Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars has turned the ballroom into a nostalgia trip, bringing together several stars who became household names during the 1990s and 2000s. Julia Stiles, Tatyana Ali, Taylor Hanson, Giada De Laurentiis, Jenna Dewan and Harry Shum Jr. all arrived with very different career stories — and, in some cases, considerable performance experience. Stiles rose to fame with 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance and the Bourne films before expanding into directing and balancing her career with raising three children. Ali became beloved as Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, later earning a Harvard degree, releasing the gold-certified album Kiss the Sky and working as a producer. Hanson became a global teen idol through Hanson’s MMMBop, later continuing his music career while becoming a father of seven. De Laurentiis transformed culinary training and television into a major food-media career after Everyday Italian debuted in 2003. Dewan’s story is rooted directly in dance, from working with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake to starring in Step Up and later appearing on dance-focused television. Shum also brings a professional dance background, having worked with major performers before becoming known for Glee, Shadowhunters, Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Shum’s casting has generated a particularly lively discussion because of his previous experience as a professional dancer. After the September 15 premiere, he and Jenna Johnson received 21 points for their cha-cha, the highest score of the night, prompting some viewers to question whether his background gives him an advantage over contestants without comparable training. Shum pushed back on the idea that the show is simply about technical dancing, telling E! News that storytelling, personality, partnership and connecting with the audience are also central to the competition. He has also said that despite his professional dance work, he never received the formal training some people assume he had. Viewers have offered different perspectives, with some noting that athletes such as figure skaters and gymnasts can also bring transferable skills into the ballroom, while others argue that professional performance experience naturally helps with choreography and nerves. Whatever happens next, the season has already given fans a fascinating look at how these familiar stars have changed since their breakthrough years — and how their very different careers have shaped the people now stepping onto the DWTS floor.