ABC officially announced the celebrity lineup for Dancing With the Stars Season 35 on September 2, 2026, during a live broadcast of Good Morning America. The new season brings 16 celebrities to the ballroom, including three well-known actors with deep dance connections: Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, and Harry Shum Jr.
The season kicks off with a two-night premiere on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu .
Dance Film Stars Bring Movie Magic to the Ballroom
Julia Stiles, famous for her roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance, joins the competition with professional dancer Ezra Sosa . The 45-year-old actress played a ballerina in the 2001 dance film Save the Last Dance, a role that required extensive dance training .
Stiles admitted that competing on DWTS has been a longtime goal. She told reporters that being on the show was a “secret dream” of hers and that she had been too scared to say yes until now .
Jenna Dewan, who currently stars on ABC’s The Rookie, is paired with pro Val Chmerkovskiy . Dewan began her career as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, and Christina Aguilera before landing her breakout role in the 2006 film Step Up . She also hosted World of Dance and served as a judge on Come Dance With Me .
Harry Shum Jr., known for his work on Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, and Crazy Rich Asians, will dance with pro Jenna Johnson . Shum has performed as a backup dancer for Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey . He played dancer Mike Chang on Glee for six seasons and also appeared in several Step Up movies .
Complete Season 35 Cast and Pairings
The full Season 35 cast includes 16 celebrity contestants paired with professional dancers :
- Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) with Jan Ravnik
- Tyler Cameron (The Bachelorette) with Sharna Burgess
- Giada De Laurentiis (celebrity chef) with Alan Bersten
- Jenna Dewan (The Rookie, Step Up) with Val Chmerkovskiy
- Ezra Frech (Paralympic gold medalist) with Daniella Karagach
- Amber Glenn (Olympic figure skater) with Pasha Pashkov
- Taylor Hanson (musician, Hanson) with Britt Stewart
- Maura Higgins (Love Island UK) with Mark Ballas
- Conner Leavitt (The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) with Adele Zaikman
- Ciara Miller (Summer House) with Brandon Armstrong
- Sarah Jane Nader (Love Thy Nader) with Hailey Bills
- Jackson Olson (Savannah Bananas) with Emma Slater
- Guillermo Rodriguez (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) with Witney Carson
- Harry Shum Jr. (Glee, Grey’s Anatomy) with Jenna Johnson
- Julia Stiles (Save the Last Dance, 10 Things I Hate About You) with Ezra Sosa
- Connor Wood (comedian, podcaster) with Rylee Arnold
Hosts and Judges Return
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as co-hosts for Season 35 . The judging panel remains unchanged with Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli returning to score each performance .
The show also announced a new addition: the first-ever DWTS After Party, hosted by Season 34 winner Robert Irwin, airing live on September 16 at 10:00 p.m. on ABC and Disney+ .
Pro Dancer Changes for Season 35
Several changes to the professional dancer lineup have fans talking. Sharna Burgess returns as a pro for the first time since 2021, partnering with Tyler Cameron . Witney Carson returns while pregnant, dancing with Guillermo Rodriguez .
Adele Zaikman, winner of the inaugural season of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, joins the professional lineup . Hailey Bills, promoted from troupe member to pro, forms the show’s third same-sex celebrity and pro pairing with Sarah Jane Nader .
Notably, Gleb Savchenko, who had been a pro consecutively from Season 23 through 34, was not included in this season’s cast .
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Fans React to the Star-Studded Lineup
Social media lit up after the cast announcement, with fans sharing mixed reactions. Many expressed excitement about the dance-heavy lineup.
“Oh, this cast EATS,” one user wrote on social media .
“This cast is STACKED,” another fan agreed .
However, some viewers raised concerns about contestants with professional dance backgrounds. One fan commented, “Putting Jenna Dewan with Val and Harry Shum Jr with Jenna is DIABOLICAL” .
Another wrote, “Jenna is a dancer which gives her a huge advantage” .
Dewan and Shum responded to the criticism, with Shum telling People magazine that having dance experience does not guarantee success on DWTS.
“I think everyone’s idea is like, ‘Oh, you dance, so you should be able to dance anything.’ And I mean, that’s just not true. There are hundreds of styles, not dozens, hundreds all over the world.”
He also told Us Weekly that ballroom dancing is completely different from what he has done before. He pointed to his time on Glee, saying, “I was lip-synching while dancing, so that’s a little different. I’ve done one partner dance on the show, and that nearly killed me” .
Dewan shared her excitement on Instagram, writing, “Eeeee here we go @dancingwiththestars season 35!!! I truly do not have the words to express my” .
What to Expect This Season
Season 35 brings together an interesting mix of actors, athletes, reality TV personalities, and musicians. The three dance-film stars — Stiles, Dewan, and Shum — add extra attention to this season, given their combined decades of experience in dance-related projects.
The show will air live on ABC and Disney+ with episodes available on Hulu the following day . The Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast also returns for a second season with new host Andy Richter, a Season 34 contestant, starting September 10 on Disney+ and Hulu .
The first official teasers for the season were released in late August, giving fans a preview of what’s to come .
Also Read: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Premiere Dates Announced – See the Full Cast and Schedule
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more coverage on Dancing With the Stars Season 35, including performance recaps, elimination updates, and behind-the-scenes moments from the ballroom.
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