Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills are officially heading to the ballroom together for Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars, giving the new season one of its most closely watched partnerships before the competition has even begun.
The pairing was confirmed when the full celebrity cast and professional dancer lineup was unveiled on Good Morning America on September 2, 2026. Sarah Jane, known for Hulu’s reality series Love Thy Nader, will compete alongside Bills, who has been promoted to professional partner after previously performing with the show’s troupe.
Beyond introducing a new celebrity-pro combination, their partnership represents another milestone for the long-running ABC competition. Sarah Jane and Hailey are the third same-sex celebrity and professional pairing in DWTS history and only the second featuring two women.
Why Hailey?
The decision to match Sarah Jane with a woman was not random.
Executive producer Conrad Green said Sarah Jane, who is bisexual, wanted a female professional partner. Producers then considered which dancer would create the strongest combination with her.
Hailey ultimately emerged as the choice.
Green explained that the production team repeatedly returned to Sarah Jane and Hailey because of their dynamic together. Hailey was also enthusiastic about taking on the partnership.
That background makes their pairing more than a casting gimmick. Sarah Jane expressed a preference about how she wanted to approach the competition, and producers found a professional dancer they believed could complement her personality and presence.
DWTS History
Sarah Jane and Hailey join a short list of same-sex partnerships on Dancing with the Stars.
JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson broke new ground during Season 30 in 2021 as the show’s first same-sex pairing. They eventually finished as runners-up.
Season 31 featured Shangela and Gleb Savchenko, who became the competition’s second same-sex partnership.
Sarah Jane and Hailey now become the third overall. They are also the first female-female celebrity/pro pairing since Siwa and Johnson.
Their place in that history is particularly interesting because Hailey already has a family connection to one of those groundbreaking partnerships.
Who Is Hailey Bills?
Hailey Bills is entering Season 35 with considerably more familiarity with the DWTS world than the phrase “new pro” might suggest.
The 20-year-old dancer previously competed on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors in 2018. She later joined the main show’s troupe in 2025 and gained additional experience performing on the Dancing with the Stars live tour.
For Season 35, she has officially moved from the troupe into the role of professional partner.
That promotion comes with greater responsibility. Instead of appearing primarily in ensemble numbers, Hailey will now be responsible for teaching Sarah Jane choreography, developing routines and helping her navigate the weekly demands of the competition.
Jenna Connection
Hailey also has ballroom dancing in the family.
She is the niece of longtime Dancing with the Stars professional Jenna Johnson. The connection creates an unusual piece of history because Johnson was the professional dancer paired with JoJo Siwa for the show’s first same-sex partnership.
Now Hailey is beginning her first season as a full professional in another female-female partnership.
Johnson will be competing during Season 35 as well, partnering with actor and dancer Harry Shum Jr.
Sarah Jane’s Turn
Sarah Jane also enters the ballroom with a family connection to the competition.
Her older sister Brooks Nader competed during Season 33, where she was partnered with Gleb Savchenko and finished ninth.
Sarah Jane, however, has made it clear that she wants her appearance to establish her as an individual rather than simply another member of the Nader family.
She told E! News that competing without her sisters alongside her feels both exciting and intimidating. Brooks’ advice was equally memorable: “Don’t get distracted.” Sarah Jane also said her sister encouraged her to remain present and enjoy the experience.
Given the headlines surrounding Brooks and Savchenko’s relationship after their own DWTS partnership, the comment carried an obvious playful undertone.
New Challenge
The competition will represent unfamiliar territory for both women in different ways.
Sarah Jane must adjust from reality television and modeling to learning choreographed ballroom routines under intense weekly deadlines.
Hailey, meanwhile, must make the jump from troupe performer to the professional responsible for preparing a celebrity contestant.
That shared sense of entering something new could become one of their advantages. Instead of one partner carrying an established DWTS identity, Sarah Jane and Hailey have an opportunity to develop their own style together.
Hailey’s experience inside the production means she understands the demands of the ballroom, even if this is her first season officially competing as a pro.
Season 35 Premiere
Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills won’t have long to prepare before viewers get their first look at the partnership in competition.
Dancing with the Stars Season 35 begins with a two-night premiere on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Both nights are scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available to stream on Hulu the following day.
The season features 16 celebrity contestants from television, film, sports, music and social media.
For Sarah Jane, it is an opportunity to step beyond Love Thy Nader and show audiences another side of herself. For Hailey, it is the biggest test yet in a dance career that has already taken her from DWTS: Juniors to the troupe and now to professional status.
Their partnership already has historical significance. What happens next will depend on their chemistry, choreography and ability to turn that early attention into performances capable of keeping them in the race for the Mirrorball Trophy.
