Jenna Dewan may have years of dance experience under her belt, but she says that does not make her a ballroom expert.
The “Step Up” actress is responding to criticism following this week's announcement that she'll compete on Season 35 of "Dancing with the Stars."
The controversy sparked after some fans questioned whether her professional dance background gives her an unfair advantage over other contestants.Users expressed their frustration with the news in the comments on an Instagram post from the Dancing with the Stars account. User @erika_essentially_ wrote, "Isn't Jenna Practically a pro anyway? Thought this was for people who didn't know how to dance."
"Guys she is a pro dancer," commented user @badwolf_missingsignalz, who added, "I love
her but she should not be on DWTS."
Dewan acknowledged that her experience learning choreography and performing will be helpful during the competition. But the actress said she has also had to let go of habits she developed while working in other dance styles.
Jenna Dewan addresses 'Dancing with the Stars' casting backlash
"I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages," Dewan told Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive interview on Sept. 2.
"It's a new technique, brand new technique," Dewan said. "It almost threw me off initially because I had to unlearn a lot of –I don’t want to say bad habits –but just habits of the style that I’m used to."
Jenna Dewan's dancing career, from Janet Jackson to 'Step Up'
Dewan began her career as a professional dancer, working with artists including Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. She performed with Jackson between the ages of 18 and 20 and later appeared in music videos for Jackson, Mandy Moore and Toni Braxton.
Her breakout acting role came in the 2006 dance movie "Step Up," in which she starred opposite her now-ex-husband, Channing Tatum.
Despite that background, Dewan insisted that learning ballroom dance feels "really foreign" and has made her "a little more nervous" about joining the ABC competition. "It’s not like you’re giving me a style that I’ve done – I can go out there and do that," the actress said. "It has its advantages, but it also has its challenges. But that was part of why I wanted to do it. I really wanted to challenge myself."
Jenna Dewan's dance partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, defends the actress
Her professional partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, also pushed back against the notion that "Dancing with the Stars" is solely a test of technical dance ability.
The three-time Mirrorball Trophy winner told Entertainment Weekly that the show is also about contestants’ personal journeys and how much of themselves they are willing to share with viewers. While Chmerkovskiy acknowledged Dewan’s talent, he said her experience also creates greater expectations for their performances.
"First of all, it's naive to think that this show is just about dance," Chmerkovskiy said in the interview. "It’s about the human experience and the human journey and how much you’re willing to reveal yourself."
Chmerkovskiy shared his strategy for pushing Dewan out of her comfort zone and helping her learn new dance forms she’s not used to.
"The way I approach things is that you're only as good as the thing that you've never done, so I'm going to push her and push us to showcase to the world something they haven’t seen from her yet," Chmerkovskiy explained. "That’s a challenge in itself because we’ve seen her at the highest form of dance and what that expression can look like."
'Dancing with the Stars' Season 35 premiere date
Dewan said she and Chmerkovskiy have already developed a strong working relationship, describing him as a supportive teacher who continues to push her. She added that the pair share a strong work ethic while also having fun during rehearsals.
Season 35 will also feature Julia Stiles, Harry Shum Jr., Tatyana Ali, Tyler Cameron, Giada De Laurentiis, Maura Higgins, Ciara Miller, Taylor Hanson, Guillermo Rodriguez, Ezra Frech and Amber Glenn, among others.
The two-night "Dancing with the Stars" premiere airs Sept. 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. on ABC and Disney+.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jenna Dewan, professional dancer, reacts to 'DWTS' casting backlash from fans
