Inaba's defense of trained contestants
Carrie Ann Inaba, a longtime judge on the ABC competition series Dancing With the Stars, addressed the controversy over Season 35 contestants with prior dance training in an interview with Entertainment Weekly on September 7, 2026. After the official cast reveal, the inclusion of Jenna Dewan, Julia Stiles and Harry Shum Jr. — all of whom have backgrounds in styles such as jazz, hip-hop and contemporary — prompted fan debate over whether they would enjoy an unfair edge. Inaba argued that translating other dance techniques into ballroom is harder than it looks, telling the outlet that “the weight placement is so different” and that bodies trained in other forms must be actively re-taught where to put their weight.
Why ballroom is its own discipline
Inaba explained that dancers coming from hip-hop, jazz or contemporary carry muscle memory that can work against them on the ballroom floor. “It’s weird because your body has memory, so it remembers how to dance, and it thinks it already knows how to do these moves, but it doesn’t,” she said. The judge added that unlearning ingrained habits — shifting weight forward over the toes rather than staying grounded — “takes a lot of time,” and she insisted that “it’s not as easy as people think” for experienced performers to adapt to ballroom technique.
Rhythm and musicality versus rust
Pressed specifically about Dewan, Stiles and Shum Jr., Inaba acknowledged they “have an advantage in some ways because they’ve got the rhythm and they’ve got the musicality and they know how to dance.” She also noted that they tend to pick up and retain choreography faster than some peers. At the same time, Inaba pointed out that “it’s been a few years since they’ve all danced,” introducing a counterweight to the criticism that rehearsed performers should be disqualified from the competition.
Contestants push back on the criticism
The cast members themselves have disputed the notion that their résumés amount to an automatic advantage. Stiles, who starred in Save the Last Dance, has suggested that experience could actually become a “disadvantage” because she stopped taking dance classes after the film. Dewan, a former backup dancer for Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott who later starred in Step Up, told Entertainment Weekly, “I do not know how to ballroom dance,” adding that her prior training helps with choreography and performance but ballroom requires “unlearning” and “a new technique.” Whether those adjustments translate into competitive results is a question only the ballroom floor will answer once Season 35 begins airing.
Past precedent on the dance floor
Inaba cited earlier seasons to argue that dance credentials are not a guarantee of victory. Heather Morris, a backup dancer for Beyoncé before Season 24, finished eighth. Season 30’s Amanda Kloots, a Broadway performer and former Radio City Rockette, reached fourth place. By contrast, Charli D’Amelio, Jordan Fisher and ice dancer Meryl Davis all won their seasons after bringing significant dance experience into the competition, illustrating that strong backgrounds have produced mixed outcomes across the show’s history.
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