Dancing in the Spotlight: Unveiling Ezra Sosa, the Captivating Stand-in for Artem Chigvintsev on ‘DWTS’

Ezra Sosa Courtesy of Ezra Sosa/Instagram

Ezra Sosa is set to make his Dancing With the Stars debut as a replacement for pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev.

Announced on the show's Tuesday, October 3, episode, Sosa, 22, will be stepping in for the 41-year-old dancer who tested positive for COVID-19. Sosa will be partnering with The Bachelorette's Charity Lawson, who is Chigvintsev's season 32 partner.

Chigvintsev explained his absence through his Instagram Story on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the hard work of the team and encouraging viewers to show their love and support by voting. Lawson, 27, also shared her admiration for Chigvintsev via her own Instagram Story, expressing gratitude for her new dance partner, Ezra Sosa, and her excitement to perform with him.

Keep scrolling for everything to know about Sosa:

What Did Ezra Sosa Say About Filling in for Artem Chigvintsev?

Following Chigvintsev’s confirmation of testing positive for COVID-19, Sosa expressed his support for the professional dancer through an Instagram Story post. Captioning a picture of himself and Lawson during their rehearsals, he wrote, "While I am thrilled about this opportunity, I understand that this is a challenging situation for my partner. I will be by your side every step of the way, Charity, and I will strive to make Arte proud! Let’s do this!"

When Did Ezra Sosa Join ‘Dancing With the Stars’?

In 2021, Sosa became a member of the troupe dancers for the ABC competition series, joining for season 30. He expressed his excitement and gratitude for this opportunity, stating that it was a dream come true. Sosa also mentioned his partnership with Sofia Ghavami. In season 32, Sosa took on the additional role of associate choreographer and collaborated with choreographer Luam to create the opening dance number for the season premiere, which was set to "Levitating" by Dua Lipa.

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Last month, he captioned a clip of the performance via Instagram, expressing his love for this family and his excitement to learn, grow, and watch all the incredible pros and stars this season, even though his journey on the show has taken him behind the cameras.

Has Ezra Sosa Competed on Other Dancing Shows?

Before joining DWTS, Sosa showcased his talent on various dancing competition series, such as So You Think You Can Dance and World of Dance. His IMDb bio reveals that he had additionally auditioned for America’s Got Talent.

After placing in the Top 6 on SYTYCD season 16, Sosa joined his fellow competitors — one of which was his sister, Stephani Sosa — on the show’s 2019 live tour.

Is Ezra Sosa Friends With ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Contestants?

Ezra has developed a strong friendship with JoJo Siwa, the runner-up of DWTS season 30, and he even joined her as a dancer on her D.R.E.A.M. tour in 2022.

He expressed his birthday wishes to JoJo through a slideshow of pictures on Instagram in May 2022, captioning it, "Happy birthday to the most amazing friend in the world. I feel incredibly fortunate to have shared numerous memories and I am constantly grateful to have you in my life. I love you forever, seaweed. INSLYB!! @itsjojosiwa."

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Where Is Ezra Sosa From?

Ezra, a native of Utah, hails from immigrant parents who came to the U.S. from Argentina and Mexico. Speaking to The Salt Lake Tribune in August 2019, he emphasized the significance of dance in his family's life. Despite the challenges they faced, dance provided them solace and unity, ultimately becoming a cherished blessing.

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