The Dancing With the Stars 2026 cast is officially complete, and Season 35 is bringing a wide-ranging group of celebrities into the ballroom.
ABC unveiled the full lineup on Good Morning America, confirming 16 celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners.
This year’s cast includes movie and television stars, Olympic and Paralympic athletes, reality personalities, a celebrity chef, a musician and social media personalities.
Among the biggest names are Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr., Giada De Laurentiis, Tyler Cameron, Tatyana Ali and Taylor Hanson.
Season 35 will premiere across two nights on September 15 and September 16, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available the following day on Hulu.
See the official Season 35 announcement from ABC
Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast and Partners
Here is the Season 35 celebrity lineup and their professional partners:
- 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
- Conner Leavitt — Adele Zaikman
- Sarah Jane Nader — Hailey Bills
- Harry Shum Jr. — Jenna Johnson
- Julia Stiles — Ezra Sosa
- Connor Wood — Rylee Arnold
- Maura Higgins — Mark Ballas
- Ciara Miller — Brandon Armstrong
- Jackson Olson — Emma Slater
- Guillermo Rodriguez — Witney Carson
The lineup creates an unusual mix of contestants with dramatically different levels of previous dance experience.
Julia Stiles Joins DWTS Season 35
Julia Stiles is among the most recognizable names entering the ballroom.
The actress became a major Hollywood star after playing Kat Stratford in the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You.
She later appeared in films including Save the Last Dance, Mona Lisa Smile, the Bourne franchise and Hustlers.
Stiles is paired with professional dancer Ezra Sosa.
Her participation is particularly interesting because Save the Last Dance, one of the films most closely associated with her career, prominently featured dance.
Jenna Dewan Returns to Her Dancing Roots
Jenna Dewan could enter the competition with one of the strongest dance backgrounds in the cast.
Before becoming widely known as an actress, Dewan worked professionally as a backup dancer, including work with Janet Jackson.
Her breakout movie role came opposite Channing Tatum in the 2006 dance film Step Up.
Dewan currently stars in ABC’s The Rookie and will compete on DWTS alongside professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy.
Her previous dance experience immediately makes her one of the contestants viewers may watch closely when the competition begins.
Harry Shum Jr. Also Has Serious Dance Experience
Jenna Dewan isn’t the only contestant entering the ballroom with a dancing background.
Actor Harry Shum Jr. will compete with professional dancer Jenna Johnson.
Shum is widely recognized for playing Mike Chang on Glee, where dancing was an important part of his character.
His other credits include Crazy Rich Asians, Shadowhunters and Grey’s Anatomy.
Having contestants such as Dewan and Shum alongside celebrities with considerably less dance experience could make the competition particularly interesting.
Giada De Laurentiis Trades the Kitchen for the Ballroom
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is also joining Season 35.
Known for her long television career in food and lifestyle programming, De Laurentiis will compete with professional dancer Alan Bersten.
Her participation gives this year’s cast another recognizable name outside the traditional acting and reality-TV worlds.
Tyler Cameron Joins Sharna Burgess
Bachelor Nation is represented by Tyler Cameron, who rose to national attention after appearing on The Bachelorette.
Cameron will dance with Sharna Burgess.
The pairing is also notable because Burgess is returning to the DWTS competition after several seasons away from the ballroom.
Tatyana Ali Joins the Ballroom
Fans of classic television will recognize Tatyana Ali.
Ali became famous playing Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
She is partnered with Jan Ravnik for Season 35.
Her inclusion adds another familiar television name to a lineup already heavy on nostalgia.
Taylor Hanson Will Compete on DWTS
Music is represented by Taylor Hanson, a member of the pop-rock band Hanson.
The group became internationally famous during the 1990s and remains best known to mainstream audiences for its hit “MMMBop.”
Hanson will compete with professional dancer Britt Stewart.
His casting could attract viewers who remember the band’s enormous popularity during the late 1990s.
Olympic and Paralympic Champions Enter the Competition
Season 35 also includes accomplished athletes.
Amber Glenn, who helped the United States win Olympic figure skating team gold at the 2026 Winter Games, is paired with Pasha Pashkov.
Glenn’s skating background gives her extensive experience combining athletic movement with performance.
Paralympic champion Ezra Frech will compete with Daniella Karagach.
Frech is a Paralympic gold medalist and world-record holder who has also become an advocate for adaptive sports.
Reality TV Stars Join Season 35
Reality television will have a substantial presence this season.
Maura Higgins is partnered with Mark Ballas, while Ciara Miller will compete with Brandon Armstrong.
Conner Leavitt is paired with Adele Zaikman.
Sarah Jane Nader, who appears in Love Thy Nader, will compete with Hailey Bills.
Nader and Bills will become the show’s third same-sex celebrity/professional partnership.
Guillermo Rodriguez Heads to the Ballroom
Another contestant likely to attract attention is Guillermo Rodriguez, known to television audiences from Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Rodriguez will compete with professional dancer Witney Carson.
Carson’s participation has generated attention of its own because she will compete while pregnant.
When Does Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Start?
Fans won’t have to wait long.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premieres Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.
The premiere continues Wednesday, September 16.
The show will air on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming on Hulu the following day.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are returning as hosts.
The judging panel will once again feature Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.
See ABC’s complete guide to the DWTS Season 35 cast
Who Could Win Dancing With the Stars 2026?
It is far too early to predict a winner, especially before viewers have seen the celebrities perform.
Still, previous dance and performance experience could make several contestants particularly interesting when Season 35 begins.
Jenna Dewan’s professional dance background and Harry Shum Jr.’s extensive performance experience immediately stand out.
Amber Glenn’s elite figure skating career could also translate into strong movement, musicality and performance skills.
But Dancing With the Stars has repeatedly demonstrated that previous experience isn’t everything.
Audience support, improvement throughout the season and chemistry between celebrity contestants and their professional partners can dramatically affect the competition.
That uncertainty is exactly what makes the new lineup interesting.
With 16 celebrities preparing to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy, the Dancing With the Stars 2026 cast is officially ready for the ballroom.
Season 35 begins September 15.
BriefTop will continue updating its DWTS coverage as the competition gets underway.
