Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast Revealed: Full Season 35 Lineup and Pro Partners
September 2, 2026 — Entertainment News
- Full Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast
- Julia Stiles Joins the Ballroom
- Jenna Dewan Brings Dance Experience
- Tatyana Ali Returns to the Spotlight
- Olympic Stars Enter the Competition
- Harry Shum Jr. Heads to the Ballroom
- Giada De Laurentiis Trades Cooking for Dancing
- Reality-TV Stars Join Season 35
- Taylor Hanson Brings Music to the Ballroom
- New Faces and Returning Pros
- Judges and Hosts Return
- When Does Dancing With the Stars 2026 Start?
- What to Expect From Season 35
The wait is over for fans of Dancing With the Stars. ABC has officially revealed the full celebrity cast for Season 35, bringing together actors, athletes, reality-TV personalities, musicians, chefs and social-media stars for a new battle for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
The complete cast was unveiled on Good Morning America on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Season 35 will begin with a special two-night premiere on September 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. New episodes will also be available on Hulu the following day.
Full Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast
The 2026 season features 16 celebrity contestants, each paired with a professional dancer.
| Celebrity | Known For | Professional Partner |
|---|---|---|
| Julia Stiles | Actress, 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance | Ezra Sosa |
| Jenna Dewan | Actress and professional dancer, Step Up | Val Chmerkovskiy |
| Tatyana Ali | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Abbott Elementary | Jan Ravnik |
| Taylor Hanson | Singer and member of Hanson | Britt Stewart |
| Ezra Frech | Paralympic gold medalist | Daniella Karagach |
| Amber Glenn | Olympic figure-skating gold medalist | Pasha Pashkov |
| Connor Wood | Podcaster and social-media personality | Rylee Arnold |
| Sarah Jane Nader | Actress and model, Love Thy Nader | Hailey Bills |
| Tyler Cameron | Reality-TV personality, The Bachelorette | Sharna Burgess |
| Giada De Laurentiis | Celebrity chef and TV personality | Alan Bersten |
| Harry Shum Jr. | Actor, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy | Jenna Johnson |
| Conner Leavitt | The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives | Adele Zaikman |
| Maura Higgins | Reality-TV personality, Love Island, The Traitors | Mark Ballas |
| Ciara Miller | Summer House | Brandon Armstrong |
| Jackson Olson | Savannah Bananas baseball player and entertainer | Emma Slater |
| Guillermo Rodriguez | Jimmy Kimmel Live! personality | Witney Carson |
ABC News confirmed the celebrity-professional pairings as part of the September 2 announcement.
Julia Stiles Joins the Ballroom
One of the biggest names in the new cast is Julia Stiles, who is best known for movies including 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance, Mona Lisa Smile, Silver Linings Playbook and the Bourne franchise.
Stiles will compete with professional dancer Ezra Sosa. Her previous experience in Save the Last Dance makes her one of the contestants fans are particularly interested in watching.
Jenna Dewan Brings Dance Experience
Jenna Dewan could be one of the strongest contenders because dancing is already a major part of her career.
Before becoming a successful actress, Dewan worked as a professional backup dancer for stars including Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and Christina Aguilera. Her breakthrough came with the 2006 movie Step Up.
She will be partnered with three-time Mirrorball winner Val Chmerkovskiy.
Tatyana Ali Returns to the Spotlight
Fans of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will recognize Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks on the popular sitcom.
Ali will dance with professional dancer Jan Ravnik. Her casting is also notable because she previously worked alongside DWTS co-host Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Olympic Stars Enter the Competition
The Season 35 cast also features two major athletes.
Amber Glenn, an Olympic figure-skating gold medalist, will compete with Pasha Pashkov. Glenn helped Team USA win Olympic gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Ezra Frech, a Paralympic gold medalist and world-record holder, will compete with Daniella Karagach.
Their athletic backgrounds could make them particularly interesting competitors because both are accustomed to performing under pressure.
Harry Shum Jr. Heads to the Ballroom
Actor and dancer Harry Shum Jr. is another major addition to the 2026 cast.
Shum became widely known for playing Mike Chang on Glee and has appeared in films and television productions including Everything Everywhere All at Once, Step Up 2 and Step Up 3D.
He will compete alongside two-time Mirrorball winner Jenna Johnson.
Giada De Laurentiis Trades Cooking for Dancing
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is also entering the competition.
Known for her Food Network career and shows such as Everyday Italian, De Laurentiis will trade the kitchen for the ballroom floor.
She will be partnered with professional dancer Alan Bersten.
Reality-TV Stars Join Season 35
Reality television has a strong presence in this year’s cast.
Maura Higgins, known for Love Island and The Traitors, will compete with Mark Ballas.
Ciara Miller, known for Bravo’s Summer House, will dance with Brandon Armstrong.
Tyler Cameron, who became famous through The Bachelorette, will compete with returning professional Sharna Burgess.
Conner Leavitt, husband of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt, will compete with newcomer Adele Zaikman.
Taylor Hanson Brings Music to the Ballroom
Singer Taylor Hanson, one-third of the pop-rock group Hanson, will also compete in Season 35.
Hanson became famous alongside his brothers through the massive 1990s hit “MMMBop.” He will be partnered with professional dancer Britt Stewart.
New Faces and Returning Pros
Season 35 isn’t just bringing new celebrities. The professional lineup also includes returning fan favorites and some new faces.
Among the professional dancers are Daniella Karagach, Mark Ballas, Jenna Johnson, Witney Carson, Britt Stewart, Val Chmerkovskiy, Brandon Armstrong and Sharna Burgess.
Adele Zaikman, winner of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, joins the main professional cast. Hailey Bills has also been promoted from the show’s troupe to a professional dancer.
Judges and Hosts Return
Fans will see familiar faces at the judges’ table.
Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough are returning as judges for Season 35.
The hosting duties will again be handled by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough.
The combination of returning judges, familiar professional dancers and a large celebrity lineup is expected to make Season 35 one of the most closely watched seasons of the series.
When Does Dancing With the Stars 2026 Start?
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premieres with a two-night event on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
The show will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming on Hulu the following day. After the two-night premiere, the regular schedule will continue on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
What to Expect From Season 35
The 2026 cast brings together a particularly broad range of celebrities. Movie and television actors will compete against Olympic athletes, reality stars, musicians, chefs, social-media personalities and entertainers.
The combination of Jenna Dewan’s professional dance background, Julia Stiles’ connection to dance films, Olympic experience from Amber Glenn, Paralympic success from Ezra Frech, and established professional dancers could make the competition especially unpredictable.
Fans will ultimately decide which celebrity develops the strongest connection with audiences, while the judges will evaluate technique, performance and improvement throughout the season.
The winner will take home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
