Tatyana Ali Age, Height, Partner, Biography & More

Tatyana Ali is a familiar face to millions of television viewers, and her casting on Dancing with the Stars season 35 brought a wave of nostalgia to the ABC ballroom. Best known as Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, she joined the 2026 season with professional partner Jan Ravnik. Her journey has been one of steady improvement: after a cautious start, she found her rhythm in the middle weeks and became a popular, warm presence in the cast. As of late October 2026 she was still competing, heading into Disney Night after a strong run of themed performances.

Who Is Tatyana Ali?

Tatyana Ali is an American actress and singer who grew up on television as Ashley Banks, the youngest daughter in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran from 1990 to 1996. She later released music, including the hit single Kiss the Sky in 1998, and continued acting in film and television, with roles in productions including The Young and the Restless and a range of television films. She also studied at Harvard University, graduating in 2002. In 2026 she joined Dancing with the Stars season 35, giving longtime fans a new reason to follow her: a competitive dance run that drew on her stage experience but tested her in ballroom styles she had never performed competitively.

Early Life & Background

Tatyana Ali was born in North Bellmore, New York, on January 24, 1979, to a Panamanian father and an Indo-Trinidadian mother. She began performing as a child, appearing on Sesame Street at age six before landing the role that defined her early career. While working on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air she was also a student, and she later attended Harvard University, where she earned a degree in African-American studies and government. That balance of child stardom and formal education has been a recurring theme in her adult career, as she moved between acting, music, presenting and advocacy work rather than relying only on her early fame.

Dancing with the Stars Season 35 Journey

Ali joined Dancing with the Stars season 35, which premiered on ABC and Disney+ on September 15, 2026, partnered with Jan Ravnik. She opened with a jive scoring 12, then improved steadily with a foxtrot, a quickstep and a jazz routine on Mariah Carey Night. On Super Bowl Night her salsa earned 29, and on Dedication Night she danced a Viennese waltz dedicated to her late Fresh Prince co-star James Avery, with host Alfonso Ribeiro joining the performance. She followed that with a paso doble inspired by Sinners on Horror Movie Night, scoring 28. As of October 31, 2026, she was still competing, with a contemporary routine from Aida planned for Disney Night.

Career

Ali’s career began in childhood and has spanned sitcoms, drama, music and television films. After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air she released her debut album Kiss the Sky in 1998, which produced a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. She later appeared in films such as Glory Road and Mother’s Day, and in television series including The Young and the Restless, where she played Roxanne. She has also worked as a presenter and producer, and she has spoken publicly about education and representation. Her Dancing with the Stars run sits naturally in that story: it returned her to live performance, in front of an audience that first met her as a child actress more than three decades earlier.

Facts About Tatyana Ali

• Tatyana Ali was born in North Bellmore, New York, on January 24, 1979.
• She played Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996.
• She graduated from Harvard University in 2002.
• Her debut single Kiss the Sky was released in 1998.
• On Dancing with the Stars season 35 she is partnered with Jan Ravnik.

Frequently Asked Questions

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