Julia Stiles, 45, is back in dance mode on TV, but her past film fame has fans a bit confused. Her role as Sara Johnson in Save the Last Dance left many sure she was a trained pro. Nope. She did some moves for the film, but doubles helped with the rest.
The internet has kept her old dance scenes alive through memes. And Stiles seems happy to join the fun. Her new act on Dancing With the Stars brought back Sara's famed dance test, with its mix of ballet and hip-hop. Fans got a fresh take on a scene they still love to debate.
Then came a tribute to Heath Ledger, her late castmate from 10 Things I Hate About You. Stiles took the stage to honor him, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gabrielle Union there as well. For fans of the teen film, that was quite a moment.
Ezra Sosa, her dance partner, has been a big part of the fun. At 25, he helps Stiles keep up with social media and is game for her ideas. He even helped her join TikTok. Her clips poke fun at her film past, and her page has gained close to a million fans.
Funny thing is, her real dance past was quite modest. As a child in New York, Stiles took modern dance at Dance Theater Workshop. She also went to Steps on Broadway for a few classes. Yet the fame from her dance film made her shy. She quit and grew harsh about her body.
Years later, Ryan Heffington gave her a way back through his online dance classes. Stiles joined in from home but kept her camera off. She still had no wish to let anyone watch her move. That fear had stayed with her long past her teen years.
Meanwhile, she had been a fan of the dance contest for ages. Clips on YouTube got her hooked at first. After Whitney Carson and Alfonso Ribeiro won, she began to watch it each week. She even spent Pilates class picturing herself as one of the dancers.
Chloe Fineman also had a part in her choice to join. The pair made fun of the Save the Last Dance scene in a Saturday Night Live sketch. Stiles loved getting to laugh at her past work. She had long wished for a chance to redo that tense film scene.
But the ballroom has given her a whole new set of tests. The quickstep, for one, has been hard. Sosa keeps asking her to lean farther back, yet the pose still looks mild on screen. Stiles can act before a crowd with ease. Dance gives her far more nerves.
The Heath Ledger act had her in tears at practice. Sosa urged her to put real care and feeling into each move. She had no script to help her express it. Instead, she began to think of her teen self, her life since then, and how much she had changed.
Fame had made Stiles wary in the past. She feared that the same fans who gave her praise could turn on her with ease. That fear led her to keep much of her life private and pick film roles with care. This dance show has asked her to share far more of herself.
Yet she has found joy in it. Her old doubts about her looks have begun to fade, and she feels far more at ease with her body. She has also found that dance gives her a kind of freedom she did not get from acting. Rather than speak about each feeling, she can show it through each move.
The internet has kept her old dance scenes alive through memes. And Stiles seems happy to join the fun. Her new act on Dancing With the Stars brought back Sara's famed dance test, with its mix of ballet and hip-hop. Fans got a fresh take on a scene they still love to debate.
Then came a tribute to Heath Ledger, her late castmate from 10 Things I Hate About You. Stiles took the stage to honor him, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gabrielle Union there as well. For fans of the teen film, that was quite a moment.
Ezra Sosa, her dance partner, has been a big part of the fun. At 25, he helps Stiles keep up with social media and is game for her ideas. He even helped her join TikTok. Her clips poke fun at her film past, and her page has gained close to a million fans.
Funny thing is, her real dance past was quite modest. As a child in New York, Stiles took modern dance at Dance Theater Workshop. She also went to Steps on Broadway for a few classes. Yet the fame from her dance film made her shy. She quit and grew harsh about her body.
Years later, Ryan Heffington gave her a way back through his online dance classes. Stiles joined in from home but kept her camera off. She still had no wish to let anyone watch her move. That fear had stayed with her long past her teen years.
Meanwhile, she had been a fan of the dance contest for ages. Clips on YouTube got her hooked at first. After Whitney Carson and Alfonso Ribeiro won, she began to watch it each week. She even spent Pilates class picturing herself as one of the dancers.
Chloe Fineman also had a part in her choice to join. The pair made fun of the Save the Last Dance scene in a Saturday Night Live sketch. Stiles loved getting to laugh at her past work. She had long wished for a chance to redo that tense film scene.
But the ballroom has given her a whole new set of tests. The quickstep, for one, has been hard. Sosa keeps asking her to lean farther back, yet the pose still looks mild on screen. Stiles can act before a crowd with ease. Dance gives her far more nerves.
The Heath Ledger act had her in tears at practice. Sosa urged her to put real care and feeling into each move. She had no script to help her express it. Instead, she began to think of her teen self, her life since then, and how much she had changed.
Fame had made Stiles wary in the past. She feared that the same fans who gave her praise could turn on her with ease. That fear led her to keep much of her life private and pick film roles with care. This dance show has asked her to share far more of herself.
Yet she has found joy in it. Her old doubts about her looks have begun to fade, and she feels far more at ease with her body. She has also found that dance gives her a kind of freedom she did not get from acting. Rather than speak about each feeling, she can show it through each move.
