‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Speculation: Season 20 Buzz Builds As Official Announcement Looms

Announcements regarding Season 20 of Dancing With the Stars are coming soon with the premiere slated to air on March 16. Which pros are coming back and which celebrities will be dancing? There’s a lot of buzz circulating right now, but very little is known for certain quite yet. Where do things stand regarding the DWTS cast and pro list for Season 20?

Many DWTS fans remember Louis Van Amstel from his prior seasons and he’s certainly making it sound as if he’s expecting to be back this season. He has been off the canvas for a bit, most recently having danced with Sabrina Bryan during All-Star Season 15 and Kendra Wilkinson in Season 12. Van Amstel is one pro who certainly draws fierce opinions from DWTS fans, not always in a positive manner.

That said, Van Amstel has been buzzing on Twitter quite a bit about Season 20, making it sound as if he’s back in some capacity. He also indicated that the pro DWTS slate will be formally announced soon, possibly on February 9. Will Louis be back as a pro, acting in some other capacity with the show or not back at all? Dancing With the Stars fans aren’t sure, but they’re definitely curious.

Some wonder if Louis might have been requested by a celebrity. There is some speculation over at the PureDWTS site that it could be that someone perhaps connected to the Osbourne family wants to dance with him, as Louis had a great season with Kelly Osbourne in Season 9. Another possibility revolves around rumored possible contestant Roseanne Barr handpicking Van Amstel as her pro choice.

It seems certain at this point that Sharna Burgess, Mark Ballas, Val Chmerkovskiy and Tony Dovolani are in, with most betting that Witney Carson, Emma Slater and Peta Murgatroyd will be dancing as well. It is known that Derek Hough and Cheryl Burke are not participating this season, and after some buzz that she would be out, many suspect Karina Smirnoff may be back after all.

Given the nearly-confirmed and suspected pro returns, it would seem there may well still be open spots for a couple of guys and a couple of gals. Will Season 19 newbies Keo Motsepe and Allison Holker be back, or will DWTS give some new dancers the opportunity? Some also wonder if some former pros could be brought back in for another spin, with some at PureDWTS specifically pondering the possibilities of Kym Johnson or Lacey Schwimmer popping in for another season.

Right now it’s looking as if the pro announcement will come before the celebrity cast announcement, something that wasn’t generally done until Season 19. The celebrities are expected to be confirmed on Good Morning America on February 24, with the Season 20 premiere airing on March 16. There have only been random rumblings regarding the celebrity cast so far, but the buzz should pick up speed in the next couple of weeks. This is a big anniversary season for the show and fans are expecting some big things in terms of casting and pro pairings.

Which Dancing With the Stars pros do you hope come back, and which ones do you think should take a break? DWTS will once again air on Monday nights this spring, with some buzz building that a results show could come back in some fashion this upcoming season as well.

Update: According to executive producer Rob Wade via People, the pro slate will be announced on Good Morning America on February 11. So far he isn’t confirming the cast announcement date suspected to be February 24. In addition, given that Val and Peta are in the promotional poster being used for Season 20, it would seem safe to say that Murgatroyd is returning as most expected.

[Image via Reality TV Magazine]