Hailey Bills is officially stepping into one of the biggest roles of her young dance career, and the 20-year-old’s celebration of becoming a Dancing With the Stars professional has fans looking back at just how long she dreamed about this moment.
After being announced as part of the Season 35 professional lineup, Hailey shared a pair of photos on Instagram. One showed her polished new DWTS promotional portrait, while the other revealed something far more personal — a note she had written years earlier about her hopes for the future.
In the childhood note, Hailey wrote about dreaming of someday competing on Dancing With the Stars and even imagining herself winning the Mirrorball Trophy. Looking at those words now, after officially earning her place as a pro, made the post especially emotional.
She also mentioned her aunt, longtime DWTS professional Jenna Johnson, explaining that she hoped to follow in Jenna’s footsteps when she grew up. Hailey listed several reasons she wanted to join the show, including creating dances and competing alongside friends, but ultimately summed up her dream with her love for dancing.
Hailey accompanied the throwback with a short message reflecting on how dramatically life had changed, saying that a dream had now become reality. Jenna’s reaction was equally emotional, with the Mirrorball-winning pro telling her niece how incredibly proud she was.
But Hailey’s rise to the main ballroom did not happen overnight. Her connection with the franchise actually stretches back to 2018, when she competed as a junior professional on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors at only 12 years old.
During that season, Hailey was partnered with Tripp Johnston Palin, the son of Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston. And in another connection that makes her current achievement feel full-circle, Jenna served as Hailey and Tripp’s mentor during the competition.
Hailey continued developing her career after DWTS: Juniors, eventually returning to the franchise in a much bigger way. In 2025, she joined the main show’s dance troupe, performing alongside the professional cast and gaining valuable experience in the ballroom.
The troupe has historically served as a stepping stone for several dancers who later became full-time professionals, and Hailey has now officially followed that path. She was reportedly offered the pro position earlier in 2026 but had to keep the news private until the Season 35 lineup was formally announced.
For her first season as a full professional, Hailey has been paired with Sarah Jane Nader. Their partnership also makes history as another same-sex pairing on the series, following previous partnerships including Jenna Johnson and JoJo Siwa.
The family connection makes Hailey’s promotion particularly meaningful. Years ago, she was a young dancer watching her aunt succeed on one of television’s biggest dance competitions and writing down that she wanted to do the same thing herself.
Now, at just 20 years old, that childhood note has become something much more than an old memory. Hailey Bills is officially a Dancing With the Stars pro — and the dream she once wrote about as a little girl is finally happening for real.
