Kamri Peterson, a professional dancer on the short-lived “Dancing With the Stars: Juniors” spinoff, will join “Dancing With the Stars” this fall as a troupe dancer, the show announced Sunday at DWTS Con. She was 10 years old during her run on the youth version of the franchise, which aired for a single season in 2018.
On “DWTS: Juniors,” Peterson partnered with Akash Vukoti, a former Scripps National Spelling Bee competitor, under mentor Witney Carson. The pair placed sixth, while skateboarder Sky Brown and JT Church won the season under Alan Bersten’s team. Now 18, Peterson has built a competitive résumé in Latin ballroom dance since then, earning World ProAm Champion honors, three Latin National Vice Champion titles and twelve Latin Finalist placements, and representing the United States at the Open World Championships in Paris.
In the years since her junior stint, Peterson has trained and worked in Los Angeles alongside current DWTS pros Rylee Arnold and Ezra Sosa, as well as choreographer Mandy Moore. She also attended several tapings of Season 34, which Witney Carson won alongside celebrity partner Robert Irwin. As a troupe member, Peterson will appear in group numbers, including the show’s opening segment, and serve as a rehearsal stand-in.
Peterson follows a familiar path for the franchise. Rylee Arnold moved from “DWTS: Juniors” into a full pro role starting with Season 32 in 2023, while Hailey Bills made her troupe debut during Season 34. Show host Alfonso Ribeiro has said pro assignments and celebrity pairings often shift up until close to broadcast, noting that casting decisions can change even weeks before a season begins.
Season 35’s celebrity cast is still being finalized. Comedian Guillermo Rodriguez, known for his appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” has been confirmed, along with reality personalities Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller and professional baseball player Jackson Olson.
ABC plans to reveal the full roster of stars and their professional partners on “Good Morning America” September 2. The new season follows a strong ratings run for Season 34, which drew the franchise’s largest audience in years and closed with its highest-rated finale in nearly a decade, buoyed by a surge of younger viewers.
