Ray Chew Keeps Dancing With the Stars Live with a 14-Member Band
When the lights dim and the dancers glide across the floor, the music that carries them is not a pre‑recorded track but a live heartbeat. That heartbeat belongs to Ray Chew, the music director of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) since 2014, and he will continue to lead the show’s 14‑piece live band into its 35th season, which premiered on September 15, 2026 on ABC and Disney+. Chew’s role has grown from a traditional ballroom accompaniment to a genre‑spanning soundtrack that mirrors current pop‑culture trends. The show’s music has shifted from classic ballroom arrangements to pop, hip‑hop, rock, and even TikTok‑viral hits—a transformation Chew attributes to his team’s knack for “unbaking the cake” of each new song.
Chew’s weekly routine begins on Wednesday, the day the production receives the song list for the upcoming week. He and his team dissect each track, pulling apart vocal phrasing, instrumental hooks, and rhythmic patterns. This deconstruction—described as “unbaking the cake”—requires a meticulous analysis of the composition’s structure and the original recording’s sonic palette. Once the pieces are laid out, the team writes arrangements that fit the show’s live‑band format, a process that can take several days. By Saturday, the full band rehearses the new arrangements in the ballroom, ensuring every piece is polished for the live broadcast that evening.
A significant part of Chew’s job is navigating music clearance. The show’s music supervisor, Nancy Severinsen, secures rights for each track, often engaging multiple writers and publishers. Chew notes that a single song may require contact with up to seven different parties, and clearance can occur right up to the last minute. The team’s flexibility is especially critical during themed weeks, such as the recent Wicked night, when the original rights holders demanded adjustments to the arrangements.
Chew’s experience extends beyond DWTS. He began as a band member on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s and has since directed music for the Grammy Awards, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Emmys, the BET Awards, American Idol, and the Showtime at the Apollo. Despite the increasing use of pre‑recorded tracks in television, Chew argues that live musicians provide a level of immediacy and authenticity that recordings cannot match. He has observed that audience engagement has grown, especially among younger viewers who appreciate the show’s contemporary musical choices.
The addition of Disney+ streaming has not altered Chew’s day‑to‑day responsibilities. The production schedule remains the same, with the live broadcast occurring on ABC and the same performance streamed to Disney+ viewers. Chew’s role as a live music director continues to be a rare feature in modern television, and he remains committed to delivering high‑quality, live‑performed music for DWTS’s next season.
