The popular television show Dancing With the Stars is preparing for its next season, with the 35th season set to begin in September. This year's cast includes a mix of athletes, actors, and reality stars who will compete for the mirrorball trophy. The season will premiere across two days, starting on Tuesday, September 15, and continuing on Wednesday, September 16.
ABC said 16 celebrities will compete during Season 35. The premiere will be split between two nights. Male celebrities will dance on Tuesday and female celebrities will compete on Wednesday. One contestant will be eliminated at the end of each night.
Among the contestants are Ciara Miller, known for her role on Bravo’s Summer House, and Maura Higgins, who appeared on Love Island UK, according to The Sporting News. Jackson Olson is the baseball player competing this season and plays second base for the Savannah Bananas. Jenna Dewan, who gained fame from the film Step Up, will dance with Val Chmerkovskiy.
The full celebrity lineup also includes Tatyana Ali, Giada De Laurentiis, Taylor Hanson, Guillermo Rodriguez and Connor Wood. ABC announced the complete cast and professional dance partners on Good Morning America earlier this month.
Harry Shum Jr., known for roles in Glee and Grey’s Anatomy, will be paired with Jenna Johnson. Conner Leavitt, whose wife competed on DWTS last season, is also part of the cast. Tyler Cameron, a runner-up from Hannah Brown’s Bachelorette season, will dance with Sharna Burgess.
Amber Glenn, an Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, is one of the featured skaters. Glenn has said that dances such as the waltz and foxtrot feel more natural because of similarities to skating, while Latin dances offer a different challenge. Sarah Jane Nader, sister of contestant Brooks Nader from season 33, is also competing. Glenn will dance with Pasha Pashkov while Nader will dance with Hailey Bills.
Athletes have had strong performances on the show in past seasons, with many winning the mirrorball trophy. Several athletes have previously claimed the title, including Emmitt Smith, Apolo Anton Ohno, and Meryl Davis. The list of past winners includes athletes from sports such as football, gymnastics, figure skating, basketball and auto racing.
Jackson Olson, who plays for the Savannah Bananas, is one of the more recent athletes to compete on the show. Olson played four seasons of college baseball at the University of Hartford before spending a graduate season at Stetson. The Sporting News reported that he has built a TikTok following of more than 1.5 million.
In addition to athletes, this season also features a number of reality stars and actors. Among these are Julia Stiles, who appeared in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, and professional dancer Ezra Sosa, who will be her partner. Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood is also part of the cast and will dance with Rylee Arnold.
Ezra Frech, a 21-year-old Paralympian who competed at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, will be one of the contestants. Frech won gold in the 100-meter T63 and high jump T63 events and also competed in the long jump. Frech will be the fourth Paralympian to compete on the show and the first since alpine skier Danelle Umstead appeared in 2018.
The show has a history of featuring athletes from various sports, with figure skaters being particularly common. Ten figure skaters had previously competed on Dancing With the Stars before Glenn joined Season 35. Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis and Adam Rippon are the three figure skaters who have won the competition.
The show will air nationally on ABC and can be streamed through Disney+ and fuboTV. Fubo currently offers a free trial to eligible new subscribers to help viewers access the live stream before committing. Episodes will also be available on Hulu the following day. After the two-night premiere, regular episodes are scheduled to air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.
The show has seen a ratings and voting resurgence in recent years. ABC said Season 34 produced the show’s best season finale in 10 years and received 72 million votes during the finale.
Season 34 concluded with wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin winning the title alongside his partner Witney Carson. Season 35 features 16 celebrity couples, tying the largest cast in the show’s history