Jenna Dewan is defending her casting on Dancing With the Stars after some fans questioned whether her extensive dance background gives her an unfair advantage.
Dewan, who worked as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and starred in the 2006 dance film Step Up, acknowledged that her experience will help with learning choreography and performing. However, she said ballroom dancing requires an entirely different skill set.
“I do not know how to ballroom dance,” Dewan told Entertainment Weekly. “Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages.” She said she has had to “unlearn” habits from other dance styles and described ballroom as “really foreign.”
Dewan is partnered with professional Val Chmerkovskiy for Season 35, which premieres September 15th on ABC and Disney Plus.