Swifties may recognize the ballroom’s newest face.
Taylor Swift’s longtime backup dancer Jan Ravnik is stepping into the spotlight as the latest professional to join Dancing with the Stars for its upcoming 34th season.
The reveal was made Thursday, Aug. 28, on Good Morning America, where Ravnik shared a recorded message brimming with excitement.
‘I traveled all around the world with Eras Tour, and now I’m coming to the ballroom stage for Dancing with the Stars,’ he said. ‘Mirrorball never goes out of style, and we are ready to win it.’
The Slovenian-born dancer’s new gig comes nearly a year after wrapping his 21-month stint on Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour.
In addition to appearing in the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Movie, which hit theaters in 2023, he performed alongside Margaret Qualley for a James Bond tribute at the 97th Academy Awards.
Taylor Swift’s longtime backup dancer Jan Ravnik is stepping into the spotlight as the latest professional to join Dancing with the Stars for its upcoming 34th season; seen last year
His resume also includes Mariah Carey Christmas: The Magic Continues, Paula Abdul’s Las Vegas residency, the Billboard Music Awards and live performances with superstars like Bruno Mars.
The official DWTS Instagram teased his arrival a day earlier on August 27, posting a cryptic purple sparkle graphic, seemingly a nod to Swift, alongside a purple heart emoji.
According to The Sun, Ravnik is stepping in as a replacement for longtime pro Gleb Savchenko, 41, who was reportedly fired.
A source told the outlet: ‘The show needed a replacement for Gleb [Savchenko] and Jan’s availability came at the perfect time.
Like Gleb, Jan’s got the devilishly handsome good looks, charm, and dance moves to back it up.’
The insider went on to praise Ravnik’s ‘incredible choreography,’ calling him ‘probably the most talented new addition they’ve hired in years.’
His connection to DWTS choreographer Mandy Moore—who also choreographed Swift’s Eras Tour—was said to have helped pave the way for his hiring.
‘It’s such a family at this point, and Mandy was thrilled to welcome Jan into the DWTS family,’ the source added.
Savchenko’s rumored exit, meanwhile, is said to have been fueled by ‘a number of reasons,’ with one insider claiming that model Brooks Nader’s allegation of infidelity was ‘the final straw.’
‘I traveled all around the world with Eras Tour, and now I’m coming to the ballroom stage for Dancing with the Stars,’ he said in a recorded message, which aired on Good Morning America
The Slovenian-born dancer’s new gig comes nearly a year after wrapping his 21-month stint on Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour
Earlier this year, he performed alongside Margaret Qualley for a James Bond tribute at the 97th Academy Awards (seen in March 2025)
Ravnik, who left Slovenia in 2018 to pursue his career in Los Angeles, had already made waves in his home country.
A two-time winner of Slovenia’s prestigious ‘Best Dancer’ award, he also racked up competition victories before breaking into the international scene.
Since then, he’s danced for the likes of Khalid, Luis Fonsi, Lewis Capaldi, and DJ Khalid, and was even hand-picked for Mariah Carey’s Apple TV Christmas Special in 2020.
His polished style and dreamy looks have drawn comparisons to Red, White & Royal Blue actor Taylor Zakhar Perez, making him one of the breakout names from Swift’s troupe.
His resume also includes Mariah Carey Christmas: The Magic Continues, Paula Abdul ‘s Las Vegas residency, the Billboard Music Awards and performances with stars like Bruno Mars
The full Season 34 DWTS lineup will be announced September 3, but several contestants have already been revealed.
Conservationist Robert Irwin, son of the late Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin, is confirmed to compete, following in the footsteps of his sister, Bindi, who won season 21 with now-judge Derek Hough.
Social media star Alix Earle and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives personalities Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt are also in the mix, while DailyMail.com recently learned Hilaria Baldwin will join the competition.
With Ravnik officially joining the pros, all eyes will be on who he’s paired with when the season premieres and whether his transition from Swift’s stadium stages to the DWTS ballroom will earn him a Mirrorball Trophy of his own.
