/Shutterstock
Kym Johnson
The Australia native left after season 24 but not before falling for her season 20 partner, Robert Herjavec. The pair tied the knot in July 2016 and welcomed twins Hudson and Haven in April 2018. She also hosted the “Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast.”
Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins Photo / MEGA
Jesse DeSoto
DeSoto appeared on season 3. He is in real estate development and co-owns a Fred Astaire Dance Studio. The former reality star is married and welcomed son Elias in March 2019.
Elena Grinenko
Grinenko left after season 4. She wed Rib Hillis in August 2012. She co-owns Dance Stars Festival with Karina Smirnoff, hosts Dance Talk TV and teaches online dance classes.
Julianne Hough
Julianne departed after season 8, at which point her career took off. She starred in Safe Haven, Footloose, Rock of Ages and Grease Live!, appeared as a judge on America’s Got Talent and Dancing With the Stars, toured with brother Derek, released a self-titled album and launched a fitness program called Kingry. The two-time champ married Brooks Laich in July 2017, but they announced their separation in May 2020. She filed for divorce in November 2020, with proceedings finalizing in June 2022.
In March 2023, news broke that the former pro would be returning to the ballroom for season 32 as Alfonso Ribeiro's cohost.
Derek Hough
With a record-breaking six wins under his belt, Derek exited the series after season 23. He went on to become a judge on World of Dance, tour with sister Julianne, star in the 2016 production of Hairspray Live! and appear on Nashville. He returned to Dancing With the Stars as a judge beginning with season 29. In June 2022, Derek announced his engagement to former DWTS troupe dancer Hayley Erbert, and they tied the knot in August 2023. In July 2025, the couple announced they are expecting their first baby.
