Emma Slater Dances with Savannah Bananas Before DWTS Premiere — SkimNews
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- Emma Slater performed with the Savannah Bananas at Grayson Stadium in Georgia, dancing to "Rewrite the Stars" from The Greatest Showman soundtrack with her Season 35 partner Jackson Olson as part of her pre-premiere publicity push.
- Jackson Olson, who plays second base for the Savannah Bananas, is also a prolific content creator known for macro baseball insights and stories about family, relationships, and food — giving the pair a social media head start over most fellow competitors.
- Dancing with the Stars Season 35 premieres Tuesday on ABC as a two-night event on Sept. 15 and 16, with a double elimination planned for week one.
- The double elimination will be the first time since 2018 that one male and one female celebrity are sent home after the premiere, according to Hulu's "Get Real" podcast host Amanda Hirsch, who revealed the format change on the Sept. 10 episode.
- The Season 35 celebrity lineup includes Tatyana Ali, Tyler Cameron, Taylor Hanson, Julia Stiles, Jenna Dewan, Giada De Laurentiis, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Connor Wood, Connor Leavitt, Sarah Jane Nader, Harry Shum Jr., Guillermo Rodriguez, Maura Higgins, and Ciara Miller.
Why it matters: The first double elimination since 2018 raises the stakes for Slater and Olson's crossover publicity play — one wrong dance and the Bananas star goes home before building any Season 35 momentum, while the cross-promotional Grayson Stadium appearance doubles as visibility for both Disney's flagship competition and the Bananas' exhibition brand.
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