Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Cast Revealed
The Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast is officially here, and the new lineup brings together Hollywood veterans, reality TV personalities, athletes, musicians, influencers and a celebrity chef. ABC unveiled all 16 contestants and their professional partners on September 2, giving fans their first complete look at the couples competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.
The new season arrives after a major resurgence for the long-running competition series. Season 34 delivered the show’s strongest finale ratings in years, raising expectations for the next installment. Now, Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is preparing to build on that momentum with a cast designed to appeal to several generations of viewers.
The lineup includes familiar names such as Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan and Tatyana Ali, while reality TV fans will recognize Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller and Conner Leavitt. The cast also features Olympic and Paralympic champions, a member of Hanson, a Savannah Bananas player and Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez.
The competition begins September 15.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Cast and Partners
ABC confirmed 16 celebrity contestants for the upcoming season. Each celebrity has been paired with a professional dancer, including several returning fan favorites and a few newer faces.
Here is the complete Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast:
| Celebrity | Professional Partner |
|---|---|
| Tatyana Ali | Jan Ravnik |
| Tyler Cameron | Sharna Burgess |
| Giada De Laurentiis | Alan Bersten |
| Jenna Dewan | Val Chmerkovskiy |
| Ezra Frech | Daniella Karagach |
| Amber Glenn | Pasha Pashkov |
| Taylor Hanson | Britt Stewart |
| Maura Higgins | Mark Ballas |
| Conner Leavitt | Adele Zaikman |
| Ciara Miller | Brandon Armstrong |
| Sarah Jane Nader | Hailey Bills |
| Jackson Olson | Emma Slater |
| Guillermo Rodriguez | Witney Carson |
| Harry Shum Jr. | Jenna Johnson |
| Julia Stiles | Ezra Sosa |
| Connor Wood | Rylee Arnold |
ABC confirmed the complete list ahead of the season premiere, including the professional pairings.
Julia Stiles Joins Dancing With the Stars Season 35
One of the biggest names in the Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast is Julia Stiles.
The 45-year-old actress is best known for movies including 10 Things I Hate About You, The Prince and Me and the Bourne franchise. She also has a unique connection to dance through Save the Last Dance, the 2001 film in which she played aspiring dancer Sara Johnson.
Stiles will compete with professional dancer Ezra Sosa.
Despite her previous experience performing dance on screen, Stiles has said she does not necessarily see that background as an advantage. Ballroom dancing requires a different skill set, and she has described the opportunity as a chance to reconnect with dancing after years away from formal training.
Her casting gives the season an obvious nostalgia factor for viewers who grew up watching her movies in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Jenna Dewan Brings Serious Dance Experience
Jenna Dewan is another contestant attracting significant attention.
The actress has an extensive dance background. Before becoming widely known as an actress, Dewan worked as a backup dancer for major performers, including Janet Jackson. She later became a household name after starring in Step Up.
She now joins the ballroom competition with Val Chmerkovskiy.
Dewan’s casting has already prompted discussion because contestants with extensive dance backgrounds can appear to have an advantage over celebrities starting from scratch. However, Dewan has emphasized that ballroom dancing is different from the styles she previously performed.
That distinction could become one of the season’s most interesting storylines.
Dewan is currently known for her role as Bailey Nune on ABC’s The Rookie, adding another connection to the network’s entertainment lineup.
Harry Shum Jr. Also Has a Dance Background
Harry Shum Jr. gives the competition another contestant with extensive dance experience.
Shum became particularly recognizable as Mike Chang on Glee, where his character was known for his dancing abilities. He also appeared in several dance-focused movies, including Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D.
For Dancing With the Stars Season 35, Shum will dance with Jenna Johnson.
Like Dewan, Shum has acknowledged that previous dance experience does not automatically translate into ballroom expertise. Different dance styles require different techniques, timing and movement patterns.
That could make the season particularly interesting because viewers will be able to compare contestants who already understand performance with those learning dance from the beginning.
Tatyana Ali Brings Fresh Prince Nostalgia
Tatyana Ali is another major nostalgic addition to Dancing With the Stars Season 35.
Ali is best known for playing Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She appeared alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, who returns as one of the show’s co-hosts this season.
That reunion gives longtime television viewers another reason to tune in.
Ali will compete with professional dancer Jan Ravnik. Beyond her acting career, Ali is also a singer, writer and entrepreneur. ABC describes her as a Broadway-trained performer with a career spanning several decades.
Her casting also helps broaden the show’s appeal beyond reality television fans.
Giada De Laurentiis Enters the Ballroom
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is taking her talents from the kitchen to the ballroom.
The Emmy Award-winning chef and television personality will compete with Alan Bersten.
De Laurentiis has spent much of her career in food television, becoming particularly well known through Food Network programs such as Everyday Italian, Giada at Home and Giada Entertains. She has also written numerous cookbooks and built a lifestyle and restaurant business.
Now, she faces an entirely different kind of challenge.
De Laurentiis has acknowledged that rehearsals are physically demanding because they require her to use muscles in unfamiliar ways. Her daughter, Jade, has also played a role in encouraging her to take the opportunity.
Her appearance could provide one of the season’s more unexpected celebrity transformations.
Olympic and Paralympic Champions Join the Competition
Sports fans have plenty to watch this season.
The cast includes two-time Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech and Olympic figure skating champion Amber Glenn.
Frech, 21, competes in track and field and won gold medals in the 100-meter and high jump at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. He was born without his left knee and left fibula and has become an advocate for adaptive sports.
He will compete alongside Daniella Karagach.
Glenn, meanwhile, is a 26-year-old figure skater who won Olympic gold as part of the U.S. women’s figure skating team. She will dance with Pasha Pashkov.
Both athletes bring elite competitive backgrounds into a completely different environment.
The physical discipline required in track and field and figure skating could help them handle demanding rehearsal schedules. However, ballroom competition requires precise choreography, partnering and performance skills that even elite athletes must learn.
Taylor Hanson Returns to the Spotlight
Music fans will recognize Taylor Hanson immediately.
The 43-year-old musician is one of the members of Hanson, the band behind the iconic 1990s hit “MMMBop.”
Hanson will compete with professional dancer Britt Stewart.
His inclusion gives Dancing With the Stars Season 35 another strong connection to the 1990s. Alongside Julia Stiles and Tatyana Ali, he represents a generation of stars who became famous during the era of pop music, teen movies and network television.
Hanson also enters the ballroom with decades of experience performing in front of large audiences.
Whether that stage experience translates into ballroom success will be something to watch once the competition begins.
Reality TV Stars Dominate Part of the Cast
Reality television is strongly represented in the new lineup.
Ciara Miller of Summer House will compete with Brandon Armstrong. Miller also appeared on The Traitors, making her familiar to fans of several reality franchises.
Irish television personality Maura Higgins is another reality TV favorite. Higgins first became widely known through Love Island UK and later appeared on programs including Dancing on Ice, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and the U.S. version of The Traitors.
She will dance with Mark Ballas.
Conner Leavitt also comes from reality television. He is known from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and follows his wife, Whitney Leavitt, into the competition after she competed on Season 34.
Conner’s professional partner is Adele Zaikman, the winner of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.
Sarah Jane Nader Makes DWTS History With Her Pairing
Sarah Jane Nader will compete alongside Hailey Bills in one of the season’s most notable partnerships.
Nader, 23, stars in Love Thy Nader alongside her sisters. Her older sister, Brooks Nader, previously competed on Dancing With the Stars.
The younger Nader’s partnership with Bills is the show’s third same-sex celebrity-professional pairing.
The previous same-sex partnerships featured JoJo Siwa with Jenna Johnson in 2021 and Shangela with Gleb Savchenko in 2022.
Bills is also entering a major milestone of her own. She is making her professional debut on the main show after previously competing on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors.
Guillermo Rodriguez Gets a Major Dance Challenge
Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez is also stepping onto the ballroom floor.
The 55-year-old television personality has been part of Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003 and has become one of the show’s most recognizable personalities.
He will compete with reigning professional champion Witney Carson.
Carson’s involvement is particularly notable because she is pregnant during the season. Her participation adds another unique storyline to an already unconventional cast.
Rodriguez may not have the same dance background as some of his fellow contestants, but his comedic personality could make him one of the season’s most entertaining performers.
Tyler Cameron Is Back in Competition Mode
Tyler Cameron is another familiar reality television face joining the cast.
Cameron first became widely known after competing on The Bachelorette. He later appeared in projects including Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and The Real Dirty Dancing.
That means Cameron is not completely unfamiliar with physically demanding reality television.
For Dancing With the Stars Season 35, he will partner with Sharna Burgess.
Burgess’ return is also notable. The professional dancer is coming back to the main competition after a five-year absence, adding another recognizable name to this year’s professional lineup.
Jackson Olson Brings the Savannah Bananas Energy
Jackson Olson represents one of the more unusual casting choices this season.
The 28-year-old is a second baseman for the Savannah Bananas, a baseball entertainment team that has built a massive social media following.
Olson himself has millions of TikTok followers and has experience performing as part of the Savannah Bananas’ entertainment-heavy brand.
He will compete with Emma Slater.
His combination of sports, entertainment and social media experience could make him especially appealing to younger viewers. His casting also reflects how the definition of a television celebrity continues to evolve.
Traditional movie and television stars remain important to the franchise, but social media personalities and sports entertainers are increasingly becoming major television draws.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Premiere Date
Fans will not have to wait long to see the new couples perform.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premieres Tuesday, September 15, and continues Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.
The two-night premiere will air live on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will also stream on Hulu the following day.
The judging panel remains unchanged, with Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli returning.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are also back as co-hosts.
The season will also introduce a new companion program. The Dancing With the Stars Official Podcast returns for a second season with Andy Richter as host.
Meanwhile, the first DWTS After Party will air live after the second premiere night on September 16, hosted by Season 34 champion Robert Irwin.
Why Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Could Be Huge
The new cast has several ingredients that could help the show continue its recent momentum.
There is nostalgia for older viewers through stars such as Julia Stiles, Taylor Hanson and Tatyana Ali. Reality television fans have multiple familiar personalities to follow, while younger audiences have social media stars and figures from newer reality franchises.
The sports contingent adds another layer.
Frech and Glenn arrive with elite athletic credentials, while Olson brings a social-media-driven sports entertainment background. Meanwhile, Dewan and Shum introduce performers who already have dance experience but still have to master ballroom technique.
That variety gives the show several potential storylines before the first elimination even takes place.
It also reflects how Dancing With the Stars Season 35 continues to evolve while maintaining the basic formula that has kept the franchise running for decades.
The Professional Dance Lineup Is Just as Interesting
The celebrities may receive most of the attention, but the professional dancers could have an equally important role in determining who survives.
Returning names include Mark Ballas, Val Chmerkovskiy, Daniella Karagach, Jenna Johnson, Emma Slater, Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Britt Stewart and Pasha Pashkov.
The season also features returning dancer Sharna Burgess and newer professionals such as Adele Zaikman and Hailey Bills.
The professional lineup gives producers plenty of experience to work with while also creating opportunities for newer dancers to establish themselves.
Adele Zaikman enters after winning Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, while Hailey Bills begins her main-show professional career after competing on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors.
What to Expect From Dancing With the Stars Season 35
The biggest question now is which celebrity will emerge as the early favorite.
There are several obvious possibilities. Dewan and Shum have extensive performance backgrounds. Frech and Glenn have elite athletic discipline. Stiles has built-in nostalgia and screen-dance recognition, while reality stars such as Higgins and Miller already understand how to connect with television audiences.
But ballroom dancing can quickly change expectations.
A celebrity with a famous background may struggle with the technical demands of the competition, while an unexpected contestant could improve rapidly and become a fan favorite.
That unpredictability is part of what makes the series work.
With 16 celebrities, a mix of veteran and newer professional dancers, and a two-night launch, Dancing With the Stars Season 35 is entering the fall season with plenty of attention already surrounding it.
The ballroom doors officially open September 15.
For longtime viewers, the season offers familiar faces and plenty of nostalgia. For newer fans, it brings reality stars, athletes, creators and personalities who have become famous through a changing media landscape.
Either way, the new Mirrorball race is officially underway.
