Sarah Jane Nader is heading into a major new chapter as Dancing With the Stars prepares to return for Season 35, with the reality television personality and model paired with professional dancer Hailey Bills. The casting has quickly become one of the season’s most discussed storylines, not only because of Nader’s growing television profile but also because her partnership with Bills represents an important milestone for the long-running ABC competition.
Nader, 23, is best known to many viewers from the reality series Love Thy Nader, where she appears alongside her sisters. Now, she is stepping into a completely different television environment: a live ballroom competition where celebrities must learn demanding choreography, perform under pressure and win over both judges and viewers.
With the Season 35 premiere approaching, attention is increasingly focused on Nader’s preparation, her partnership with Bills, her family’s reaction and what viewers can expect when she takes the ballroom floor.
A New Chapter Begins on Dancing With the Stars
The Season 35 cast was officially revealed in September, confirming Nader as one of 16 celebrities competing for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.
Her professional partner is Hailey Bills, a 20-year-old dancer who is moving into the professional lineup after previously performing as part of the show’s troupe. Bills also has a notable family connection to the program: she is the niece of longtime Dancing With the Stars professional and judge-family favorite Jenna Johnson.
The pairing immediately stood out because neither performer is approaching the partnership from exactly the same place as the traditional celebrity-professional combination.
Nader has acknowledged that she had never ballroom danced before joining the show, meaning the competition represents a substantial learning curve. Bills, meanwhile, is taking on the responsibility of guiding a celebrity partner for the first time as an official professional.
That combination makes their journey particularly intriguing as rehearsals intensify before the live shows begin.
Why Nader and Bills Are Making History
One of the biggest reasons the partnership has attracted attention is its significance within the history of the U.S. version of Dancing With the Stars.
Nader and Bills are the show’s third same-sex celebrity-professional pairing. They follow JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson, who competed together in Season 30, and Shangela and Gleb Savchenko, who performed together in Season 31.
The new partnership also becomes the second all-female pairing in the American series.
For Nader, the significance is personal as well as cultural. She has spoken publicly about how meaningful it is to participate in a partnership that provides representation she did not have growing up.
Rather than treating the pairing as simply a publicity angle, Nader has emphasized how much the opportunity means to her. She has expressed hope that same-sex partnerships eventually become a completely ordinary part of the competition.
That perspective gives the upcoming season an additional layer beyond scores and eliminations.
Nader Says She Is Excited About the Partnership
Nader has described Bills as an ideal partner and has spoken warmly about the dynamic they have developed in the rehearsal studio.
She has characterized Bills as kind and supportive while also appreciating the professional’s ability to become more demanding when necessary. That balance could become especially important as the competition progresses.
Learning ballroom dancing from scratch is not easy. Contestants have to remember choreography, understand timing, develop body movement and perform while maintaining confidence in front of a large live audience.
For Nader, the process also involves learning how to work within a partnership in which both dancers may have opportunities to lead and follow.
Bills has acknowledged that dancing with another woman presents its own adjustment. Instead of automatically following traditional male-female ballroom roles, the pair can experiment with how they divide movement and leadership.
That flexibility could ultimately become one of their biggest strengths.
When Does Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Premiere?
Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars is scheduled to begin with a special two-night premiere on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16.
The episodes will air at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC and stream live on Disney+. New episodes will also become available on Hulu the following day.
The two-night opening gives viewers an early opportunity to see how Nader and Bills compare with the rest of the field.
The Season 35 cast includes actors, athletes, television personalities, musicians, reality stars and other recognizable figures. Among the contestants are Julia Stiles, Harry Shum Jr., Tatyana Ali, Giada De Laurentiis, Jenna Dewan, Amber Glenn, Ezra Frech and Guillermo Rodriguez.
With such a diverse lineup, Nader will have to establish her own identity quickly if she wants to become one of the season’s standout contestants.
Her Sister Brooks Nader Has Already Been Through It
Nader is not the first member of her family to compete on Dancing With the Stars.
Her older sister Brooks Nader appeared on Season 33, making Sarah Jane’s casting a natural source of family comparisons.
Brooks’ experience gave Sarah Jane an unusual advantage: she already had someone close to her who understood the physical and emotional demands of the competition.
However, Sarah Jane has made it clear that she does not want to simply duplicate her sister’s experience.
Brooks reportedly encouraged her to embrace the challenge, enjoy the moment and not be afraid of looking imperfect while learning. That advice is particularly relevant because Dancing With the Stars can place celebrities in unfamiliar situations almost immediately.
Sarah Jane has also joked about wanting to outperform her sister’s scores.
That creates a friendly competitive element between the siblings while allowing Sarah Jane to build a separate identity on the show.
Brooks Nader’s Previous DWTS Romance Is Not Sarah Jane’s Story
Another difference between the sisters’ experiences is the intense attention that surrounded Brooks’ relationship with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko during and after Season 33.
Sarah Jane has addressed the subject with humor, saying her sister essentially warned her not to repeat everything Brooks did during her own DWTS experience.
However, Sarah Jane has stressed that she is concentrating on her own journey.
The focus for her is the dancing, the rehearsals and the relationship she is developing with Bills as a professional partner.
That distinction is important because the Nader family already has a strong entertainment presence. Sarah Jane’s appearance provides her with an opportunity to demonstrate that she can generate interest through her own accomplishments rather than simply through her family’s previous television moments.
Rehearsals Are Already Generating Attention
The excitement surrounding the partnership intensified after Nader and Bills were photographed together following a rehearsal.
Images showing the two holding hands while leaving the dance studio generated substantial online discussion.
However, public displays of affection or closeness between dance partners should not automatically be treated as evidence of a romantic relationship. The pair are spending significant amounts of time together as they prepare for an extremely demanding television competition, and their visible chemistry may simply reflect their growing friendship and professional bond.
For now, the confirmed story is their partnership on the dance floor.
That is likely to remain the central focus once the live competition begins.
From Love Thy Nader to the DWTS Ballroom
Before joining the ballroom competition, Nader had already established herself as a recognizable reality television personality.
She is part of the cast of Love Thy Nader, a series centered on the Nader sisters and their lives, ambitions and relationships.
The show follows the family from their Louisiana roots to their lives in New York City, giving viewers a closer look at the personalities behind the family’s growing entertainment profile.
Nader has also worked in fashion and modeling, including campaigns connected to major fashion and beauty brands.
Her professional background extends beyond entertainment. She has worked in nonprofit and talent partnerships, combining her interest in media with social-impact initiatives.
That broader background could help explain why her Dancing With the Stars casting has attracted interest beyond traditional reality-TV audiences.
A Different Kind of Television Challenge
Love Thy Nader and Dancing With the Stars require very different types of performance.
Reality television allows personalities to show their natural behavior over time. A dance competition is much more immediate. Contestants have only a limited number of rehearsals before they must perform a polished routine in front of judges and a national audience.
Every week brings another dance style, another piece of choreography and another opportunity to either improve or fall behind.
For Nader, the learning process could become one of the most compelling parts of her story.
Viewers will see her transition from someone with little ballroom experience into a competitor capable of performing increasingly complicated routines.
Her progress may ultimately matter just as much as her starting ability.
The Pressure on Hailey Bills
The season also represents an important professional opportunity for Bills.
Although she has experience as a dancer and was previously part of the Dancing With the Stars troupe, becoming an official professional partner brings a different level of responsibility.
She must teach choreography, help Nader develop technique and confidence, and adapt routines to her partner’s abilities.
At the same time, Bills is competing for recognition in a professional field filled with experienced dancers.
That makes the pairing mutually important. Nader is learning how to become a ballroom competitor, while Bills is beginning her journey as a professional partner.
Their success could therefore become one of the season’s most interesting developments.
Representation Is Central to Their Story
The significance of Nader and Bills extends beyond their individual careers.
Same-sex partnerships have become an increasingly visible part of Dancing With the Stars, but they remain relatively uncommon compared with traditional celebrity-professional pairings.
Nader has openly embraced the opportunity to represent viewers who may have grown up without seeing partnerships like hers on mainstream television.
Her comments suggest that she hopes future seasons will treat same-sex pairings as routine rather than exceptional.
That makes her participation important even before she performs her first routine.
At the same time, Nader and Bills will ultimately be judged as dancers. Their ability to translate their connection into compelling performances will determine how far they go in the competition.
What Could Determine Their Success?
Several factors could shape Nader and Bills’ run.
The first is Nader’s ability to learn quickly. Because she is entering the competition without a ballroom background, improvement from week to week will be crucial.
The second is their chemistry as dance partners. A strong connection can make choreography look more natural and help performances stand out.
Third is their ability to adapt to different dance styles. Dancing With the Stars requires contestants to move between ballroom, Latin and other performance styles, often with little time to prepare.
Finally, audience support could be decisive. The competition is not determined solely by technical ability, meaning a contestant with a passionate fan base can potentially remain in the competition even when a particular performance receives mixed reviews.
Nader enters the season with an existing audience from Love Thy Nader, giving her a potentially valuable foundation.
What Comes Next for Nader?
The immediate priority is the Season 35 premiere.
Nader and Bills will soon have the opportunity to demonstrate whether their rehearsal-room chemistry can translate into a memorable live performance.
The first routines will also establish how quickly Nader has adapted to ballroom technique and whether the judges see long-term potential in the partnership.
Regardless of how far she advances, the experience represents a significant expansion of Nader’s television career.
She is moving from a family-focused reality series into one of the most established celebrity competition programs on American television.
For Nader, that means the ballroom could become more than another television appearance. It could be the moment that introduces her to an entirely new audience and establishes her as a personality capable of carrying a major entertainment storyline on her own.
The Latest Outlook
As the premiere approaches, interest in Nader and Bills continues to build. Their historic partnership, Nader’s connection to Love Thy Nader, her sister Brooks’ previous appearance and the pair’s increasingly visible rehearsal journey have combined to make them one of Season 35’s most closely watched teams.
The biggest question now is simple: how will Nader perform when the cameras are live and the judges are watching?
Her lack of previous ballroom experience may make the challenge difficult, but it could also make her progress particularly rewarding for viewers to follow.
If she can turn her enthusiasm, determination and growing connection with Bills into strong performances, Nader could quickly become one of the season’s breakout contestants.
For now, the spotlight is firmly on the ballroom, where a new chapter of her television career is about to begin.
Will Nader and Bills become one of the breakout teams of Season 35? Share your predictions and keep following the latest developments as their DWTS journey unfolds.