Jenna Dewan has defended her place on Dancing With the Stars after viewers questioned whether her professional dance background gives her an unfair advantage in the competition.
The Step Up actress, who will compete alongside ballroom professional Val Chmerkovskiy in the show’s 35th season, said her experience in hip-hop and contemporary dance had not prepared her for the ballroom discipline.
“I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages,” Dewan said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
She acknowledged that her training had helped her learn choreography and perform, but said she had also needed to abandon familiar habits while adapting to the new style.
“It’s a new technique, brand new technique,” Dewan said, explaining that the transition had initially left her feeling unsettled. She added that ballroom was “really foreign” to her, despite her years as a professional dancer.
Dewan’s casting has prompted criticism from some fans because of her previous work as a dancer, including performances with Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and Christina Aguilera, as well as her starring role in the 2006 film Step Up.
She said the experience had brought pressure and expectations, but that taking on an unfamiliar form of dance was part of the appeal. “It has its advantages, but it also has its challenges,” she said.
Chmerkovskiy has also defended the pairing, arguing that the programme is about more than technical ability and follows contestants as they learn, adapt and reveal more about themselves.
The new season of Dancing With the Stars is due to premiere in the United States on 15 and 16 September, with Dewan’s appearance coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Step Up.
