Whitney Leavitt’s connection to Dancing With the Stars has become one of the most interesting parts of her rapidly changing entertainment career. She first became widely known through Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, but her appearance on Dancing With the Stars in 2025 introduced her to an even broader audience and helped open the door to new opportunities.
Whitney competed on Season 34 with professional dancer Mark Ballas and made it all the way to the semifinals, finishing sixth. Although she did not reach the finale, her time in the ballroom became an important turning point. Just months later, she made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago, followed by an extended engagement that further established her as a performer outside reality television.
Now, the Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars story has entered a new phase. Whitney is not competing on Season 35. Instead, her husband, Conner Leavitt, is taking the ballroom floor with professional dancer Adele Zaikman. Whitney has been closely involved in his preparation, watching rehearsal videos and giving him feedback based on what she learned during her own DWTS experience.
At the same time, Whitney is preparing for another major Broadway appearance, leaving The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after Season 5 and continuing to develop her career in entertainment. Her next Broadway role will be Sandra Dee in Just in Time, beginning December 1, 2026.
Whitney Leavitt’s Dancing With the Stars Journey
Whitney Leavitt joined Dancing With the Stars Season 34 in 2025 after becoming a familiar face through The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Her casting immediately attracted attention because she already had dance experience and was entering the competition with a significant television following.
Her professional partner was Mark Ballas, whose return to the competition added another layer of interest to the season. For Whitney, however, the challenge was about much more than simply learning dance routines.
The ballroom gave viewers an opportunity to see a different side of her personality and abilities. On reality television, audiences had primarily followed her relationships, family life and experiences with the Mormon Wives cast. On DWTS, she had to prepare choreography, perform under pressure and respond to judges while competing against other celebrities.
That made the Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars experience an important test of her ability to perform outside the reality-TV environment.
Who Was Whitney Leavitt’s DWTS Partner?
Whitney’s professional partner on Dancing With the Stars was Mark Ballas.
The pairing was particularly interesting because Ballas brought extensive experience in ballroom performance and choreography, while Whitney entered the show with her own background in dance.
Her previous training helped her understand choreography and movement, but Dancing With the Stars presented a different challenge. The competition requires contestants to combine technical ability with musicality, storytelling, character and audience connection.
Working with Ballas allowed Whitney to develop those skills throughout the season. Their partnership also gave her the opportunity to perform a wide range of routines while adapting to the demanding schedule of a televised dance competition.
By the later stages of the season, Whitney had become one of the stronger remaining contestants.
How Far Did Whitney Leavitt Get on DWTS?
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas reached the semifinals of Season 34 and finished in sixth place.
Her run ended just before the finale, putting her among the final group of contestants in a competitive season. Good Morning America later described her as finishing sixth during its September 2026 update on her career.
While Whitney did not win the Mirrorball Trophy, her placement was still an important achievement. More importantly, her DWTS appearance created momentum that continued after the competition ended.
Instead of disappearing from the entertainment spotlight after elimination, Whitney moved directly into another major opportunity: Broadway.
That is one reason the Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars story remains relevant even though her own competition ended in 2025.
Why Whitney’s DWTS Experience Mattered
Whitney’s time on Dancing With the Stars demonstrated that her entertainment career could extend beyond reality television.
The show required her to perform live, learn choreography quickly and connect with an audience in a completely different way from a reality series. Those skills became particularly valuable when she moved into musical theater.
Her DWTS experience also gave her greater exposure to a national audience. Viewers who had never watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives could discover her through the ballroom competition.
The timing was significant. Within months of her DWTS run, Whitney was preparing for her first Broadway role.
In retrospect, the ballroom became a bridge between two stages of her career: reality-TV personality and professional performer.
Whitney Leavitt Made Her Broadway Debut in Chicago
One of the biggest developments following Whitney’s DWTS appearance was her Broadway debut.
Whitney began playing Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre on February 2, 2026. Her original engagement was scheduled to run through March 15.
The role was a major step because Roxie Hart requires a combination of acting, singing and choreography. Whitney’s dance background was useful preparation, but Broadway demanded much more than simply executing dance routines.
Her performance also created a clear connection with her previous career. The skills she developed through dance and television could now be applied to a scripted stage production.
Her engagement was later extended. Broadway.com reported that Whitney returned as Roxie Hart from March 23 through April 5 following the original engagement, with the extension attributed to popular demand.
The extension made the Broadway opportunity even more significant. Rather than being a brief celebrity appearance, it became a substantial professional milestone in Whitney’s growing résumé.
Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas Reunited on Broadway
The connection between Whitney and Mark Ballas continued after their DWTS season.
The two later reunited through Chicago, bringing together the ballroom and Broadway chapters of Whitney’s career. Her former DWTS partner had helped her navigate one of the most demanding performance competitions on television, while Broadway gave Whitney an opportunity to apply those skills in a theatrical production.
That progression helps explain why the Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars experience remains an important part of her career story.
DWTS did not simply give Whitney another television credit. It helped place her in a performance environment that eventually led to Broadway.
Whitney Leavitt Is Leaving The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
Another major change in Whitney’s career is her decision to leave The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Whitney announced in May 2026 that Season 5 would be her final season on the Hulu reality series. She had been part of the show since its debut in 2024.
The announcement came after Whitney had already expanded into dance and Broadway. That timing is important because the series was the platform that originally introduced her to a large television audience.
In a September 4, 2026 interview with Good Morning America, Whitney explained that leaving the show felt like the end of a chapter in her life. She said she had tried to leave multiple times but felt that this particular transition ended in a positive way.
Her decision therefore appears to be part of a broader career transition rather than simply a reaction to one particular moment.
The series remains an important part of Whitney’s history, but her professional goals are increasingly expanding toward Broadway and other entertainment projects.
Conner Leavitt Is Now Competing on DWTS Season 35
The biggest new development connecting Whitney to Dancing With the Stars is her husband, Conner Leavitt.
Conner is competing on Season 35 with professional dancer Adele Zaikman. Whitney discussed his participation during her September 2026 interview with Good Morning America, explaining that she has been following his preparation closely.
This creates an unusual continuation of the Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars story.
In Season 34, Whitney was the contestant learning routines and receiving feedback from her professional partner. In Season 35, she is watching from outside the competition and helping someone who is much closer to her.
According to Whitney, Conner sends her rehearsal videos and she gives him advice on his dancing. She has encouraged him to make adjustments when needed while also reminding him to enjoy the experience.
That gives Conner access to someone who already understands the pressures of the show.
Whitney Is Supporting Conner From the Sidelines
Whitney’s role during Season 35 is very different from her role during her own DWTS season.
She no longer has to worry about weekly scores, rehearsals or elimination. Instead, she can observe the competition with firsthand knowledge of how demanding the process can be.
Whitney also explained that Conner previously supported her during her own DWTS experience. Now, she sees Season 35 as his opportunity to receive that same support from the people around him.
That makes their DWTS connection particularly personal.
For viewers who watched Whitney compete with Mark Ballas, seeing Conner take the same journey creates a natural continuation of the story.
What Whitney Learned From Dancing With the Stars
Whitney’s own experience gives her a useful perspective when advising Conner.
She knows how quickly contestants have to learn choreography and how much preparation happens behind the scenes before a routine reaches the ballroom floor.
She also understands that technical dance ability is only one part of the competition. Contestants have to tell a story, connect with viewers and perform confidently while being judged.
Those lessons are also relevant to Whitney’s Broadway career.
Her transition from DWTS to Chicago showed that the skills developed in one performance environment can transfer into another. The ballroom gave her experience performing under pressure, while Broadway required her to combine that performance ability with acting and singing.
Whitney Leavitt’s Next Broadway Role Is Sandra Dee
Whitney’s Broadway career is continuing with another major opportunity.
She is scheduled to appear as Sandra Dee in Just in Time, the Broadway musical about singer Bobby Darin. The official Broadway website lists Whitney Leavitt as Sandra Dee beginning December 1, with the engagement running through January 10.
Because the engagement continues into January 2027, the full run should be understood as December 1, 2026, through January 10, 2027.
The role gives Whitney another opportunity to demonstrate her abilities on a professional Broadway stage after her run in Chicago.
It also strengthens the argument that her Broadway debut was not simply a one-off move from reality television. She is continuing to pursue stage work and build a theatrical career.
Whitney’s Career Is Moving Beyond Reality Television
Whitney’s career in 2026 looks very different from the one she had when The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered.
Reality television remains part of her story, but she has now added competitive dance and Broadway to her résumé. Her decision to leave Mormon Wives comes at a time when she already has other professional opportunities available.
That gives her more flexibility in deciding what comes next.
Broadway, in particular, allows Whitney to demonstrate skills that cannot be fully explored through a reality series. Her role as Roxie Hart required her to work within a scripted production, while her upcoming role as Sandra Dee gives her another chance to develop as a stage performer.
Her growing experience suggests that entertainment may remain the central theme of her career even as the type of work changes.
Leavitt Media House Could Become Part of Her Next Chapter
Whitney and Conner have also expanded into production through Leavitt Media House.
The company gives the couple an opportunity to develop scripted and unscripted entertainment projects rather than relying entirely on appearances in front of the camera.
This could become particularly relevant as Whitney moves away from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Leaving a successful reality series can create uncertainty because the show was a major source of visibility. Production, however, gives Whitney another way to participate in entertainment and potentially develop projects that fit her interests.
It is still important to distinguish between projects that have been announced and projects that are actually released. Future Leavitt Media House productions should therefore be treated as developing projects unless specific release information is confirmed.
What to Expect From Whitney Leavitt in Late 2026
The rest of 2026 is shaping up to be an important period for Whitney.
Her final season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is scheduled to arrive on September 10, 2026, while Dancing With the Stars Season 35 begins on September 15 and 16.
That means audiences will be seeing Whitney in two different contexts at almost the same time: closing her chapter on the reality series that made her famous while supporting Conner as he begins his own DWTS experience.
Then, in December, Whitney is scheduled to return to Broadway as Sandra Dee in Just in Time.
The combination makes late 2026 a particularly important transition period.
Will Whitney Leavitt Return to Dancing With the Stars?
As of September 2026, Whitney is not competing as a celebrity contestant on Season 35.
Instead, her connection to the current season comes through Conner’s participation with Adele Zaikman. Whitney has publicly discussed supporting him and giving him feedback during rehearsals.
There is no confirmed announcement that Whitney will compete again in a future season.
For now, it is more accurate to view a potential return as unconfirmed rather than assume that she will be back in the ballroom as a contestant.
Her current career focus is clearly broader, with Broadway and other entertainment projects becoming increasingly important.
Why Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars Still Matters
The reason the Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars story continues to attract attention is that her appearance on the show became a turning point.
She entered the competition as a reality-TV personality with dance experience and left after reaching the semifinals. Soon afterward, she made her Broadway debut.
That sequence of events changed how audiences could view her career.
Whitney was no longer simply a reality-TV personality. She was becoming a performer with experience in television competition and professional theater.
Now, her husband is taking the DWTS stage while Whitney prepares for another Broadway role.
That creates a natural second chapter to a story that began with her own ballroom journey.
Final Thoughts
The Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars journey is ultimately about more than her Season 34 placement.
Whitney competed with Mark Ballas, reached the semifinals and finished sixth. While she did not win the Mirrorball Trophy, her appearance helped introduce her to a wider audience and became an important stepping stone toward the next stage of her career.
In 2026, that next stage has become much clearer.
Whitney made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago, extended her engagement, and is now preparing to play Sandra Dee in Just in Time.
She is also leaving The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after Season 5, closing the chapter that originally made her a household name among reality-TV audiences.
Meanwhile, Conner Leavitt is keeping the family connected to Dancing With the Stars by competing on Season 35 with Adele Zaikman. Whitney has already taken on the role of mentor and supporter, using her own ballroom experience to help him prepare.
For fans searching for the latest Whitney Leavitt Dancing With the Stars update, the most important point is that Whitney herself is not returning as a contestant in Season 35. Her DWTS chapter is continuing through Conner, while her own career is moving toward Broadway, acting and production.
That combination makes 2026 an important year for Whitney Leavitt. The ballroom may have been where her next chapter began, but Broadway and a broader entertainment career now appear to be where that momentum is taking her.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Whitney Leavitt on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes. Whitney competed on Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars with professional dancer Mark Ballas.
Who was Whitney Leavitt’s DWTS partner?
Whitney’s professional partner was Mark Ballas.
How far did Whitney Leavitt get on DWTS?
She reached the semifinals and finished sixth in Season 34.
Is Whitney Leavitt on DWTS Season 35?
No. Whitney is not competing in Season 35. Her husband, Conner Leavitt, is competing with professional dancer Adele Zaikman.
Who is Conner Leavitt’s DWTS partner?
Conner Leavitt is partnered with professional dancer Adele Zaikman for Season 35.
