00:00I mean, it's like I say, I own it. Of course, I have a dance background.
00:03Of course, I've trained in a whole different way, but this is a challenge for me.
00:08I mean, one weekend, and I was like, okay, this is a whole different language.
00:12That's the big elephant in the room.
00:14Again, it's not the first time we have a celebrity with dance experience, obviously.
00:17Talking about advantages, that's my biggest advantage. That's our biggest advantage.
00:21My biggest advantage is that I get paired up with this incredible human being that's beyond the dance floor.
00:26That's what I'm excited to showcase.
00:28That was Jenna Dewan and her partner, Val Schmierkowski, opening up about the backlash from fans
00:33after it was announced that she's joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars.
00:37Fans are claiming she has an advantage because of her more than 25 years of dance experience.
00:42And Jenna Dewan has even worked with Val before.
00:45The two are seen here back in 2019 promoting Fox's Flirty Dancing that she hosted and he choreographed.
00:51Dewan gained fame, starring as the lead in the 2006 dance film Step Up.
00:56She co-starred with her now ex-husband, Channing Tatum.
00:59And even before Step Up, Dewan was booking professional dance jobs.
01:02She was a backup dancer for Janet Jackson on the All For You Tour.
01:06Dewan also appeared on Lip Sync Battle, where she performed alongside Paula Abdul, showcasing
01:11her professional dance experience.
01:13And if that wasn't enough, Dewan also served as a host and mentor on the reality dance competition
01:18show World of Dance, where current Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough was also a judge.
01:24The two appear to be close, and Hough will be scoring her Dancing with the Stars performances.
01:28Keep in mind, Jenna Dewan will be competing against absolute dance beginners, like Jimmy Kimmel Live's
01:33sidekick, Guillermo.
01:34So yeah, fans are saying the competition is unfair, and it hasn't even started yet.
01:39And get this, Jenna Dewan isn't the only new cast member with a professional dance background.
01:44Former Glee star Harry Shum Jr. will also be competing with a ton of dancing under his belt.
01:50Like Dewan, Shum Jr. is also a professional backup dancer and choreographer.
01:54He's even gone on tour with Beyonce, sharing this funny snap of him in the background on tour with Queen
01:59B back in 2004.
02:01He also performed with Dancing with the Stars co-host Julianne Hough, seen here doing a Beauty and the Beast
02:07-inspired
02:07dance routine for ABC.
02:09But fans have even noticed something more, and are alleging favoritism.
02:13That's because married pro-couple Jenna Johnson and Val Schmierkowski both received partners
02:18who are seasoned dance professionals.
02:20So we'll have to wait and see how the fan backlash affects the upcoming season.
02:23The show kicks off with a two-night premiere on September 15th and 16th.
02:27In the meantime, stay tuned to Page Six for all the latest on Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars.
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