The professional lineup of Dancing with the Stars continues to evolve, and Ezra Sosa has quickly become one of the younger dancers to watch. After reaching the Season 34 finale with Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles in 2025, Sosa returns for Season 35 with a very different challenge: helping actress Julia Stiles compete in live ballroom and Latin dance.
ABC has officially confirmed Ezra Sosa as Julia Stiles’ professional partner for Season 35. The new season begins with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, 2026, airing live on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu.
The timing is significant for Sosa. His Dancing with the Stars career has developed rapidly. After becoming part of the professional lineup, he experienced an early elimination with Anna Delvey before reaching the finale with Chiles one season later. That progression has given him valuable experience and turned him into a recognizable part of the show’s newer generation of professional dancers.
Now, Ezra Sosa enters another season with expectations that are higher than they were during his debut. His partnership with Julia Stiles will test his choreography, teaching ability and experience in a completely different way.
Who Is Ezra Sosa?
Ezra Sosa is a professional Latin and ballroom dancer and choreographer best known for his work on Dancing with the Stars. He became increasingly familiar to viewers through his work with the show before taking on celebrity partnerships as a professional.
His career represents a newer pathway into the DWTS professional cast. Rather than arriving as an established television personality, Sosa developed his dance credentials before becoming part of the show’s professional world.That background is important because being a professional on Dancing with the Stars requires much more than performing well.
The professionals must teach celebrities who may have little ballroom experience, create choreography under tight deadlines, rehearse for hours and perform live in front of judges and a large television audience. They also have to adjust their teaching style depending on their partner’s personality, physical abilities and previous experience.Sosa’s rapid progress suggests that he has adapted well to those demands.
His rise also comes at a time when the show is placing greater attention on developing younger professional dancers. His story is therefore not only about one successful season but also about how a new generation of DWTS professionals is establishing itself.
How Ezra Sosa Joined Dancing with the Stars
Before becoming a celebrity-partner professional, Ezra Sosa was part of the Dancing with the Stars professional environment through the show’s troupe.
He eventually moved into the main professional cast for Season 33 in 2024. His first celebrity partnership was with Anna Delvey, giving him an immediate opportunity to experience the pressure of being responsible for a contestant’s choreography and weekly performances.The partnership ended early in the competition.
Although that result was not the long DWTS run Sosa might have hoped for, the experience was still valuable. A professional’s first season provides lessons that cannot easily be learned outside live television: how to structure rehearsals, how to simplify choreography when necessary, how to respond to judging and how to keep a celebrity partner focused during a demanding competition.
For Ezra Sosa, that first season became the beginning rather than the defining moment of his DWTS career.His next partnership would change the picture considerably.
Ezra Sosa and Jordan Chiles Changed His DWTS Career
Season 34 became the major turning point for Ezra Sosa.ABC paired him with Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles for the 2025 season. The announcement placed Sosa alongside an elite athlete who already understood discipline, training and high-pressure competition.
The partnership worked particularly well because gymnastics and ballroom dance, while different disciplines, share certain demands. Both require body control, timing, coordination and the ability to perform under pressure.However, Chiles still had to learn an entirely different technical language.
Ballroom dance requires specific posture, partnering, footwork, musical interpretation and performance qualities. Sosa’s role was to take Chiles’ athletic strengths and turn them into skills that could work within ballroom and Latin choreography.That process gave viewers a better understanding of what professional dancers actually do on the show.
The professional is not simply the person standing beside the celebrity during a routine. The professional is also a teacher, choreographer, rehearsal partner and strategist.Sosa’s partnership with Chiles demonstrated those responsibilities particularly well.
How Far Did Ezra Sosa and Jordan Chiles Get?
Ezra Sosa and Jordan Chiles reached the Season 34 finale and finished in third place.Their result represented a major improvement from Sosa’s first season as a professional. Instead of leaving the competition early, he reached the final stage of the season and became part of one of the year’s most closely followed partnerships.
ABC’s Season 34 cast announcement confirmed Chiles as Sosa’s celebrity partner, while the season ultimately became a breakthrough campaign for the young professional.Reaching the finale also gave Sosa something particularly valuable: weeks of additional experience.
Every successful DWTS partnership teaches the professional something new. A long season provides more opportunities to experiment with choreography, understand the celebrity’s strengths and weaknesses and develop a performance style that works for both the judges and the audience.For Sosa, the Season 34 run showed that he could do more than simply participate in the competition.He could build a partnership capable of reaching the final weeks.
Why Jordan Chiles Was an Important Partner for Ezra Sosa
Jordan Chiles entered DWTS with a rare competitive background.As an Olympic gold medalist, she was already familiar with intense training, performance pressure and high-level competition. But ballroom dancing presented a different challenge.
Instead of gymnastics routines, Chiles had to learn styles built around partnering, musicality, posture and detailed footwork. That meant Ezra Sosa had to understand what she could naturally do well while also identifying areas where she needed additional technical work.
Her athletic background could help with strength and coordination, but athleticism alone does not automatically create a successful ballroom dancer.
The partnership therefore gave Sosa an opportunity to demonstrate one of the most important skills of a DWTS professional: adapting choreography to the person in front of him.That experience could prove especially useful in Season 35.
What Is Ezra Sosa Doing in 2026?
The biggest current development involving Ezra Sosa is his return to Dancing with the Stars for Season 35.
ABC has officially named Julia Stiles as his celebrity partner. The Season 35 cast was announced on September 3, 2026, with the season scheduled to begin with two premiere nights on September 15 and 16.
This partnership is different from Sosa’s previous pairing with Jordan Chiles.
Chiles came into the competition with an elite athletic background. Stiles enters with a long career in film and television.
She is known for movies including 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance and the Bourne franchise, as well as television projects such as Dexter. ABC’s current biography also notes her work as a director, writer and producer.
That combination gives Sosa another opportunity to work with a celebrity who already understands performance but must still learn the specific demands of ballroom competition.
Why Julia Stiles Is an Interesting DWTS Partner
At first glance, Julia Stiles might seem like a natural dance contestant because of her role in Save the Last Dance.
However, acting in a dance-focused movie and competing on Dancing with the Stars are two very different experiences.
DWTS requires contestants to learn new choreography quickly and perform it live under judging pressure. They must also become comfortable with different ballroom and Latin styles as the competition progresses.
That makes Stiles’ participation more interesting.
She has extensive experience performing for cameras, but the ballroom competition will require her to develop a different type of performance skill.
For Ezra Sosa, that creates an opportunity to show how effectively he can transform a celebrity’s existing performance experience into ballroom technique.
The goal will not simply be to make Stiles look like a dancer.
It will be to help her become a better ballroom competitor week after week.
Ezra Sosa’s Role as a Teacher
One of the most overlooked aspects of being a professional on Dancing with the Stars is teaching.That requires patience and communication.For Ezra Sosa, his experiences with both Anna Delvey and Jordan Chiles have provided different lessons.
The celebrity contestant is usually learning choreography at a pace that would be unusual for a recreational dancer. The professional has to break down complicated movements, explain technique and make corrections without overwhelming the partner.
His first season gave him experience with the realities of an early competition exit. His partnership with Chiles gave him the chance to work through a much longer season and reach the finale.Those experiences can now inform his approach with Julia Stiles.
If Stiles struggles with a particular style, Sosa will need to identify the problem quickly. If she excels at another style, he can build choreography around that strength.That adaptability could become one of the most important factors in their Season 35 run.
Ezra Sosa’s Growth From Season 33 to Season 35
The difference between Sosa’s early DWTS experience and his current position is significant.
When he first became a professional, he had to prove that he could handle the responsibilities of a celebrity partnership. His first season ended early, meaning he had relatively little time to establish himself with viewers.By Season 34, everything changed.
Reaching the finale with Jordan Chiles gave him much more television exposure and allowed audiences to see his personality, teaching approach and choreography develop over an entire season.Now, as Season 35 approaches, Ezra Sosa is returning with the experience of a finalist.
That matters because professional dancers often build their DWTS reputations gradually. One strong season can change how viewers see a dancer, but continued success is what can establish a long-term television career.Sosa now has an opportunity to demonstrate that his Season 34 performance was not simply a one-season breakthrough.
The Changing Role of Younger DWTS Professionals
Sosa’s rise is happening during a period of change for the professional side of Dancing with the Stars.The show continues to combine established veterans with younger dancers who bring different performance styles, choreography ideas and audiences.
That balance is important for a long-running television franchise.Veteran professionals provide familiarity, while younger dancers help the show develop a new identity for future seasons.
Sosa is particularly interesting in that context because his career has developed quickly. He has already experienced the jump from troupe performer to professional celebrity partner and then to finalist.His continued growth could make him one of the recognizable members of the next generation of DWTS professionals.
What Is Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro?
In 2026, ABC expanded the franchise with Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.The competition featured 12 up-and-coming dancers competing for an opportunity to become a professional dancer on Season 35 of the main series. ABC described the show as a new way to develop and showcase dancers hoping to enter the professional ranks.
The series premiered in July 2026 and its first season concluded with a finale on September 1.
The spinoff is significant because it shows that the franchise is actively thinking about the future of its professional cast.For dancers like Ezra Sosa, that creates a more competitive environment. New professionals will continue entering the franchise, while returning dancers will need to maintain their performance quality and audience appeal.That makes every successful season increasingly important.
Why Season 35 Is Important for Ezra Sosa
Season 35 represents another step in Sosa’s development.
He is no longer entering the competition simply as a newcomer. He is returning after reaching the finale, which naturally raises expectations.
His partnership with Julia Stiles also gives him a different kind of challenge.
Stiles has a recognizable Hollywood career and considerable acting experience, but ballroom competition will require her to learn new skills. Sosa will need to determine how to use her acting strengths without allowing performance to replace technical development.
That balance could define their season.
If the partnership improves steadily from week to week, viewers may see another strong example of Sosa’s ability to develop a celebrity contestant.
What Makes Ezra Sosa’s Season 35 Partnership Different?
The Sosa-Stiles partnership connects two different parts of entertainment.
Stiles represents a generation of actors familiar to audiences through major films and television projects. Sosa represents a newer generation of professional dancers who have grown alongside the modern version of Dancing with the Stars.
That contrast can make their partnership compelling.
There is also a practical challenge.
Stiles’ acting experience means she already knows how to perform for an audience, but ballroom requires precise technique and partnership skills. Sosa has to teach those elements while making sure the routines still feel natural for an actress.
The strongest DWTS partnerships often succeed when the professional finds a way to make the celebrity’s existing strengths work within the dance.
That will be Sosa’s central task.
Ezra Sosa’s Career Beyond Dancing with the Stars
Although Dancing with the Stars is currently the biggest platform associated with Ezra Sosa, his professional identity is not limited to television.
His background in competitive dance and choreography gives him opportunities beyond the show, including teaching, performance and creative work.
That broader career matters because professional dancers can build long-term careers in many directions.
Some move into choreography. Others teach, perform on tour or develop their own dance projects. Television can become one part of a much larger professional identity.
For Sosa, increased visibility on DWTS provides an opportunity to build that wider career while continuing to develop as a performer.
His age and position within the show’s newer generation also give him time to explore different opportunities.
What to Watch From Ezra Sosa in Season 35
There are several things worth watching when Ezra Sosa and Julia Stiles begin Season 35.
1. Julia Stiles’ Ballroom Progress
The biggest question will be how quickly Stiles adapts to ballroom and Latin technique.
Her acting background may help with storytelling and performance, but the technical side of DWTS will still require significant work.
2. Sosa’s Choreography
Sosa’s choreography will be another important factor.
The best routines should highlight Stiles’ strengths while giving her opportunities to improve technically. A routine that is too difficult could expose weaknesses, while choreography that is too simple may fail to impress the judges.
3. Their Partnership Chemistry
A strong professional-celebrity relationship can make a major difference.
The pair need to communicate well during rehearsals and remain comfortable performing together under pressure.
4. Sosa’s Growth as a Professional
Season 35 is also a test of Sosa himself.
After reaching the finale with Chiles, can he show that he has developed further as a teacher and choreographer?
That may be one of the most interesting questions of the season.
Can Ezra Sosa Win His First Mirrorball Trophy?
Ezra Sosa has not yet won the Dancing with the Stars Mirrorball Trophy.
His third-place finish with Jordan Chiles means he has already demonstrated that he can reach the final stage of the competition, but winning requires another level of consistency.
Season 35 will be a fresh competition.
Past success does not guarantee another deep run, and every celebrity partner brings different strengths and weaknesses.
For Sosa, the goal will be to use the lessons from his previous seasons without simply repeating the same approach.
If he can help Stiles develop steadily and create memorable routines, another strong finish is possible. Whether that ultimately becomes his first Mirrorball victory will depend on their performances throughout the season.
Why Ezra Sosa Is a DWTS Professional to Watch
The story of Ezra Sosa is one of rapid development.
He entered the professional ranks, experienced an early elimination, then returned with a stronger partnership and reached the finale.
That kind of progression is exactly what makes a young professional interesting to follow.
Sosa has already demonstrated that he can adapt to different celebrity personalities. His next test is whether he can turn that experience into consistency.
Season 35 gives him another opportunity to prove himself.
With Julia Stiles as his partner, he will have to combine choreography, teaching and performance skills while helping a well-known actress navigate a completely new competitive environment.
Key Takeaways
- Ezra Sosa is a professional dancer and choreographer associated with Dancing with the Stars.
- He became a full-time professional on the show for Season 33.
- His first celebrity partnership was with Anna Delvey.
- He later partnered with Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles in Season 34.
- Sosa and Chiles reached the Season 34 finale and finished third.
- His Season 35 celebrity partner is actress Julia Stiles.
- Season 35 begins with a two-night premiere on September 15 and 16, 2026.
- ABC launched Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro in 2026 to develop new professional-dancer talent.
- Sosa is entering Season 35 with more experience and higher expectations than he had during his debut.
- He has yet to win a Mirrorball Trophy.
Conclusion
Ezra Sosa has already experienced a remarkable rise on Dancing with the Stars.
His journey from the professional dance environment to the main cast, followed by an early elimination and then a third-place finish with Jordan Chiles, shows how quickly his career has developed.
Season 35 presents a new challenge.
Paired with Julia Stiles, Sosa will once again have to prove himself as more than a talented dancer. He will need to be an effective teacher, creative choreographer and reliable competition partner.
Stiles brings years of acting and performance experience, while Sosa brings the ballroom expertise needed to guide her through the competition. How successfully those two skill sets come together will be one of the central questions of their season.
For Sosa, the opportunity is bigger than simply returning to television.
It is a chance to show that his Season 34 finale appearance was the beginning of a long-term Dancing with the Stars career rather than a one-season breakthrough.
With Season 35 beginning in September 2026, Ezra Sosa is one of the younger professionals with plenty to prove—and plenty of room to grow.
FAQs
Who is Ezra Sosa partnered with on DWTS Season 35?
Ezra Sosa is partnered with actress Julia Stiles for Season 35.
Who was Ezra Sosa’s partner in Season 34?
He was partnered with Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles.
How far did Ezra Sosa and Jordan Chiles get?
They reached the Season 34 finale and finished third overall.
When did Ezra Sosa become a DWTS professional?
He joined the main professional cast for Season 33 in 2024.
Has Ezra Sosa won the Mirrorball Trophy?
No. He has reached the finale but has not yet won a Mirrorball Trophy.
