From internet comedians to gold medalists, the Dancing With The Stars Season 35 cast is stacked. And while this may be every celeb’s first time in the DWTS ballroom, for some, it’s not their first time dancing. So, who on DWTS Season 35 has previous dance experience? I did some digging, so you don’t have to.
DWTS contestants with previous dance experience have been a controversial topic for quite some time. Just last season, former Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Whitney Leavitt and The Baldwins star Hilaria Baldwin came under fire for their extensive dance experience, with Leavitt studying dance at the collegiate level and Baldwin competing on NYU’s ballroom dance team.
Over the course of show, many former contestants have had previous dance experience and gone on to win the show, like TikToker and dancer Charli D’Amelio in Season 31, and Broadway icon (and dancer) Jordan Fischer in Season 25. However, it’s worth noting that extensive dance experience — while definitely an advantage — doesn’t automatically secure a win. For instance, Dance Moms alum JoJo Siwa was eliminated in the finale of Season 30, and Heather Morris (who danced professionally with Beyoncé) was eliminated in week six of Season 24.
So, safe to say, contestants who have some (or a lot of) dance training are nothing new — in fact, there’s usually one or two on every season. And, in most cases, they’re responsible for giving fans some iconic, show-stopping dances.
So, who on DWTS Season 35 has danced before? Here are the stars who have previous dance experience.
Harry Shum Jr.
While he’s currently starring in Grey’s Anatomy, many fans fell in love with Harry Shum Jr. during his time on Glee — on which he played dancer Mike Chang. And, if you’ve ever seen Glee, then you know that Shum Jr. can definitely bust a move. (Seriously, he’s amazing.)
Shum Jr. has actually been dancing professionally long before he was an actor, getting his first dancing gig at 18 and going on to tour as a backup dancer with Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, and Mariah Carey.
Jenna Dewan
Jenna Dewan raised me… via her role in Step Up. ICYMI, the actress is known for her role as Nora Clark in the first Step Up movie, in which she played a ballerina who ventures into the world of hip-hop and breakdancing.
Before acting, though, Dewan began dance training at 5 years old. And, after dropping out of the University of Southern California, she danced in Janet Jackson’s “Doesn’t Really Matter” music video in 2000, then toured with her in the All for You tour in 2001.
Jackson olson
While Olson hasn’t toured with major pop stars, he has made a name for himself playing for the Savannah Bananas — an exhibition baseball team that blends entertainment and sports.
Despite not having any formal dance experience, Olson’s experience with the Savannah Bananas requires him to regularly learn and perform choreography. So, an eight-count isn’t completely foreign to him.
Tyler Cameron
This one might shock you, but it’s nothing new for fans of The Bachelorette. ICYMI, Cameron started taking dance classes in college while he played football at Wake Forest University. Initially, he took classes as a way to boost his GPA, but ended up genuinely enjoying it. During college, Cameron took ballet, jazz, hip-hop, moving for men, and African dance — ending up only two classes shy of a dance minor. Then, he competed on The Real Dirty Dancing back in 2022 — and finished as a runner-up. Dare I say, Cameron may be the dark horse of the season?
Julia STiles
Do I even have to explain this one? Along with starring in 10 Things I Hate About You — in which she had an iconic dance scene — Stiles also starred in Save The Last Dance, in which she played a ballerina who learns the ropes of hip-hop dancing. (Spoiler alert: She even gets into the Juilliard ballet program doing a ballet-hip-hop-hybrid routine at her audition.)
Ciara Miller
Fans know Ciara from Summer House and The Traitors, but she’s more than just a reality TY legend. In fact, she revealed to Us Weekly that she trained in ballet for 10 years. IDK about you, but I’m excited to see what she’ll bring to the ballroom.