Parents' Guide to

Dancing with the Stars

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

High-kicking series has cross-generational appeal.

TV ABC Reality TV 2005
Dancing with the Stars Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 10+

Based on 23 parent reviews

Rmorris21
Rmorris21 Adult
November 9, 2021
age 14+

Get rid of JoJo

She has plenty of dancing experience and she doesn’t deserve to win with the way she gave a look when she was in the bottom two against mike the miz tells you everything.
Erin1013
Erin1013 Adult
September 21, 2021
age 16+

NO MORE TYRA BANKS !

Family friendly, and enjoyable to watch ! The original people aren’t there anymore but I still watch BRING BACK MY TOM AND ERIN AND MY FAV PRO JULIENNE HOUGH she rocks the dance floor !

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 23 parent reviews

What's the Story?

DANCING WITH THE STARS is a reality competition that pairs professional ballroom dancers with celebrities and challenges them to learn a new style of dancing each week. Celebrity participants have included Hollywood legends, pop stars, rappers, politicians, and professional athletes, most of whom have little to no dancing experience before the show. The dancing pro's put them through their own boot camp of sorts in preparation for their weekly performances, which are scored by a panel of three judges before being voted on by the viewing audience. The lowest-scoring couple is eliminated each week.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (23):
Kids say (35):

This is the rare show that can be enjoyed and appreciated by all generations. The dancing is always entertaining, and at times it's also inspiring, reminding viewers of the rewards of taking the leap into new challenges in life at any age. The show celebrates the joy of fair competition, the benefits of determination, and the self-affirming nature of conquering fear.

Parents may want need to explain to kids why the female dancers wear skimpy outfits and get judged on their sex appeal, and there is some mild language ("ass," "suck," etc.) that isn't appropriate for young kids. But mostly there's nothing to worry about, and it may just encourage you and your family to tackle something new of your own.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the stereotypes that exist about dancers. Were the dancers in this show what you expected to see? Did any of them surprise you? What are the dangers of making assumptions about groups of people?

  • Kids: What does it feel like to be criticized? What is the difference between constructive criticism and negative criticism? How does hearing a critique encourage you to improve?

  • In what ways are the participants in this show good role models? Do they ever express that they're afraid of any aspect of the competition? How can fear be a motivator? Does it seem to motivate their efforts?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate