Palm Springs brought the heat – both literally and figuratively – for the first-ever Dancing With the Stars Convention from July 31–August 2 at the Acrisure Arena.
DWTS Con was packed with beloved celebrities and professional dancers from the last two decades. That includes DWTS legends Bruno Tonioli, Rashad Jennings, Val Chmerkovskiy, Johnny Weir, Emma Slater, Andy Richter, and Phaedra Parks… to name a few.
Since a list of Pros and Cons about Pro dancers at a Con(vention) may be confusing, I’ll use our colloquial Taste and Waste jargon to summarize for the event.
The VIP Experience
Tickets were originally advertised as starting at $199 for three-day general admission, but that was not the reality. Thanks to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing, tickets ranged from $350 to over $1,300 for VIP.
While the VIP was a significant amount of extra cash, it was worth it to get early access to the installations before they got crowded. More importantly, we took a professional photograph with several of the pro dancers … PRICELESS.
VIPs had extra access to celebs in the lounge, and even enjoyed a champagne toast with a mix of stars and pros Friday night.
VIP Con goers were also able to secure a prime spot in line for autographs on days 1 & 2. The stars and pros posed for selfies on day 3. (More on this below!)
The Venue
It was the first time either of us had visited Palm Springs. The city earned an enthusiastic TASTE from us.
On the flip side, the Acrisure Arena was the catalyst for the major issues with the Con. Therefore, the venue earned a WASTE.
Imani and I used ride-share to and from the venue on all three days. Fans who drove paid $50 a day (for three days) to park in an uncovered lot in the scorching desert heat.
Once in the venue, the air conditioning was ON, and we appreciated it! Again, having VIP access came in handy as there was a private sitting area to relax away from the action.
The arena was divided into two main areas: The Main Stage and The Rink. It was convenient, but a lot of back-and-forth for those with special mobility needs.
The food was probably my biggest issue of the weekend. There weren’t enough vendors for the number of people, nor did they meet several guests’ dietary needs. There were few vegetarian or vegan items, and even fewer options for those on gluten-free diets.
The Lineup
The list of stars and pros was incredible — TASTE!
Celebrities who appeared at the inaugural DWTS Con include Hannah Brown, Danielle Fishel, Kate Flannery, Joey Graziadei, Elaine Hendrix, Rashad Jennings, Amanda Kloots, Phaedra Parks, Andy Richter, JoJo Siwa, Johnny Weir, Rumor Willis, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Ginger Zee.
The professional dancers who appeared are Brandon Armstrong, Lindsay Arnold, Rylee Arnold, Alan Bersten, Hailey Bills, Sharna Burgess, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach, Pasha Pashkov, Kamri Peterson, Jan Ravnik, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater, Ezra Sosa, and Britt Stewart.
Judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba were present, as was Kym Johnson. ICONIC.
Our WASTE involved the Whitneys. We were BEYOND excited for appearances from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and last year’s winning pro, Witney Carson.
While fans were told that the lineup was subject to change, we were still disappointed that neither Whitney showed up, nor acknowledged skipping DWTS Con.
Logistics
Considering this was the first-ever DWTS Con, we were quite impressed. That doesn’t mean there weren’t issues.
The good news is that the people running the show knew when something worked and pivoted when things weren’t up to par.
DWTS Con guests were given an official poster for autograph sessions over the weekend.
Since selfies are the modern-day autograph, lines were slow as fans were getting both signatures and photos. Security kept telling fans that selfies weren’t permitted, but they were heavily ignored as people waited in line – and paid good money – for the photo op.
Talent went out of their way to take photos with fans, but security kept many interactions shorter than the fans and the talent thought was appropriate.
By day three, autographs were replaced by selfie stations with security seamlessly snapping photos of fans with stars and pro dancers. The lines moved incredibly quickly, and fans were left satisfied. This was the best mid-course correction of the weekend.
Programming
Friday’s convention began with one of two VIP Meet and Greets with professional photography sessions, while the other VIP group was able to explore the venue. Meet and Greets for the second VIP group were on Saturday. This was well planned, as VIPs had shorter lines and more time and space to explore the exhibitions while half took professional photos and met the pros.
The Rink featured massive props from the show, costumes, and themed photo ops for fans. The rest of The Rink hosted autograph/selfie stations and a stage used for a wide variety of panels.
There was something for everyone in the panels the pros hosted. Some of the more memorable panels included Gleb and Val’s salsa classes, Britt’s mindful meditation class, The Movement Club with Lindsay, and Get Ready With Me with Rylee, Hailey, and Ezra.
The Main Stage also hosted panels and was where the main performances were held.
My personal favorite panel was the Behind the Mirrorball. Hosted by Kym, Bruno and several DWTS execs revealed secrets of ‘how the sausage is made.’
Many would agree the biggest TASTE was Saturday’s Mirrorball Mayhem show on the Main Stage. The show was fast-paced, dynamic, emotional, exciting … I laughed, I cried, I danced in my seat. For the record, Ezra, Rylee, Kam, and Jojo’s hip-hop dance is living rent-free in my head.
Final Thoughts
Overall, DWTS‘s first convention was a success.
A massive congratulations to everyone involved in the planning and execution of the convention, including choreographer Mandy Moore and Amanda Balen, who held down The Rink.
Imani and I hope to see you next year for a second annual DWTS Con (manifesting!)
