Dancing with the Stars Season 30 is nearly finished, and it’s been a notable season for a number of reasons. JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy played a big part in that, as the duo teamed up for the franchise’s first same-sex dancing duo. Their partnership and skills have positioned them as favorites to win this season, but despite their success, Johnson revealed to CinemaBlend that she harbored reservations early on about bringing that team-up to life.
Jenna Johnson spoke to CinemaBlend recently about her run in Season 30, as well as partnering with JoJo Siwa. Johnson revealed the reason she was initially hesitant about being one-half of Dancing with the Stars’ first same-sex team, and how she eventually got on board and excited about the idea.
Definitely, I had never done this before, clearly. I didn't know if I would be able to handle it. I knew what a big deal this was for the show, for the community. There was hesitation, for sure, about what the response was going to be every week. I think you have some really incredible people, but I feel like you also have some really nasty people in the world that, if things go how they want, they love to throw some hate at you. But, I remember telling my family, cuz I had told them, ‘I'm going to be partnered with a girl this season,’ and they just kept saying, ‘What an honor this is that the show would trust you with something like this.’ And that really hit me. I wanted to take that to heart that this is something so much bigger than I am, or some silly comments.
In the end, Jenna Johnson realized the criticism wasn’t as important as the amount of good it would do others to see her and JoJo Siwa dancing together on Dancing with the Stars. The two partnered up and lit the dance floor on fire with a slew of perfect scores and memorable performances each and every week. And it's the kind of success that could certainly inspire new waves of performers, which Johnson became aware of. She continued:
This could potentially change a lot of people's lives and have a big impact on many kids coming up in the future generation. I just wanted to do that justice. And do them proud. And also, as well, this was a big moment for Jojo. How scary to be the first one, to be the face of the first same-sex couple on Dancing With the Stars? The courage that she had and no hesitation that she had going into it. I kind of drew strength off of and went into it with no fear.
Jenna Johnson and JoJo Siwa feel like the favorites to win Dancing with the Stars, though it’s worth mentioning that high scores alone won’t earn them the Mirrorball trophy. Talented competitors have left early and often throughout Season 30, and even Siwa and Johnson found themselves in the Bottom Two just one week after a phenomenal performance. The pair haven’t always had the support of the fans, so it will be interesting to see if they can rally the troops in the finale and win.
Dancing with the Stars’ Season 30 finale kicks off on ABC on Monday, November 22nd at 8:00 p.m. ET. Keep with CinemaBlend for more ahead of the big night and afterward for all our thoughts on the season as a whole.
