2026 DWTS Judges
We are pleased to announce the esteemed judges of the 2026 Dancing With the Stars
Lisa Niemi Swayze
is an American writer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and director. Her Without A Word won six Drama Critics Awards and The Time of My Life and Worth Fighting For became New York Times Best Sellers. She is married to Albert De Prisco, businessman, jeweler, and former actor. We welcome her back for a second time to Gainesville’s Dancing With The Stars.
Susan Scannella
​​Ms. Scannella is a legacy of Pofahl Studios with a B.F.A in Theatre from UF. A former professional dancer and Guest Artist with Dance Alive National Ballet, she was selected for a John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts internship where she was Twyla Tharp’s assistant for a residency of new works in Washington D.C. and an “All Tharp Gala” at the Met in New York. They reconnected for her to assist Ms. Tharp on the hit Broadway show “Movin’ Out”. Ms. Scannella moonlights as a Production Tour Manager for Vegas-based “Legends in Concert” limited engagement shows.
Ray Parris
started his dance career at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Columbia, South Carolina. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia and worked at several Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Ray transferred to a newly opened FADS in Stuart, Florida as one of their senior instructors. He competed in regional and national pro/am competitions with Fred Astaire Studios.
Larry Wurn
is Co-Founder-Director of Clear Passage® Physical Therapy, a network of research and treatment clinics in the US and UK. With his wife Belinda, he co-developed the Wurn Technique® and Clear Passage Approach®, a non-surgical treatment for pain, female infertility, bowel obstruction, and sexual dysfunction. A long-time supporter of DANB, Larry bid on this opportunity to sit at the judge’s table while supporting DANB! Thank you Larry!