Julia Stiles made her Dancing With the Stars debut on Wednesday, and she chose to honor a legend. The actress and pro partner Ezra Sosa performed a Quickstep to Dolly Parton’s“9 to 5,”a song Stiles revealed that Parton personally approved for her just weeks before her death on Aug. 25 at age 80.
The judges were impressed. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli all praised Stiles for staying in character throughout the performance, with one calling her a great actor and a great dancer. She and Sosa walked away with 18 out of 30, a strong foundation for week one of the competition.
The night also brought a surprise twist: Conner Leavitt and Adele Zaikman became the first pair eliminated during the show’s special two-night Season 35 premiere. If you remember, Parton performed“9 to 5”on the DWTS stage back in 2007, making Stiles’tribute a full-circle full-circle moment for the show. What’s your favorite Dolly Parton song of all time?
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Local Lawton
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