Actress Jenna Dewan has responded to questions surrounding her prior dance experience after being announced as a celebrity contestant for season 35 of Dancing with the Stars, addressing potential advantages in an exclusive joint interview with partner Val Chmerkovskiy following the cast reveal on Sept. 2.
Dewan, 45, is teaming up with Chmerkovskiy for the upcoming competition, which kicks off on ABC with a two-night premiere scheduled for Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. ET. The announcement marks Dewan's return to competitive performance following a multi-decade career in entertainment.
Addressing her 25 years of background on the dance floor, Dewan acknowledged that her history gives her familiarity with performance and movement. "I own it," Dewan told E! News. "There are certain aspects of it: I have performed before, I can learn choreography."
However, the former Step Up star emphasized that ballroom dancing presents a distinct technical hurdle. "Ballroom is a whole different language," she explained. "It's actually very, very challenging for me, and I wanted that challenge. That was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come and do this: I haven't trained this hard in so many years and to do it in a new, different way, in this way, it was the right timing."
Dewan's Dance Background and Family Life
Dewan began her professional dance career appearing in Janet Jackson's 2000 music video for "Doesn't Really Matter" before landing her breakout role in the 2006 dance film Step Up. She currently stars in the ABC police drama The Rookie and previously hosted the dating competition Flirty Dancing.
Off the dance floor, Dewan is a mother of three. She shares her 13-year-old daughter, Everly, with her ex-husband, actor Channing Tatum. She also has two younger children, six-year-old Callum and two-year-old Rihannon, with her fiancé, Tony Award-winning actor Steve Kazee.
Dewan noted that her family is eager to watch her perform in the ballroom. "My family wants to see me dance," she said, expressing enthusiasm about joining the series. "I'm over the moon. I'm so excited it's out there. This is the biggest gift in the entire world. Like, this is my partner! This is a bucket list for me."
Chmerkovskiy on Contestant Experience and Viewers
Chmerkovskiy, 40, dismissed concerns that Dewan's prior background creates an unfair environment, noting that Dancing with the Stars has frequently featured contestants with previous dance training. "This is not the first time we had a contestant that had experience," Chmerkovskiy told E! News. "We're not dodging the experience. She's known for 20 years of Step Up. She had a career before that. I'm really excited about the opportunity to now elevate everything she's done and create new memories."
The veteran professional dancer finished as runner-up on season 34 alongside social media personality Alix Earle, placing behind season champions Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. His wife, professional dancer Jenna Johnson, is also competing on season 35, paired with actor Harry Shum Jr.
Chmerkovskiy emphasized that mastering elite ballroom technique requires significant effort regardless of a participant's history. "To do ballroom at the highest level is a huge challenge for anybody, with experience, without experience," Chmerkovskiy said. "That's the goal. It's not to rest on our laurels but to really step it up, no pun intended."
He added that connecting with television viewers remains the primary objective of the competition. "Ultimately, dance is just a vehicle for us to express ourselves, to connect with another human being, and in the process, hopefully encourage other people at home to have a good time," he explained. "If we can do that, regardless of where we are as dancers, I think that's the important thing."
Praising his new partner, Chmerkovskiy added, "I've had partners with dance experience before, but I've never had partners that had this type of light about them, this type of gratitude about them. I just wanna celebrate that and celebrate dance and bring joy to the world."
Full Season 35 Contestant and Partner Lineup
The season 35 cast features a diverse lineup of actors, musicians, athletes, and television personalities competing on ABC.
Hollywood stars taking to the dance floor include Julia Stiles of 10 Things I Hate About You, partnered with Ezra Sosa, and Glee actor Harry Shum Jr., who is taking his musical talents to the ballroom alongside pro Jenna Johnson. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Tatyana Ali brings her fresh moves with Jan Ravnik, while celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis turns up the heat with Alan Bersten. Former 1990s teen heartthrob Taylor Hanson, of the pop group Hanson, hopes to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard with Britt Stewart.
The athletic roster features 2026 Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn taking her skills from the ice to the ballroom with Pasha Pashkov, alongside Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech showing off his athleticism with Daniella Karagach. Savannah Bananas baseball player Jackson Olson steps up to the plate from the diamond to the ballroom with Emma Slater, while Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo Rodriguez is ready to learn new moves with Witney Carson.
Reality television personalities and digital creators round out the roster. Bachelor Nation star Tyler Cameron is trading roses for rumbas with Sharna Burgess. Conner Leavitt of Hulu's Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is following in the footsteps of his wife, Whitney Leavitt, who competed on season 34, partnering with Adele Zaikman. Comedian Connor Wood, known on social media as Fibula, is partnered with Rylee Arnold. Love Thy Nader star Sarah Jane Nader is trying her hand alongside Hailey Bills, following her sister Brooks Nader's appearance on season 33.
Summer House star Ciara Miller is prepping for her turn in the ballroom alongside pro Brandon Armstrong. Miller previously addressed her preparation in an exclusive June interview with E! News, saying, "Looks are not indicative of being in shape. I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Love Island UK alum Maura Higgins is hoping her passion for the series does not betray her after manifesting the spot, dancing with Mark Ballas. Higgins revealed to E! News in May how she put the show on her vision board. "I have a vision board and I redo it every year," Higgins said. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
