‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 31: Bindi Irwin, James Van Der Beek & More Appear in First Trailer (VIDEO)

Kelli Boyle August 22, 2022, 2:58 pm

The Disney+ premiere of Dancing With the Stars is just around the corner. Airing live on September 19, Season 31 marks the first-ever live reality series on a streaming service. Disney+ shared the first Dancing With the Stars Season 31 trailer on Monday, August 22, and it showcases emotionally charged moments from contestants on past seasons.

Janel Parrish, James Van Der Beek, Bindi Irwin, and JoJo Siwa are just some of the handful of past participants sharing the meaning of their time on the competition series. Irwin gets a lot of screen time as clips from the episode about her late father, Steve Irwin, roll.

“This whole experience has changed me so much,” Siwa says.

“For me, dance is always about the emotion. He is so proud of you,” a tearful Carrie Ann Inaba tells Irwin about the tribute to her father.

With the emotional confessionals from past competitors, it seems the trailer is aiming to tell viewers not to worry about the big change — it’s still the same dance competition. There’s also footage of Tyra Banks and her co-host Alfonso Ribeiro, plus footage from his time on Season 19, which he won with dance partner Witney Carson.

How to Watch 'Dancing With the Stars' on Disney+

Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough will return as judges for Season 31, which will run entirely without ads. It’s possible that Dancing With the Stars Season 32 (already green-lit at Disney+) will air with ads, as the streaming platform is launching Disney+ Basic on December 8. Disney+ Basic will be a cheaper monthly price for subscribers than the new premium subscription ($7.99 vs. $10.99 per month) and will be an ad-supported service. Season 31 will have already concluded by the time of the service launch.

Dancing With the Stars is produced in front of a live audience by BBC Studios’ Los Angeles production arm. The biggest change in the new season will likely be the lack of commercial breaks. Disney+ is available as a standalone streaming service or as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.

Dancing With the Stars, Season 31 Premiere, Monday, September 19, Disney+