Does Dancing with the Stars help or harm the local dance scene?

Since its debut in October 2004 on Seven Network, Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) Australia has become one of the nation’s most enduring reality‑TV franchises. Now in its 22nd season, it continues to attract nearly a million viewers weekly. Its mix of celebrity glamour, choreographed routines, and competitive stakes brings dance to living rooms nationwide, but what does this visibility mean for Australian dance as an art form?

But critics say the show simplifies technique for entertainment, compresses training into TV‑friendly narratives, and prioritises flash over finesse. For many viewers, high‑dramatic lifts and quick edits can misrepresent what professional dancing truly involves. Indeed, So You Think You Can Dance Australia has drawn commentary that its emphasis on tricks and spectacle “compromises dance as a performance art”.