Jen Affleck shares a fun behind-the-scenes tour of the Dancing with the Stars holiday special

Dancing with the Stars returned on December 2 with its new festive episode, “Dancing with the Holidays.”

The special arrived shortly after season 34 ended with Robert Irwin and Witney Carson winning the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

The holiday episode gathered DWTS professional dancers, past contestants, and guests for a short celebration. Derek Hough’s show Extra shared a 107-second behind-the-scenes video hosted by Jen Affleck.

The footage was posted on Extra’s Instagram account with the caption, “‘Tis the season for dancing! Jen Affleck takes us exclusively behind the scenes of the #DWTS holiday special!”

Affleck competed on season 34 with Jan Ravnik before being eliminated on October 28. In the video, she spoke to Andy Richter, who said, “Oh, this is easy because no one’s judging.”

She also asked Ravnik about his experience, and he replied, “Yeah, so much blast!” The clip showed several interactions with dancers Ezra Sosa and Emma Slater, as well as fun moments from the set. The video ended with the full group saying, “Happy holidays!” The holiday special streamed on Disney+ and Hulu and featured the full DWTS pro cast, returning celebrities, and several guest appearances.

Recap: What Jen Affleck showed backstage in the Dancing with the Stars holiday special

The behind-the-scenes video highlighted simple interactions between the cast and crew during the filming of “Dancing with the Holidays.”

Jen Affleck went backstage to speak with performers from season 34 and the professional dancers taking part in the special.

Andy Richter talked about returning to the floor with Emma Slater and Reginald VelJohnson, saying it was “just a really fun day.” He shared that performing in the holiday setting felt different from the competition format because there were no judges and no scoring involved.

Affleck checked in with her former partner, Jan Ravnik, who said he was “having a blast” while working on the special. She also spoke with Ezra Sosa and Emma Slater as they rehearsed and prepared for their segments.

In the shared footage, the cast gathered for simple group moments, including the final “Happy holidays!” shout that closed the video. The clip served as a short walk-through of the set, showing dancers moving between interviews, rehearsals, and filming moments.

Extra framed the content as a look at the cast members reconnecting for the holiday program, giving viewers context ahead of the episode’s streaming release.

Who appeared in the holiday special of Dancing with the Stars?

The “Dancing with the Holidays” special brought together the full roster of DWTS professional dancers along with several former contestants. Hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro returned to lead the program.

Guest performers included Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Scott Hoying, Hannah Brown, and Rashad Jennings. The group Pentatonix also provided a musical performance during the episode. The special featured multiple choreographed numbers, including four reprise routines from previous seasons.

Family members of the cast appeared at various points. Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy’s son, Rome, joined part of the taping. Ribeiro’s wife Angela Unkrich and their children, AJ, Anders, and Ava, also took part in the filming.

The episode mixed dancing segments with short on-set moments involving the cast and their families. The behind-the-scenes video shared by Extra matched this format by showing quick exchanges with dancers and returning participants.

The special streamed on Disney+ and Hulu on December 2. Its release followed the season 34 finale and offered a simple holiday-themed program featuring past and present members of the DWTS community.

The backstage footage posted on Instagram helped set the context for the episode by showing who was involved and how the cast prepared for the production.
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