Dancing With The Stars announces Season 35 cast: Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan and more to hit the ballroom floor

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The cast of Season 35 of Dancing With The Stars was officially announced on Wednesday, with a fresh lineup of familiar faces trading their famous day jobs for sequins, choreography and a shot at the mirror-ball trophy.

Hollywood stars, social-media personalities and even a Savannah Banana are stepping onto the dancefloor

Griffin Jaeger · CBC News

· Posted: Sep 02, 2026 7:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

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a composite image of four celebrities in dance costumes on sparkly stairs

The stars have been picked. Now they just need to learn the steps.

The cast of Season 35 of Dancing With The Stars was officially announced on Wednesday, with a fresh lineup of familiar faces trading their famous day jobs for sequins, choreography and a shot at the mirror-ball trophy.

Before Wednesday's announcement on Good Morning America, Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller, Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez had already been confirmed as part of the cast.

Twelve more stars were then named to the roster on the ABC morning show — including Julia Stiles, trading in her Save The Last Dance flats and 10 Things I Hate About You acting chops for the cha-cha-cha, and The Rookie star Jenna Dewan.

With Hollywood heavyweights, social-media personalities, an Olympian, a Paralympian and even a banana stepping onto the dance floor (Savannah Bananas exhibition baseball player Jackson Olson), it's shaping up to be one very busy ballroom.

The show, which airs in Canada on Disney+, will have a double premiere on Sept. 15 and 16.

Here's the full cast and the professional dancers they've been paired with:

Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and Jan Ravnik

two dancers, man in tuxedo and woman in pink feathery dress pose on sparkly steps

Tyler Cameron (The Bachelorette) and Sharna Burgess

A pair of stars, one man in a black glittery tuxedo and a women in a glittery silver two piece set on disco style steps.

Giada De Laurentiis (celebrity chef and Food Network host) and Alan Bersten

On the left a women smiling in a blue sparkly outfit holding the hand of a man in. a long black tuxedo, both on stairs covered in disco sequins

Jenna Dewan (The Rookie, Step Up) and Val Chmerkovskiy

A couple of dancers, a man in a long black tuxedo with white piping. Holding his chest - a women in a pink feathery dress and silver heels.

Ezra Frech (Paralympian gold medallist) and Daniella Karagach

a women in a feathery white dress with blonde hair rests her elbow on a man in a bedazzled black suit, who has a prosthetic leg

Amber Glenn (Olympian gold medallist) and Pasha Pashkov

Two dancers, a man in black suit and woman in pink dress and orange heels

Taylor Hanson (musician) and Britt Stewart

Man in glitter tuxedo and chain necklaces poses with woman in silver fringe outfit on sparkly stairs

Maura Higgins (Love Island, The Traitors) and Mark Ballas

A women, left poses in pink and silver dance costume with man in black suit and embellished cumberband.

Conner Leavitt (husband of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt) and Adele Zaikman

Man in sparkly suit jacket poses with dance partner in bedazzled feathery dress.

Ciara Miller (Summer House, Love Island USA: Aftersun) and Brandon Armstrong

Man smiling in black suit and fringe tie with women in pink frilly dance costume and boa.

Sarah Jane Nader (Love Thy Nader) and Hailey Bills

Two women in embellished dance costumes pose on sparkly steps

Jackson Olson (Savannah Bananas exhibition baseball player) and Emma Slater

Man in velvet tuxedo poses with woman in sparkly dress with feather skirt on disco tiled stairs.

Guillermo Rodriguez (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) and Witney Carson

Man with mostache and studded tuxedo lapels poses with blonde women in silver sparkly dance outfit.

Harry Shum Jr. (Grey’s Anatomy, Glee and Crazy Rich Asians) and Jenna Chmerkovskiy

man poses holding his tuxedo jacket closed next two woman in bedazzled dance costume, holding his arm.

Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You, Save The Last Dance) and Ezra Sosa

Women in blue feathery dance outfit with her leg lifted dances with man wearing embellished chain belt, smiling.

Connor Wood (comedian, podcaster) and Rylee Arnold

Man wearing tone on tone floral black tuxedo jacket poses with women who smiles while wearing a white feathery dance outfit.

Fans have thoughts

Fans on social media have voiced mixed opinions of the lineup.

That includes casting Dewan, who, unlike many others in the lineup, has an extensive dance background. Before starring in the 2006 dance film Step Up, Dewan worked as a backup dancer for stars including Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and Christina Aguilera.

Harry Shum Jr., also brings a ton of dance experience to the cast. He's performed alongside major artists like Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna, before going on to star in several films in the Step Up franchise.

"That advantage is crazy," one user wrote on X.

"DIABOLICAL. Give someone else a chance 😭," another said.

How Dancing with the Stars made all the right moves with Gen Z

But other fans were quick to praise the choice of incoming ballroom competitors, particularly Julia Stiles.

"That’s literally MOTHER. This partnership is going to change lives," one user declared on X. "yeah so this is my team," said another.

A new pro and a family connection

The upcoming season will be the first to feature the winner of Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro, Adele Zaikman. The competition was hosted by last season's mirror-ball champion and wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin.

This season also marks a big moment for Hailey Bills and the start of a potential fun family feud.

After spending Season 34 as a troupe member on the show, Bills has been promoted to pro and will be part of the third same-sex pairing in Dancing With the Stars history.

Bills is also no stranger to the show’s ballroom — she’s the niece of pro Jenna Johnson, who is married to fellow pro Val Chmerkovskiy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Griffin Jaeger is a reporter and producer with CBC's entertainment unit. He also formerly hosted and produced content for The National’s digital platforms. You can reach him at griffin.jaeger@cbc.ca

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