Julia Stiles spent years turning down opportunities to compete on Dancing With the Stars, but Season 35 finally brought the actress into the ballroom. For Stiles, agreeing to participate was about much more than learning choreography—it was an opportunity to reconnect with a part of herself she had been avoiding for years.
The actress became closely associated with dance after starring in the 2001 movie Save the Last Dance. Her character, Sara Johnson, was an aspiring dancer who dreamed of attending Juilliard, a storyline that helped make Stiles a memorable part of the film’s dance culture.
In real life, however, Stiles did not attend Juilliard and did not receive the kind of professional dance training that some fans might assume. She has explained that she actually stopped taking dance classes after making the movie because of the expectations surrounding her performance.
Stiles has described herself as more of a “home dancer,” explaining that she enjoys dancing but never considered herself a professionally trained dancer. She has also said that the experience of making Save the Last Dance left her feeling self-conscious about dancing and contributed to her decision to step away from formal classes.
That history made joining Dancing With the Stars particularly meaningful. Instead of avoiding dancing because of the expectations connected to her famous movie role, Stiles decided to return to the dance floor and try to rediscover the enjoyment she once associated with it.
She has said that part of her motivation for joining the show was to “find the joy” of dancing again and regain confidence. The live nature of DWTS also means she cannot rely on multiple takes or editing, making the experience a very different challenge from performing in a movie.
Stiles was paired with professional dancer Ezra Sosa, who has quickly become an important part of her experience. Sosa praised her commitment during rehearsals, saying she has been working extremely hard and showing considerable passion for the challenge.
Their partnership has also brought plenty of humor to the journey. Stiles and Sosa even created a team name, “So Stilez,” combining their names, and Sosa revealed that they have discussed getting matching tattoos to commemorate their season together.
Stiles’ return to dancing also comes with a desire to separate herself from the expectations created by her most famous dance role. Rather than trying to prove that she is the dancer audiences remember from Save the Last Dance, she is approaching DWTS as someone learning ballroom from the beginning and allowing herself to make mistakes along the way.
For Stiles, stepping into the Dancing With the Stars ballroom represents a chance to confront an old source of self-consciousness and replace it with a new experience. After years of saying no, she has finally chosen to dance in front of a live audience again—and this time, she is doing it on her own terms.
Compiled with information from various sources.
