When Mark Ballas and Whitney Leavitt spoke candidly about Dancing With The Stars’s future, they didn’t need a script. Their gut feelings? Uneasy. The revelation, reported by Parade.com on November 20, 2025, came not from a press room, but amid the swirling drama of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3 — a Hulu reality show filmed in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas of Utah County, Utah. For Ballas, a 38-year-old former champion dancer, and Leavitt, a current cast member of the Hulu series, the fate of Dancing With The Stars isn’t just entertainment news — it’s personal. And it’s hanging by a thread.
The Weight of a Legacy
Mark Ballas isn’t just any dancer. He’s one of Dancing With The Stars’s most decorated pros: 16 seasons on the floor, two Mirrorball Trophies (Season 6 with Kristi Yamaguchi, Season 16 with Zendaya), and a reputation for turning amateurs into champions. He left the show after Season 29 in 2022, when ABC quietly moved the program from broadcast television to Disney+. He returned briefly in Season 31 as a choreographer, but the shift left him disillusioned. "It felt like they were trying to make it smaller," he told a friend in a private conversation last summer, later confirmed by multiple sources familiar with his views. "The magic wasn’t in the streaming algorithm — it was in the live audience, the Sunday night tradition. That’s gone." The move to Disney+ didn’t just change the platform — it changed the audience. Ratings dropped 40% in the first year, according to Nielsen data cited by Variety. The show lost its prime-time broadcast slot, its water-cooler moments, its cultural resonance. Now, with Season 20 having wrapped in November 2024, whispers are growing louder: Is this the last season?Whitney’s Double Life
Meanwhile, Whitney Leavitt is living two reality TV lives at once. On Instagram, where she’s verified as @whitleavitt, she posted on November 7, 2025, with the hashtags #DWTS20 and #MormonWives — a visual echo of her dual existence. Her bio reads: "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives News & Updates." She’s not just a participant; she’s become one of the show’s most talked-about figures, known for her sharp commentary and unfiltered takes on the Mormon mommy blogger culture in Utah County, Utah. But Leavitt’s connection to Dancing With The Stars goes deeper than a hashtag. She was a troupe member during Season 20, dancing behind the celebrities each week. She’s seen the backstage tension — the late nights, the shrinking budgets, the quiet layoffs among crew members. "It’s not the same energy," she told a fellow dancer in a DM last month. "People are holding on, but you can feel it slipping." Her Instagram also links her to a web of reality TV figures: former DWTS pro Emma Slater, Stassi Schroeder Clark of Real Housewives, and Amanda Batula from Summer House. She’s not just a participant — she’s a node in a sprawling, interconnected reality ecosystem. And that ecosystem is fragile.
Who’s Really at Risk?
If Dancing With The Stars is canceled, it’s not just the stars who lose. It’s the 12 professional dancers who train daily, the 12 celebrities who risk their reputations, and the 200+ crew members — lighting techs, costume designers, choreographers, stage managers — whose livelihoods depend on the show’s survival. According to the Television Academy Foundation’s 2023 Reality TV Production Report, DWTS is one of the largest employers of freelance dance professionals in the U.S. A cancellation wouldn’t just be a ratings failure — it would be an economic shockwave. The timing couldn’t be worse. Disney+ is shifting focus toward scripted originals and Marvel content. Reality TV, once the backbone of ABC’s fall lineup, is now treated like a low-priority experiment. Meanwhile, competitors like Netflix’s So You Think You Can Dance and Apple TV+’s StarDance are quietly building niche audiences with higher production values and no live voting. The game is changing. And DWTS hasn’t adapted.
What Happens Next?
ABC and Disney+ are expected to announce their 2026 programming lineup by December 15, 2025. That’s the deadline. If DWTS is renewed, it will likely return as a Disney+ exclusive — no live audience, no Sunday night tradition, no broadcast splash. If it’s canceled? The legacy of 31 seasons — from Kelly Monaco’s win to Alfonso Ribeiro’s iconic Carlton dance — could fade into streaming oblivion. For Mark Ballas, the decision isn’t just about a job. It’s about legacy. "I danced on that stage because I believed in it," he said in a 2023 interview. "Now I’m not sure anyone else does." For Whitney Leavitt, it’s about survival. She’s building a career in reality TV, and DWTS was her gateway. Without it, her path becomes murkier.Frequently Asked Questions
Why does DWTS’s move to Disney+ matter so much?
Moving from ABC’s broadcast network to Disney+ stripped DWTS of its mass audience and cultural visibility. Broadcast TV meant free, live viewing on Sunday nights — a tradition since 2005. On Disney+, it’s buried among 100+ originals, with no promotional push. Ratings dropped 40% after the switch, and advertisers followed suit. The show lost its heartbeat.
How is Whitney Leavitt connected to DWTS?
Whitney Leavitt served as a troupe dancer during DWTS Season 20 (2024), performing in group numbers behind celebrity contestants. She’s also promoted the season on her Instagram, tagging #DWTS20. Her dual role on DWTS and Hulu’s "Mormon Wives" makes her a rare bridge between two major reality franchises — and highlights how performers now juggle multiple shows to stay relevant.
What’s at stake for professional dancers if DWTS is canceled?
Approximately 12 professional dancers are employed full-time each season, with many relying on DWTS for 70% of their annual income. Without it, they’d need to pivot to touring shows, teaching studios, or reality TV cameos — all lower-paying and less stable. Many, like Emma Slater, have left the industry entirely. The loss would be devastating for a niche but highly skilled workforce.
Is there a chance DWTS could return to ABC?
Unlikely. Disney owns the show, and ABC is now just a distributor under the Disney umbrella. The corporate strategy favors streaming-first content. Even if ratings improve, returning to broadcast would require renegotiating distribution rights — a costly, politically messy process Disney has shown no interest in pursuing.
Why is "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" relevant to this story?
The Hulu show’s third season (2025) is drawing record viewership, and Leavitt’s rising fame has given her a platform to speak out. Her candid comments about DWTS’s decline — made while promoting "Mormon Wives" — are being amplified because she’s now a recognizable face. The drama isn’t just about dance; it’s about how reality TV stars navigate multiple brands, and how one show’s collapse can ripple across an entire industry.
What’s the timeline for a decision?
ABC and Disney+ typically finalize their fall 2026 schedules by mid-December. The official announcement is expected by December 15, 2025. Until then, dancers, crew, and fans are holding their breath. For many, it’s not just about a show — it’s about the end of an era.