Needless to say,Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa are not saving their last dance for Juilliard.
After the actress was paired with the pro dancer on Dancing With the Stars season 35, fans began resurfacing nostalgic videos of her putting her dancing skills on display in the 2001 movie Save the Last Dance, in which she played teen Sara Johnson, a ballerina aspiring to attend The Juilliard School.
But Juilliard quickly two-stepped in to make sure fans knew she didn’t actually take classes there.
“*Checks registrar* No, Julia Stiles did not, in fact, attend Juilliard. But we love her anyway,” the school wrote on Instagram Sept. 3. “You can see ~actual~ Juilliard dancers (and musicians and actors) on Opening Night of the Juilliard Fall Festival Sept 16.”
And while Juilliard added “P.S. Good luck on DWTS, Julia… we’re cheering you on,” Stiles and Sosa weren’t exactly touched by the comment.
“I heard about it, because I think that Juilliard actually posted saying, ‘For the record, she did not go to our school,'” Stiles exclusively told E! News at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 6, with Sosa adding, “which was kind of shady, but honestly, really funny.”
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Dancing With the Stars Secrets Revealed
“That was a pretend character I played in a movie,” Stiles clarified. “Not only did I not go to Juilliard, I didn’t even audition for Juilliard, and I couldn’t even, as an actress, get a dancer.”
Although her onscreen character (spoiler alert) was ultimately accepted into the prestigious performing arts school, Stiles actually graduated from Columbia University IRL—which is why she doesn’t think her training for Save the Last Dance will give her an edge on DWTS.
“I stopped taking dance classes after that movie,” she told E!. “And I wasn’t even that good of a dancer to start with. I mean, I’m a home dancer—I have rhythm, that’s why I was cast. But in terms of the training, no. So, this is all new to me.”
However, she’s off to a swinging start. In fact, Stiles and Sosa have already picked out a team name ahead of the Sept. 14 premiere: So Stilez, as a play on their two last names.
And, following Sosa’s annual tradition, they’re planning to get tattoos together to commemorate the season.
“Literally, it was probably one of our first discussions,” he said. “We’re like, ‘So the tattoos.’ But we don’t know what we’re gonna get yet.”
Sosa added, “We’re just gonna let the season unfold, and then we’ll see what the tattoo is.”
But even before they step into the ballroom, the dance pro already has 10 things he loves about her.
“She’s doing absolutely incredible,” Sosa added of their rehearsals. “I will confidently say I’ve never worked with someone who’s working so hard and who’s so passionate about doing this, and it just makes me so excited to see their journey on the show.”
Before Dancing With the Starsseason 35 premieres Sept. 14, put on your dancing shoes and read on for a look at the rest of the cast.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
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