Dancing With the Stars Confirms 4 Season 35 Contestants Ahead of September 15 Premiere

Q: Will Jackson Olson's controversial athletic entertainment background truly give him an unfair advantage in the quest for the Mirrorball Trophy?

Probably not. Jackson Olson’s Savannah Bananas background may give him some useful traits for “Dancing With the Stars” — stage comfort, rhythm, stamina and crowd connection — but that is not the same as formal ballroom training, and there is no firm evidence it creates an unfair edge. The criticism stems from the Bananas’ entertainment-heavy style, where Olson dances and performs comedy during games. Olson himself has mocked the idea that this makes him “already a dancer,” pointing to the difference between loose, comic on-field routines and the technical demands of ballroom styles such as waltz, tango and quickstep. That distinction matters: “DWTS” judges score posture, frame, footwork, partnering and musical precision, not just charisma. The show’s history also undercuts the claim of a decisive advantage. Contestants with some dance-adjacent or performance experience often face the same criticism, yet they do not automatically win. Recent seasons have shown that fan voting, storytelling, weekly improvement, chemistry with a pro and handling live-pressure routines can matter as much as natural rhythm. Olson’s athletic-entertainment background could help him learn quickly and perform confidently. But it may also create pressure, raising expectations and making any technical weaknesses more visible. Until the full cast is revealed and rehearsals begin, it is more accurate to say he enters with transferable performance skills, not an unfair advantage in the Mirrorball race.

3 articles · Updated · Good Housekeeping · Sep 1

Four celebrities — Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Jackson Olson and Guillermo Rodriguez — have been confirmed for Dancing With the Stars season 35.
September 15 is the premiere date for the new season, which will air on ABC and stream on Disney+.
Guillermo Rodriguez is already paired with Witney Carson, the season 34 champion, while the rest of the cast has yet to be fully announced.
Fan attention is now shifting to which additional celebrities will join the lineup in the run-up to the Mirrorball Trophy competition.

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"Dancing With the Stars" Season 35 Confirms Ciara Miller, Maura Higgins, Jackson Olson, Guillermo Rodriguez

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With the full cast reveal tomorrow, which rumored A-list celebrities will actually step into the ballroom for Season 35?

How will Witney Carson's historic decision to compete while pregnant alter the intense choreography and judging this season?

Will Jackson Olson's controversial athletic entertainment background truly give him an unfair advantage in the quest for the Mirrorball Trophy?

Dancing With the Stars Confirms 4 Season 35 Contestants Ahead of September 15 Premiere

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