Ezra Sosa told Out that dancing with a male celebrity partner has been his dream since he joined Dancing with the Stars. He’s lobbying casting while he and Julia Stiles head into Disney Night.
Ezra Sosa has a request for the Dancing with the Stars casting team, and he isn’t being shy about it.
The DWTS pro told Out magazine that he wants a male celebrity partner in a future season. “I’m working my magic! I definitely want that 100% to happen. That’s actually been my dream ever since I joined the show,” Sosa said in the interview, published Wednesday, Oct. 28. Deadline picked up the story on Sunday, Nov. 1.
He also told Out he has “put in my word to the casting director.” So the ask is on the record. Now it’s on ABC.
Why does Ezra Sosa want a same-sex partner?
For Sosa, it’s personal. “I’ve been so passionate about same-sex dancing in general, especially being part of the queer community,” he told Out.
He said he sneaks that into his work already. “Every single time I choreograph on the show, I’ll always nod to my community or pop culture,” he said. “Representation truly does matter.”
He also talked about the messages he gets on the road. “The thing that really breaks my heart is every single time I go on tour, I’ll get DM’s from closeted kids,” Sosa said. “They tell me how much it means to see me dance for them on stage.”
Has Dancing with the Stars had a same-sex couple before?
Yes, once. JoJo Siwa and pro Jenna Johnson became the show’s first same-sex couple in Season 30 in 2021. They made it all the way to the finale and finished second.
The U.S. show has never had two men compete as a couple, though. That’s the line Sosa wants to cross.
Across the pond, the British version, Strictly Come Dancing, got there in 2021 with baker John Whaite and pro Johannes Radebe. They finished as runners-up too, so the format clearly works.
Who is Ezra Sosa dancing with this season?
Sosa is partnered with actress Julia Stiles in Season 35. Their road has been bumpy lately.
On Horror Movie Night on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the pair danced an Argentine tango to music from The Omen and scored 26, tied for the lowest score of the night, Bustle reported. They survived anyway. Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess, who had the same score, went home in a double elimination that also sent Jackson Olson and Emma Slater packing.
A week earlier, on Dedication Night, Stiles and Sosa had one of their best nights with a contemporary routine that honored Heath Ledger, her co-star in 10 Things I Hate About You. Here’s that dance from the show’s official YouTube channel:
After the rough Horror week, Sosa posted a note praising Stiles for pushing through an injury and lost rehearsal time. “I don’t love and respect you because of our scores or how perfectly a routine goes,” he wrote, per Bustle.
When is Disney Night on Dancing with the Stars?
This week’s show moves to Monday, Nov. 2, because Tuesday is Election Day. It’s Disney Night, with a Disney on Broadway theme, and Cynthia Erivo is the guest judge, according to Entertainment Weekly.
EW says Stiles and Sosa will dance a paso doble to “Satisfied” from Hamilton. Eight couples are left heading into the night. DWTS normally airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET live on ABC and streams live on Disney+ at the same time.
Who is Ezra Sosa?
Sosa was born in Provo, Utah, and turns 26 on Nov. 15. He finished in the top six on Season 16 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2019, then joined the DWTS troupe.
He became a full-time pro in Season 33 in 2024. Out notes that season made him the show’s first Latino pro in more than a decade. Last season, he and gymnast Jordan Chiles finished third, his best run so far.
Out also calls him the second openly gay pro in the show’s history, after Louis van Amstel. “When I joined the show, I never thought there would be a space for an openly gay pro to be on Dancing with the Stars,” Sosa said.
Will ABC give him a male partner next season? Nobody’s said. But he asked out loud, and fans tend to notice that kind of thing.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Out (Oct. 28, 2026), Sosa interview and quotes
Deadline (Nov. 1, 2026), report on the interview
Entertainment Weekly (Oct. 29, 2026), Disney Night details and Week 7 results
Bustle (Oct. 29, 2026), Horror Movie Night score and Sosa’s post
Wikipedia, Sosa’s career and birthplace
Dancing with the Stars (YouTube, Oct. 20, 2026), Dedication Night video
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.