Full Breakdown
Julia Stiles Joins *Dancing with the Stars* Season 35 as Juilliard Clarifies She Never Attended the School
9/9/2026, 8:38:34 PM
Core Event
On September 2, the 45-year-old actress Julia Stiles was announced as the celebrity partner of professional dancer Ezra Sosa for *Dancing with the Stars* Season 35. The announcement revived a long-standing internet joke that Stiles possessed “Juilliard-trained” dance credentials because her character Sara Johnson in the 2001 film *Save the Last Dance* auditions for and is accepted to The Juilliard School.
Background & Context
In *Save the Last Dance*, Stiles portrays Sara Johnson, an aspiring ballerina who ultimately gains admission to Juilliard. The actress’s actual education is a degree in English Literature from Columbia University; she has not taken formal dance training since the film, describing herself as a “home dancer.”
Official Statements & Responses
- Juilliard’s Instagram clarification (September 3). The school posted: “*Checks registrar.* No, Julia Stiles did not, in fact, attend Juilliard. But we love her anyway… P.S. Good luck on DWTS.” The caption also promoted the Juilliard Fall Festival opening night on September 16.
- Stiles’s remarks at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards (September 6). She told E!
- Stiles’s TikTok with Sosa (prior to the premiere). The pair clarified that Stiles did not attend Juilliard, did not audition for the conservatory, and that a body double performed many of the complex dance sequences in *Save the Last Dance*. She added that she stopped taking dance classes after the film because expectations made her self-conscious.
- Judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s comment (reported in later coverage). Inaba noted that experience in other dance styles does not automatically translate to ballroom technique, indicating that Stiles will need to prove her abilities on the show.
Data & Statistics
| Date (as listed in the ledger) | Event |
|---|---|
| September 2 | Stiles announced as Ezra Sosa’s partner for Season 35. |
| September 3 | Juilliard posts clarification on Instagram. |
| September 6 | Stiles and Sosa react to the Juilliard post at the Creative Arts Emmys. |
| September 7 | Stiles and Sosa arrive for rehearsals in Hollywood. |
| September 15–16 (scheduled) | Two-night premiere of *Dancing with the Stars* Season 35. |
| September 16 (scheduled) | Opening night of the Juilliard Fall Festival. |
Verbatim Quotes
- “Checks registrar. No, Julia Stiles did not, in fact, attend Juilliard. But we love her anyway… P.S. Good luck on DWTS.” — Julia Stiles
- “P.S. Good luck on DWTS, Julia… we’re cheering you on,” — Stiles Her Fake Juilliard
- “Which was kind of shady, but honestly, really funny,” — Ezra Sosa
- “Literally, it was probably one of our first discussions,” — Ezra Sosa
- “Based on experience. No one else has a chance now.” — Stiles Her Fake Juilliard
What's Next
*Dancing with the Stars* Season 35 premieres on September 15 and September 16 on ABC and Disney+. Stiles and Sosa will compete under the team name “So Stilez,” and have discussed getting matching tattoos during the season, as noted by Sosa. The Juilliard Fall Festival opens on September 16, offering the public a chance to see the school’s “actual” performers.
