Strap on those dancing shoes! Global announces the very first celebrity cast of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors waltzing onto the dance floor during the two-hour premiere on Sunday, October 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Global. The youngest cast ever features 12 celebrity kids including Toddlers & Tiaras’ Alana Thompson, MasterChef Junior winner Addison Osta Smith, and YouTube sensation Mackenzie Ziegler. Each week, the junior couples will charm audiences with unforgettable routines and dazzling costumes.
Each celebrity contestant will be paired with professional junior ballroom dancers, and mentored by one of the Dancing with the Stars professional and troupe dancers.
Meet the young dancers and their mentors below:
Addison Osta Smith
About: Addison was the first girl and youngest contestant ever to win MasterChef Junior at the age of 10 years old.
Dancing Partner: Lev Khmelev
Mentored by: Keo Motsepe
Alana Thompson
About: Alana Thompson, or more famously known as Honey Boo Boo, started her career on Toddlers & Tiaras when she was five years old and quickly rose to fame.
Dancing Partner: Tristan Ianiero
Mentored by: Artem Chigvintsev
Akash Vukoti
About: Akash is a SPELLEBRITY – when he was six years old, he became (and is currently) the youngest boy ever to compete in the history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Dancing Partner: Kamri Peterson
Mentored by: Witney Carson
Ariana Greenblatt
About: Ariana is a small-but-mighty star on the rise who just wrapped filming The One and Only Ivan, and currently stars as Daphne Diaz on Stuck in The Middle.
Dancing Partner: Artyon Celestine
Mentored by: Brandon Armstrong
Hudson West
About: Hudson booked his first commercial at the age of six and currently stars as Jake Spencer in General Hospital.
Dancing Partner: Kameron Couch
Mentored by: Hayley Erbert
Jason Maybaum
About: Jason currently stars as Levi in the live-action comedy Raven’s Home, and has previously appeared in Becoming Bond, Workaholics, and Superstore.
Dancing Partner: Elliana Walmsley
Mentored by: Emma Slater
Mackenzie Ziegler
About: Mackenzie, a professional dancer, singer/songwriter, and actress was most recently seen starring in the YouTube series Total Eclipse and has released her first novel “Kenzie’s Rules for Life”.
Dancing Partner: Sage Rosen
Mentored by: Gleb Savchenko
Mandla Morris
About: Son to Stevie Wonder, 13-year-old Mandla Morris is an aspiring fashion designer who loves to draw and sketch clothing.
Dancing Partner: Brightyn Brems
Mentored by: Cheryl Burke
Miles Brown
About: Miles stars in the Emmy®-nominated and critically acclaimed comedy series black-ish and recently wrapped production on the independent film, Emmett.
Dancing Partner: Rylee Arnold
Mentored by: Lindsay Arnold
Sky Brown
About: Sky is known as a skateboarding and surfing phenom, which has led her to become a viral video media sensation.
Dancing Partner: JT Church
Mentored by: Alan Bersten
Sophia Pippen
About: Sophia is the daughter of six-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Scottie Pippen. She became the face of Oscar De La Renta Kids and has walked the runway for other children’s brands.
Dancing Partner: Jake Monreal
Mentored by: Sasha Farber
Tripp Palin
About: Tripp Palin loves traveling between Alaska and Texas where he’s embraced by a large, active family. He spends his time outdoors and loves fishing, four-wheeling, snow machines, dirt bikes, football, and soccer.
Dancing Partner: Hailey Bills
Mentored by: Jenna Johnson
Viewers can catch every twirl, kick, and sashay live or following the broadcast the next day on GlobalTV.com, Global GO (available on Apple TV and Google Chromecast), and on demand.
Dancing with the Stars: Juniors is a fresh take on an established favourite in which 12 celebrity kids will be partnered with professional junior ballroom dancers to perform choreographed routines, which will be judged by Emmy® Award-winning choreographer Mandy Moore, professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, and Dancing with the Stars: Athletes champion, Adam Rippon.
