DWTS: The Next Pro Eliminates A Franchise Alum In First Episode — Who Are Your Early Favorites?

There's another "Dancing With the Stars" competition in the mix, and the winner gets something even better than a Mirrorball: gainful employment!

Ahead of the next "Dancing" cycle this fall, the reality competition has a vacancy to fill on its roster of professional dance partners. To that end, "DWTS: The Next Pro" debuted on Monday with 12 dancers who would love to claim that open spot — and longtime "Dancing" viewers probably recognize a couple of competitors.

Stephani Sosa, for example, is not only the sister of current "Dancing" pro Ezra Sosa, but she was a troupe member on Season 33. She wasn't promoted to pro partner after her troupe stint, though, and was then out of the troupe completely for Season 34, which makes "The Next Pro" her best avenue for getting the full-time gig. (During the premiere, host Robert Irwin says that prior connections to "DWTS" won't count for anything here, but it will be interesting nonetheless to see how far Stephani goes.)

Another franchise alum is Jake Monreal, who competed as a child on both "Dancing With the Stars: Juniors" (as partner to Sophia Pippen) and the kids' season of "So You Think You Can Dance" (with Jenna Johnson as his mentor). Jake didn't reach the finale of either show, but he had an infectious personality, and he's as sweet and earnest as ever in his "Next Pro" debut.

In Monday's premiere, the six male contestants are paired up with one another to perform jive numbers, which feature a duet section in the middle that's bookended by a solo on either side; the six ladies do the same thing, but with the samba. Guest mentor (and full-time "DWTS" judge) Derek Hough is on hand this week to both choreograph the performances and offer some guidance to the dancers during rehearsals.

All told, "The Next Pro" looks more like "So You Think You Can Dance" than even "So You Think You Can Dance" did at the end of its run, which should please those of you looking for a suitable dance competition substitute. There are egos (AJ seems... self-assured!), early standouts (Adele and Selena are currently the ones to beat, no?), and surprising disappointments (like Tristen completely forgetting most of his solo choreography while rehearsing in front of Derek). Plus, ballroom dancing legend Shirley Ballas and son Mark Ballas are the regular judges — alongside a rotating weekly mentor — which means no one's getting treated with kid gloves here. Delightful!

Unfortunately, the journey is a short one for both Briar Nolet (pictured above right) and the aforementioned Jake Monreal, who are both eliminated after their respective samba and jive performances. (Poor Briar slipped during her solo, and her side-by-side section with Stephani was sloppy; Jake looked down at the floor too much while dancing, but he gave the jive his best sexy effort.)

Next week, "Dancing" pro Brandon Armstrong will help the contestants tell personal stories through their dances — but Natalie and Tristen, who also appeared in this week's Bottom Four but avoided elimination, will have their work cut out for them.

What did you think of "The Next Pro"? Did anyone stand out to you as a good fit for the full-time "Dancing" roster? Tell us below!