Ever since I was 10-years-old, my mom and I have been watching Dancing with the Stars every Monday night. And finally, after a 10-month hiatus, Dancing with the Stars is back and in full swing. I went into this season with some skepticism about how the break would change the show and after six weeks of competition, the changes have been for the better and the show is back into is old rhythm. 

Dancing with the Stars is a dance competition series on ABC. The plot of the show is that each season 12 new celebrities, with little to no dancing experience, are cast and partnered up with a professional dancer to teach them how to dance in 12 weeks. The star has one week to learn a new style and routine, choreographed by their partner, which is performed on live TV each Monday night. It is also judged by the three expert dancers and voted on by America. With the first season airing in 2005, some of the most notable celebrities to grace the dance floor are Kim Kardashian, Shawn Johnson and Apolo Anton Ohno. 

As DWTS Season 28 has reached the halfway point, my overall opinion of the season has solidified, I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. The casting crew did a great job in selecting different celebrities with various backgrounds such as models, actors, athletes and even former white house representatives. Each week, you can tell that the cast grows stronger as dancers and as a family in the ballroom. You watch as hugs, tears and cheers are shared in support after every dance. The judges have focused more on technique this season and it really shows as the celebrities focus less on the drama and more on the actual dances themselves. This is a bit different from past seasons. 

There are some obvious changes after the short hiatus that have me a bit disgruntled. The main being that there have been many more arguments between the judge panel and the audience/ guest judges they’ve had on the show. Specifically about mistakes and technicalities in the rules.The panel is also a lot harsher and blunt with their criticism of the celebrities dancing. This has lessened my overall view of this season because the atmosphere of the judge panel has appeared to be a bit more unsteady and not as united as previous years have been. 

 This season has been one of plot twists and injuries and has kept me on my toes the whole time. If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining and lighthearted competition series that shows some of your favorite celebrities completely out of their element, Dancing with the Stars would be right up your alley.