‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34 Cast Revealed
Sasha Farber is cheering on his fellow dancers from the sidelines.
After fans took note of his absence from Dancing With the Stars season 34 cast reveal on Sept. 3, the pro dancer assured fans that he has no beef with the ABC competition series, expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming installment, which will feature celebrity contestants including Dylan Efron, Hilaria Baldwin and Jordan Chiles.
“I’m very excited for the new cast and celebrities!!!” Sasha said in a statement to E! News Sept. 3. “It’s going to be an epic season and I’m very grateful for all the fans’ support and love.”
The 41-year-old also responded to viewer concerns on one of his TikTok videos, including one from a user who said the 2025 season “will not be the same” without him.
“Really thank you so much !!!” Sasha wrote back in a Sept. 1 comment, adding, “It’s going to be such a good season.”
While Sasha won’t be lighting up the ballroom this fall, it’s not his first time skipping a season of the show. After making his debut in 2013 alongside Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, he didn’t appear as a pro dancer again until 2016 when he was paired with Kim Fields.
Sasha also sat out the show’s 25th season in 2017, returning the following year to compete alongside Tonya Harding.
Disney/Cristian Lopez
Most recently, Sasha—who was married to fellow DWTS pro Emma Slater from 2018 to 2022—danced with The Bachelorette alum Jenn Tran during season 33, during which time the two struck up a romantic connection. However, the relationship came to an end in June after less than a year.
“Jenn is hard at work on her studies in Miami right now and not letting anything else get in the way of her goals,” a source told E! News at the time. “She also doesn’t need a man to be tied to her in the media.”
Dancing With the Stars season 34 premieres Sept. 16 on ABC. In the meantime, keep reading to see more pro dancers who have stepped away from the show in the past.
Disney/Christopher Willard
Sasha Farber
Sasha Farber, who made his dance pro debut in 2013 with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi after serving as a troupe member, most recently competed on season 33 of Dancing With the Stars with The Bachelorette‘s Jenn Tran. In fact, their chemistry and social media posts had fans wondering if they were more than just dance partners.
Sasha was previously married to fellow pro Emma Slater, proposing on the ballroom competition series in 2016. However, they split in 2022 after four years of marriage.
Still, Sasha has expressed how he’s remained on good terms with Emma, who is now dating fellow pro Alan Bersten.
“We’re very professional,” Sasha told E! in 2023. “We are great friends. In times like these you say, ‘Thank you for the beautiful memories,’ and you gotta move on.”
Andrew Eccles/ABC via Getty Images
Peta Murgatroyd
After starting as a troupe member, Peta Murgatroyd officially became a DWTS pro when she competed with basketball player Metta World Peace in 2013.
While she proceeded to rack up two Mirrorball trophies, she occasionally stepped away from the show to focus on her family—who include kids Shai, Rio and Milan with fellow former pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
“It’s got to do it with if I miss it or not—if I look at it on the TV and I’m like, ‘Ugh, I wish I was there,'” Peta, who last competed on season 32 with The Brady Bunch‘s Barry Williams, told Us Weekly in June. “And to be honest, last season, I didn’t miss it because I was so postpartum.”
However, Peta expressed her desire to return for season 34.
“If they did come to me and want me back,” she added, “I would say yes.”
And while Peta won’t be returning as a pro this time around, she suggested she’ll still be a fan.
“Did you see the NEW @dancingwiththestars CAST?” she wrote on Instagram Sept. 2 alongside a video of her and Maks dancing. “Holy Moly we are in for a GOOD SEASON.”
Maarten de Boer/ABC via Getty Images
Sharna Burgess
Sharna Burgess‘ most recent appearance on Dancing With the Stars was for season 30, when she teamed up with Brian Austin Green.
Since then, the dance pro and the Beverly Hills, 90210 actor have continued to grow their partnership outside of the ballroom, welcoming son Zane in 2022 and getting engaged the following year.
However, Sharna has hinted she’d like to spin back onto Dancing With the Stars.
“I would really, really enjoy that,” she told Parade in May. “I judge Dancing With the Stars in Australia. I really love that role, too. If they’re doing guest spots for it, that would be phenomenal. I’d love to jump in. I really want to always continue my relationship with the show.”
But whether she’s dancing, judging or just supporting in the crowd, the Mirrorball winner has suggested that being a part of the community is a 10.
“I adore them,” Sharna added. “They are my family, as you can see. So whether it’s me sitting in the audience or in some other way, I will for sure be there.”
ABC/Eric McCandless
Lindsay Arnold
While Lindsay Arnold will be cheering on sister Rylee Arnold, she won’t be competing on Dancing With the Stars herself.
“The answer is no,” she shared in an Aug. 29 TikTok video. “I will not be doing Dancing With the Stars this next season.”
Ultimately, the Mirrorball champion, who last vied for the trophy on season 30, noted it’s the right move for her and her family, who include daughters Sage and June with husband Sam Cusick.
“I just know that I’m exactly where I need to be,” she added, “and where I should be.”
But if Lindsay ever did want to return, she’d have to be the one to ask.
“Since the season that I stepped away from the show, never once have the producers been like, ‘Oh please come back’ or asked me to come back,” the dancer, who joined DWTS in 2013 as a pro and has also performed as a troupe member, continued. “If I wanted to come back at this point I would definitely need to express that desire to the producers of the show. And then, it still wouldn’t even be a guarantee.”
Kelsey McNeal/ABC via Getty Images
Keo Motsepe
The last time Keo Motsepe competed on Dancing With the Stars was season 29 with the now late actress Anne Heche.
And while he didn’t specify why he wasn’t returning, he previously hinted that it wasn’t his decision.
“While it’s disappointing to not be back for season 30, I’ve been honored to be on the last nine seasons of the show and look forward to returning in the future,” Keo, who became a Dancing With the Stars pro in 2014, told Us Weekly in 2021. “There’s a great group this season and I wish all the dancers and the show the best of luck!”
However, he’d like to sway back into the ballroom one day, telling The U.S. Sun in November, “A thousand percent I want to be back.”
Andrew Eccles/ABC via Getty Images
Koko Iwasaki‘s brief run as a Dancing With the Stars pro began in season 31, when she was paired with Jersey Shore‘s Vinny Guadagnino. And while Koko returned the following season to compete with Matt Walsh, she later revealed she wouldn’t be coming back.
“While I feel I’m entering this new phase in life, my love for dance and my excitement for what’s to come are stronger than ever,” she wrote on Instagram in September 2024, per a screenshot shared by The U.S. Sun. “The next steps in my journey are unfolding beautifully, and I can’t wait to share them with you allin time. I am really happy and feelin really aligned. Cheers to it all!!”
Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
After starting off as a troupe member on season 18 of Dancing With the Stars, Artem Chigvintsev was promoted to pro the following season.
He continued to compete each year with the exceptions of seasons 21 and 28 and took home the title with The Bachelorette‘s Kaitlyn Bristowe in season 29. However, his last appearance was in 2023, when he was paired with Bachelor Nation’s Charity Lawson for season 32.
In August 2024, days after celebrating his second wedding anniversary with WWE star and season 25 partner Nikki Garcia, Artem was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. However, the Napa County District Attorney’s office announced the following month it would not be filing criminal charges against him.
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