Julia Stiles danced to a Dolly Parton classic during the Dancing With the Stars premiere. The actress and her professional dance partner Ezra Sosa performed a quickstep routine to Parton’s 1980 song “9 to 5,” which was written and recorded for the comedy
film of the same name.
The high-energy routine marked Stiles’ debut on the competition series, which premiered over two nights this week with its 35th season. During the episode, Stiles revealed that Parton had cleared the use of the song prior to her death in August.
“It was only a couple weeks before Dolly passed that she approved this song specifically for me,” Stiles said. “I’m so honored to be dancing to her music and honoring her legacy, and I want to make her proud.”
After the performance, co-host Julianne Hough asked Stiles what it meant to her to perform to Parton’s song. “It was the first song we talked about,” Stiles said. “I wanted it so badly. We didn’t know what was gonna happen. She cleared it, and I just feel so honored to honor Dolly.”
She added, “She’s such a powerhouse. And the song is so great. Like, it’s such an anthem. And, yeah, what a legend.”
Stiles previously turned down several offers to appear on Dancing With the Stars. “It’s taken a couple of years,” she recently told People. “They’ve asked me in previous years [and] every year I say, ‘Oh my God, I love the show, and I would love to go on, but I just can’t do it. I just can’t do it.’”
She continued, “For a number of reasons, the first one being my own fear. This year I was like, ‘I’m scared I might say yes.’ The timing just felt right, and I was like, ‘You only live once.’”
Other contestants this season include Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn, Food Network host Giada De Laurentiis, Summer House’s Ciara Miller, Jimmy Kimmel Live sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez, musician Taylor Hanson, and actress Jenna Dewan.
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