September 3, 2026 - Entertainment Post

Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Cast Revealed

Entertainment Post Staff 2 on September 3, 2026

ABC has revealed the 16-celebrity lineup and professional dance pairings for Dancing With the Stars Season 35, bringing actors, athletes, television personalities and reality stars into the competition. The new season will begin with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16 on ABC and Disney+.

Key Takeaways

Season 35 features 16 celebrity contestants.
Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Tatyana Ali and Harry Shum Jr. are among the announced celebrities.
Each celebrity contestant has been paired with a professional dancer.
Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as hosts.
The new season premieres September 15 and 16 on ABC and Disney+.

Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Cast Is Revealed

The Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast brings 16 celebrity contestants into the latest edition of ABC’s dance competition. The lineup includes performers from film and television alongside athletes and reality personalities.

Julia Stiles is among the celebrities joining the competition. Jenna Dewan, Tatyana Ali and Harry Shum Jr. are also part of the Season 35 cast.

The announced lineup gives the new season a mix of entertainment backgrounds rather than limiting the contestants to one type of celebrity. Actors, athletes, television personalities and reality stars are represented among the 16 participants.

The show’s return for another season was previously confirmed in its Season 35 renewal announcement, which established the new season before ABC revealed its celebrity lineup.

Each contestant will compete with a professional dancer during the season. The pairings establish the teams that will perform as the competition begins.

The cast announcement comes ahead of the scheduled two-night premiere. ABC and Disney+ will begin airing the new season on September 15, with the second premiere episode following on September 16.

Season 35 therefore enters its premiere period with its celebrity contestants and professional partners already identified. The announced lineup gives viewers the names of the personalities participating before the competition starts.

Celebrity Contestants Receive Their Professional Dance Partners

The Season 35 contestants have been assigned professional dance partners for the competition. The pairings place each celebrity with a professional dancer who will perform alongside them during the season.

The pairings are part of the announced Season 35 lineup rather than a separate addition to the show. The celebrity contestants and their professional partners will form the competing teams when the new season begins.

Julia Stiles is one of the actors included in the cast, while Jenna Dewan also joins the competition. Tatyana Ali and Harry Shum Jr. are additional names included in the announced celebrity lineup.

The combination of celebrities and professional dancers establishes the format of the new season before the premiere. Viewers will see the established pairs compete through the season after the September 15 launch.

The professional dancers also give the celebrity contestants dedicated partners for the performances. Each team will enter the competition as part of the Season 35 cast announced by ABC.

The pairings provide another piece of information for viewers following the new season. Alongside the identities of the 16 celebrities, the professional partners establish the full initial lineup for the competition.

The role of music in ballroom performances is also central to the format, as explored in ballroom dance music traditions.

Season 35 Brings Actors, Athletes and Reality Stars Together

Season 35 includes celebrities from several entertainment and public-facing fields. The announced group contains actors, athletes, television personalities and reality stars, giving the cast different professional backgrounds.

The actors named in the lineup include Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Tatyana Ali and Harry Shum Jr. Their participation places established television and film performers among the personalities competing on the show.

Athletes are also represented in the cast. Their inclusion adds a sports background to a lineup that otherwise includes performers and television personalities.

Reality stars form another part of the Season 35 group. Their participation places reality television personalities alongside actors and athletes in the same dance competition.

The cast structure means Season 35 will feature contestants whose previous entertainment work differs from one another. The 16-person lineup brings those groups together through the same competition format.

The decision by celebrities to enter unscripted competitions is part of a broader subject examined in celebrities joining reality television.

The range of professional backgrounds is also part of the information released with the new season’s cast. Instead of a lineup centered on a single entertainment field, Season 35 includes personalities connected to multiple areas of television, film, sports and reality television.

The celebrity lineup has been announced before the premiere dates, allowing the identities of the contestants and their professional partners to be established before the first episodes air.

ABC and Disney+ Set Two-Night Season Premiere

The new season will premiere across two nights, beginning September 15 and continuing September 16. ABC and Disney+ will carry the Season 35 premiere.

The two-night schedule gives the new cast its first television appearances across the opening episodes. The celebrity contestants and their professional partners will begin the competition during the scheduled premiere dates.

The September 15 and 16 launch also provides the first opportunity for viewers to see the newly announced teams perform together. The professional dance pairings will form the basis of the performances during the competition.

ABC is the television network carrying the season, while Disney+ is also included in the premiere distribution. The two platforms provide the announced viewing options for the start of Season 35.

The premiere schedule follows the release of the full celebrity cast. Viewers therefore have the lineup, professional pairings and initial broadcast dates before the season begins.

The first two episodes will introduce the Season 35 competition and its participating celebrities. The September 15 and 16 schedule sets the opening dates for the new season.

Returning Hosts and Judges Lead the New Season

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as the hosts for Season 35. Their return places the new celebrity cast under the same hosting team announced for the upcoming season.

The judges returning for the season are Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough. They will evaluate the performances presented by the celebrity contestants and their professional dance partners.

The hosting and judging lineup completes the principal on-screen team announced alongside the Season 35 cast. Ribeiro and Hough will handle hosting duties, while Inaba, Tonioli and Hough will serve as judges.

The returning hosts and judges will join the 16 celebrity contestants when the season begins. The cast and professional pairings were announced ahead of the two-night premiere on September 15 and 16.

Season 35 therefore enters its premiere with its main competition lineup established. The celebrities, professional dancers, hosts and judges have all been identified ahead of the opening episodes.

The new season will begin on ABC and Disney+ on September 15, with the second premiere episode scheduled for September 16.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is in the Dancing With the Stars Season 35 cast?

The Season 35 cast includes Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Tatyana Ali and Harry Shum Jr., along with other actors, athletes, television personalities and reality stars. There are 16 celebrity contestants in total.

When does Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premiere?

Season 35 premieres across two nights, September 15 and 16. The season will air on ABC and Disney+.

Where can viewers watch Dancing With the Stars Season 35?

The new season will premiere on ABC and Disney+. Both platforms are included in the announced Season 35 premiere schedule.

Who are the hosts and judges for Season 35?

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as hosts. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough return as judges.

Which celebrities are competing on Dancing With the Stars Season 35?

The announced celebrities include Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Tatyana Ali and Harry Shum Jr. The complete Season 35 lineup consists of 16 celebrity contestants paired with professional dancers.

Alex Krawczyk Finds Hope When Life Gets Hard on “When the Road Is Uneven”

Entertainment Post Staff on September 3, 2026

By: Emma Carlisle

Alex Krawczyk knows that life rarely follows a straight path.

On “When the Road Is Uneven,” a standout track from the Canadian singer-songwriter’s latest album, Wonders Await, Krawczyk turns that simple truth into a warm and reassuring folk song about perseverance, kindness and the surprising ways music can help us find our footing again.

It’s a message that feels particularly suited to Krawczyk, an artist whose growing career has been built around songs that emphasize healing, connection and hope rather than heartbreak for heartbreak’s sake.

“When the Road Is Uneven” begins with one of the most relatable ideas on the album: having a song you turn to when everything feels wrong. Most of us have one. Maybe it’s something that reminds us of home, someone we love, or simply a time when life seemed easier. For Krawczyk, that relationship with music becomes the starting point for a larger conversation about what people carry privately.

Sometimes the person who appears perfectly fine is struggling more than anyone realizes.

Krawczyk understands that.

Instead of delivering an oversized inspirational anthem, she offers something gentler. Her message isn’t that strong people never fall apart. Quite the opposite: everyone eventually has difficult days, loses direction, or needs someone else to help carry the weight.

That compassion gives “When the Road Is Uneven” its emotional heart.

Produced by Robbie Roth, the track has the organic warmth that characterizes much of Wonders Await. Acoustic guitar provides the foundation while electric guitars, bass, piano, keyboards, drums and percussion gradually fill out the arrangement. Roth’s production is polished but never flashy, giving Krawczyk plenty of room to tell the story.

The recording also has a wonderful communal quality. Caroline Brooks, Julie Title and Roth contribute background vocals, while Derek and Ella Krawczyk add djembe. The additional voices and percussion subtly reinforce the song’s central message: you may begin the journey alone, but you don’t necessarily have to finish it that way.

Krawczyk’s performance is especially effective because she never sounds as though she is lecturing the listener. She sings like a friend.

That distinction matters.

There are plenty of songs that tell people to be stronger, fight harder, or refuse to give up. “When the Road Is Uneven” feels different because it allows room for vulnerability. It recognizes that sometimes simply continuing is an accomplishment.

And then there is kindness.

Krawczyk suggests that one of the best responses to an unpredictable world might be treating one another with more compassion. It’s hardly a complicated concept, but within the song it lands with surprising force.

After all, if everyone is traveling an uneven road of some kind, maybe kindness is less about being nice and more about recognizing that we rarely know the whole story of the person standing in front of us.

That philosophy extends throughout Wonders Await, Krawczyk’s 13-track sophomore album. The record explores mindfulness, love, loss, resilience and emotional renewal through contemporary folk, Americana and roots-pop. Songs including “Like the Passing Clouds,” “Carry On,” “West Coast” and the title track approach different sides of the same central question: How do we remain open to joy after experiencing difficulty?

“When the Road Is Uneven” may offer the album’s clearest answer.

Keep moving.

Listen for the rhythm.

Let someone walk beside you.

Krawczyk has plenty of reasons to feel encouraged about where her own road is heading. Her independent career has included four Top 20 UK iTunes hits, while “There Will Be Light” reached No. 1 on the National Radio Hits AIRPLAY chart. She has also received a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Best New Artist, earned additional independent-music recognition and attracted radio support in Canada and internationally.

But those achievements only explain how many people are discovering Krawczyk. They don’t explain why her songs connect.

For that, listen to “When the Road Is Uneven.”

There is something refreshingly human about an artist who isn’t pretending to possess all the answers. Krawczyk doesn’t promise that tomorrow will be perfect. She doesn’t suggest that positive thinking can magically erase pain. She simply reminds listeners that difficult stretches are part of being alive, and that music, love, and kindness can make them easier to bear.

That might not sound groundbreaking.

But on the right day, for the right person, it can mean everything.

With “When the Road Is Uneven,” Alex Krawczyk offers less of a motivational speech than a hand extended across the distance.

Sometimes that’s exactly what a good song should be.