Jenna Dewan is suddenly one of the most searched names connected to Dancing With the Stars. The actress and longtime dancer is joining Season 35 of the hit competition, bringing her years of professional dance experience, her iconic Step Up connection and her current role on The Rookie to the ballroom.
Jenna Dewan is officially competing on Dancing With the Stars Season 35. She has been paired with professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, with the two-night Season 35 premiere scheduled for September 15 and 16, 2026.
In This Story
Who Is Jenna Dewan?
Jenna Dewan is an American actress, dancer, host and producer who has built a career across film, television and dance entertainment.
She first became widely known to movie audiences through the 2006 dance film Step Up, where she starred as Nora Clark alongside Channing Tatum.
But Dewan’s career in dance began before her Hollywood breakthrough. She worked professionally as a backup dancer and performed with major music artists before becoming a recognizable actress herself.
Why Is Jenna Dewan Joining Dancing With the Stars?
Jenna Dewan is joining Dancing With the Stars Season 35 in 2026, giving fans an unusual opportunity to see a professional dancer take on a discipline that is not the same as the styles she has performed throughout her career.
ABC’s official Season 35 announcement confirms that Dewan will compete with professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy.
The season will begin with a two-night premiere on September 15 and September 16, 2026, airing live on ABC and Disney+.
Jenna Dewan + Val Chmerkovskiy
Season 35
Premiere: September 15–16, 2026
Network: ABC
Streaming: Disney+ and Hulu
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy
Dewan has been paired with veteran professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, creating one of the most interesting partnerships of the new season.
The pairing has already generated attention because Dewan enters the competition with considerably more dance experience than many celebrity contestants.
But her previous experience does not mean ballroom will automatically be easy.
Why Ballroom Is Still a New Challenge
Dewan has explained that ballroom feels very different from the dance styles she knows. Instead of simply relying on the choreography and performance skills she developed over the years, she has to learn the specific technique, posture, timing and partnership required by ballroom.
That difference could become one of the most interesting parts of her DWTS journey.
For the official Season 35 cast announcement, including Jenna Dewan’s professional partnership with Val Chmerkovskiy, visit the ABC Dancing With the Stars 2026 cast announcement .
The Step Up Connection
For many fans, Jenna Dewan will always be connected to Step Up.
Released in 2006, the film became one of the defining dance movies of its era and introduced Dewan to a huge international audience.
Her role as Nora Clark showcased her dance ability while also establishing the on-screen partnership with Channing Tatum that became one of the movie’s biggest talking points.
Did Jenna Dewan Really Dance Before Step Up?
Yes. Dewan’s professional dance career began well before her movie breakthrough.
She worked as a backup dancer for major performers including Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and Christina Aguilera.
That background helped establish Dewan as a performer before she transitioned into acting and became known around the world for Step Up.
From Backup Dancer to Hollywood Star
Dewan’s career is unusual because dance wasn’t simply something she learned for a movie role. It was already a major part of her professional life.
She later expanded that experience into television, hosting and judging dance programs, including World of Dance.
That makes her appearance on Dancing With the Stars feel like a full-circle moment — even though ballroom itself presents a new technical challenge.
Jenna Dewan’s Career Beyond Dance
Dewan’s career eventually moved well beyond dance films.
She appeared in movies including Take the Lead and 10 Years and built an extensive television résumé.
Her television roles have included American Horror Story, Witches of East End, Supergirl, Superman & Lois, The Resident and Netflix’s Soundtrack.
She has also worked as a host and judge, including hosting NBC’s World of Dance and serving as a judge on Come Dance With Me.
Jenna Dewan on The Rookie
Today, Dewan is also known to television audiences as Bailey Nune on ABC’s hit drama The Rookie.
According to ABC, Dewan joined the series as a guest star near the end of Season 3 in 2021 and became a series regular from Season 4.
Her role on the series has helped establish another side of her career, separate from the dance performances that originally made her famous.
A Career Spanning Dance, Film and Television
Jenna Dewan was born on December 3, 1980, in Hartford, Connecticut.
Dewan worked professionally as a backup dancer for major music artists before becoming an established actress.
She rose to international prominence starring as Nora Clark in Step Up.
Dewan expanded her television career with roles in shows including American Horror Story and Witches of East End.
She joined The Rookie as Bailey Nune before becoming a series regular.
Dewan returns to the dance spotlight as a celebrity contestant on Dancing With the Stars Season 35.
Why Is Jenna Dewan Trending Right Now?
The answer is simple: Dancing With the Stars.
Dewan’s casting has created an interesting conversation because she is not a celebrity with no dance background. She is an experienced professional dancer stepping into ballroom competition for the first time.
That has led to questions about whether her previous dance career gives her an unfair advantage.
Dewan has pushed back on that idea by explaining that ballroom is a completely different discipline from the dance styles she previously performed.
Does Jenna Dewan Have an Advantage on DWTS?
She clearly has extensive performance and dance experience, but ballroom requires its own technique and skills.
The interesting part will be seeing how quickly she can adapt her existing abilities to a style she says is unfamiliar to her.
Will Jenna Dewan Bring Step Up Moves to DWTS?
Fans already have one obvious request: give them a little Step Up.
Dewan has indicated that fans could see references to the movie during her time on the show, particularly because 2026 marks the film’s 20th anniversary.
That creates an easy full-circle moment for longtime fans who remember her dancing on screen two decades ago.
Why Jenna Dewan’s DWTS Journey Could Be Special
There is something different about watching someone who has spent much of her life around dance suddenly become a student again.
Dewan already knows choreography, performance and the pressure of being watched. What she now has to master is ballroom technique and the unique partnership required by the competition.
That gives audiences something beyond simply asking whether she can dance.
They get to watch an experienced performer learn something completely new.
The Full-Circle Moment
Twenty years after Step Up introduced Jenna Dewan to millions of movie fans, she is heading back onto the dance floor.
This time there is no movie character, no retake and no fictional storyline. It is Dewan herself competing live for the Mirrorball Trophy.
When Does Jenna Dewan’s Dancing With the Stars Season Start?
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premieres September 15 and 16, 2026.
The two-night premiere will air on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu.
Jenna Dewan will compete alongside Val Chmerkovskiy as the celebrity-professional pairing attempts to make its mark on the new season.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
8:00–10:00 p.m. ET
ABC + Disney+
The Bottom Line
Jenna Dewan is much more than the actress from Step Up.
She is a professional dancer, actress, television host, producer and longtime performer who has successfully moved between dance, film and television.
Now, at 45, she is taking one of the most recognizable dance competition stages in television and putting her own skills to a new test.
The biggest question isn’t whether Jenna Dewan knows how to dance. We already know the answer to that.
The real question is whether she can turn all of that experience into ballroom success.
Jenna Dewan has spent two decades making dance look effortless. Now Dancing With the Stars is asking her to learn a completely different language of dance — and that could make her one of Season 35’s most fascinating contestants.
Sources & Further Reading
ABC — Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast Announcement
ABC News — Jenna Dewan discusses joining Dancing With the Stars and returning to the dance floor.
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