Emma Slater Takes Nothing For Granted Ahead Of Dancing With The Stars Season 35 Premiere With Savannah Bananas Star Jackson Olson

The stakes have rarely been higher in the illustrious history of Dancing with the Stars, and veteran professional dancer Emma Slater is acutely aware of the perilous path ahead. As Season 35 prepares to kick off its anticipated two-night premiere on ABC, Slater is leaving nothing to chance. In an unprecedented pre-season publicity stunt designed to build early momentum and voter engagement, Slater joined forces with her celebrity partner, Savannah Bananas infielder Jackson Olson, for an unexpected crossover performance at Grayson Stadium in Georgia.

The strategic partnership highlights the increasing pressure contestants face to secure their standing before the competition even truly begins. With a brutal double elimination looming right out of the gate, traditional ballroom rehearsal tactics are no longer sufficient. Competitors must leverage digital platforms, viral marketing, and cross-fandom appeal to survive the ruthless opening week of the landmark 35th season.

The Savannah Bananas Crossover Event

The collaboration between Slater and Olson at Grayson Stadium brought together two vastly different entertainment universes: the high-octane, theatrical world of exhibition baseball and the precise, disciplined realm of competitive ballroom dance. Performing in front of a capacity crowd, Slater and Olson traded their usual uniforms for dance shoes to deliver a choreographed routine set to “Rewrite the Stars” from the hit musical soundtrack The Greatest Showman.

For Olson, stepping onto the diamond to dance is a natural extension of his digital brand. While he is widely recognized as a skilled second baseman for the viral exhibition baseball team the Savannah Bananas, Olson is equally established as a powerhouse content creator. Boasting a massive following across multiple social media platforms, he has built his online empire on a foundation of baseball insights, lifestyle storytelling, family anecdotes, and comedic food reviews. By bringing Slater into his domain, Olson effectively combined his substantial digital audience with the fiercely loyal fanbase of Dancing with the Stars, creating a formidable promotional crossover that could translate directly into critical viewer votes.

Slater, who has been a staple of the ABC dance competition for more than a decade, understands the modern mechanics of the show better than almost anyone. The days of relying solely on technical execution during the live Tuesday night broadcast are long gone. In the modern television landscape, building an emotional connection with the audience months before the premiere—and maintaining an aggressive social media presence throughout the week—is often the decisive factor between lifting the coveted Mirrorball Trophy and facing an early exit.

A Brutal Season 35 Opening Week

The urgency behind Slater and Olson’s aggressive promotional tour is rooted in a major structural shakeup announced just days before the premiere. According to Hulu’s Get Real podcast host Amanda Hirsch, who broke the news during the September 10 episode, Season 35 will feature a high-stakes double elimination immediately following the two-night premiere event on September 15 and 16.

“This is the first time since 2018 that one male celebrity and one female celebrity will be sent home after the two-night premiere,” Hirsch revealed during the podcast. “That hasn’t happened in many years.”

This sudden reinvigoration of the opening-week rules marks a significant departure from recent seasons, where the premiere traditionally served as a gentle introduction to the ballroom, allowing all couples to perform without the immediate threat of elimination. By introducing a gender-specific double elimination right at the start, production is signaling that the 35th season will prioritize immediate impact, high competition standards, and viewer urgency.

For the celebrity contestants and their professional partners, the implications of this rule change are severe. A lackluster first-night performance combined with a slow start in the public voting polls could result in an unceremoniously short run on the show. Consequently, stars have been working overtime to optimize their digital strategies, build name recognition, and capture public attention before the judges’ paddles even rise.

A Star-Studded Cast Competing for the Mirrorball

The urgency to stand out is entirely justified given the sheer breadth and diversity of the talent assembled for Season 35. This year’s roster represents a carefully curated cross-section of Hollywood royalty, reality television icons, viral internet sensations, elite athletes, and legacy musicians, creating one of the most competitive fields in recent memory.

Alongside Jackson Olson and his professional partner Emma Slater, the Season 35 celebrity lineup features a remarkable array of names:

• Tatyana Ali, beloved actress best known for her iconic role as Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
• Tyler Cameron, fan-favorite heartthrob and prominent alumnus of The Bachelor franchise.
• Taylor Hanson, enduring musician and former member of the globally renowned pop-rock band Hanson.
• Julia Stiles, critically acclaimed film and television actress celebrated for roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance.
• Jenna Dewan, accomplished actress, producer, and professional dancer who brings formidable movement credentials to the ballroom.
• Giada De Laurentiis, world-renowned celebrity chef, television personality, and culinary author.
• Ezra Frech, inspirational Paralympian and athletic trailblazer.
• Amber Glenn, elite figure skater and international competitive champion.
• Connor Wood, wildly popular comedian, internet personality, and podcast host.
• Connor Leavitt, reality television presence and husband of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt.
• Sarah Jane Nader, star of the acclaimed series Love Thy Nader.
• Harry Shum Jr., dynamic actor known for his standout performances in Grayson’s Anatomy, Glee, and Crazy Rich Asians.
• Guillermo Rodriguez, the beloved, deadpan security guard and comedic fixture from Jimmy Kimmel Live.
• Maura Higgins, charismatic reality television breakout star known for her unforgettable runs on Love Island and The Traitors.
• Ciara Miller, fan-favorite cast member from Bravo’s hit reality series Summer House.

With such a diverse and established group of personalities competing for supremacy, the margin for error is razor-thin. Celebrities who fail to capture the public imagination within the first forty-eight hours of broadcast face the very real possibility of becoming historical footnotes as the first casualties of the 2026 double elimination.

The Evolution of Reality Television Promotion

The pre-season activation executed by Emma Slater and Jackson Olson points to a broader, ongoing evolution in how reality television contestants market themselves. In the era of streaming dominance and fragmented audience attention, traditional press junkets and morning show appearances are no longer sufficient to guarantee cultural penetration.

Contestants must actively participate in digital content creation, leaning into cross-platform partnerships that blur the lines between sports, lifestyle entertainment, and traditional television. Olson’s background as a digital native gives him an inherent advantage in this arena, but the partnership with a seasoned professional like Slater ensures that the physical discipline of ballroom dance remains at the forefront of their campaign.

Furthermore, the decision by network executives to reinstate an early double elimination reflects a concerted effort to boost live viewership ratings and appointment television viewing. In an ecosystem heavily reliant on delayed streaming numbers and social media clip consumption, high-stakes competition incentivizes audiences to tune in live to protect their favorite contestants from sudden elimination.

Looking Ahead to the Premiere

As the countdown to the Tuesday premiere on ABC enters its final hours, the atmosphere surrounding the Dancing with the Stars rehearsal studios is one of intense focus and palpable anxiety. The camaraderie among the cast members is balanced by the sobering reality that two participants will see their ballroom journeys cut short before the week is through.

For Emma Slater, the trip to Grayson Stadium and the viral baseball field dance routine were calculated exercises in risk mitigation. By expanding their audience base and injecting high-energy entertainment into their pre-season publicity, Slater and Olson have done everything in their power to tilt the odds in their favor. Whether those efforts will be enough to survive the historic double elimination remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars is leaving nothing to chance.