Julia Stiles made her“Dancing With the Stars”debut a tribute. During the season 35 premiere, she and partner Ezra Sosa performed a high-energy quickstep to Dolly Parton’s“9 to 5,”both wearing sparkling white tuxedos. The routine opened with a playful handshake fake-out before the pair spun and high-kicked across the floor.
The backstory is what makes it unforgettable. Stiles shared that Parton personally approved the song for her use only a couple weeks before the country legend’s death on August 25 at age 80.“It was only a couple weeks before Dolly passed that she approved this song specifically for me,”Stiles said, adding that she felt honored to honor her.
The performance came during a two-night premiere themed around No. 1 songs from the year contestants were born.“9 to 5”topped the Billboard Hot 100 on February 21, 1981. Stiles and Sosa scored 18 out of 30, finishing third for the night behind Maura Higgins, Jenna Dewan and Amber Glenn. Which premiere performance was your favorite?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.