There are a handful of stars on Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars who have very notable dance experience. One of them is Harry Shum Jr., who famously played Mike Chang on Glee, worked on the Step Up movies and toured with major artists as a background dancer. With his dance experience in mind, he’s an obvious frontrunner for this season of DWTS. However, he has also faced some criticism over his casting on the dance competition. Now, he’s defending his place on the show.
Literally, right after Shum was announced as part of the Dancing with the Stars cast, criticism started rolling in. This happens every season when there are stars on the show who have a history with dance, because they’re competing alongside others who have little to no dance experience. However, while he may have an advantage, the Grey’s Anatomy actor told People why this experience he’s about to go through on the 2026 TV schedule won’t be a walk in the park for him:
I think everyone’s idea is like, ‘Oh, you dance, so you should be able to dance anything.’ And I mean, that’s just not true. There are hundreds of styles, not dozens, hundreds all over the world.
He makes a fair point; there are massive differences between dance styles that require different and oftentimes contradicting technique. So, what Shum did on Glee (which you can see with a Hulu subscription) or in Step Up 2: The Streets is not the same as what he’ll do on Dancing with the Stars. He’ll be partnered for these dances, which adds a new element as well.
Harry Shum Jr. explained all this further during an interview with ET, saying that while he has lots of dance experience in general, he has no experience in the worlds of dance that Dancing with the Stars focuses on:
I have a background in dance, but when it comes to ballroom and Latin, it’s just a whole new vocabulary. I’m excited for the challenge, and I’m very ignorant to it, in a sense of like I don’t know anything about it. So [Jenna’s] teaching me the ropes, and hopefully we can execute on stage.
I’m sure he’ll do great on stage, and Jenna Johnson will be a wonderful partner for him. I also believe his history with dance will be useful.
However, he makes a fair point when it comes to his casting, because while he can dance, he’s by no means a pro. The world of ballroom is new to him, and as his partner said earlier this summer, DWTS is a different beast that requires more than just learning the steps. So, that makes the criticism about a star’s experience a little less relevant, because they really do still have so much to learn.
It’s worth noting that Shum is not the only cast member this season with dance experience. Both Jenna Dewan and Julia Stiles have notable histories with dance. Meanwhile, their fellow DWTS competitor Jackson Olson made a name for himself as one of the dancing baseball players on the Savannah Bananas, and Amber Glenn is an Olympic figure skater.
So, to be blunt, the competition is stacked this season, and you never know who will come out and surprise us among the cast. While dance experience helps, it does not guarantee a win. Therefore, as Harry Shum Jr. explained, he’ll have to really put in the work and compete just like everyone else in the cast.
Now, to see all these stars in the ballroom, you can catch the two-night premiere of Dancing with the Stars on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription on Tuesday, September 15 and Wednesday, September 16 at 8 p.m. ET.
