DWTS' Harry Shum Jr. Defends His Dance Experience After High Score
Why DWTS' Rylee Arnold Says Partner Connor Wood Was Not Fully "Prepared" for Premiere
Harry Shum Jr. is spinning his way into the top of Dancing With the Stars.
And while, yes, he comes in with a wealth of dance experience—from playing Mike Chang on Glee to being a backup dancer for the likes of Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez—he’s adamant that doesn’t necessarily give him an advantage.
“I think a lot of people who had dance backgrounds don't make it very far,” Harry told E! News after the Sept. 15 premiere. “That tells you everything you need to know about what the show is. It's beyond just dancing. It's like storytelling—who you are, your personality, your connection between, not just your partner, but with the audience.”
He added, “That's what I love about the show. Because I used to see it as dancing only, and when I watched last season, I was like, ‘Oh, there's just so much more.’”
So far, however, it would appear he’s got both the dancing and storytelling down, with his and partner Jenna Johnson’s cha-cha earning the highest score of the evening at 21. But the pro isn’t letting them get caught up in their success—after all, only half of the contestants performed during the premiere.
“We still have the females to go, and they are going to crush it,” Jenna said. “But no, I think honestly, my approach is to take each week for face value and kind of forget about it. Like we start over technically tomorrow, learning a new style, a new dance. We're going back into the studio and we're grinding.”
Not to say she won’t give her partner his flowers, with his debut even blowing past her own expectations.
Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
“I was like, ‘Oh, he is a showman,’” she said to Harry. “Because you go full out every single time we rehearse, but the way that you came alive with a full audience in front of you, I was like, ‘That's my partner right there!’ I was so proud.”
And as Harry and Jenna look to next week and the new dance they need to learn, Harry thankfully has a lifetime of picking up moves on the fly under his belt.
“When I was growing up, I really loved watching wrestling, like WWE, WWF, and I would just mimic the,” the Grey's Anatomy actor explained. “I'm not a martial artist, but I would do them at home and just try and get it right. So, mimicry became kind of an entry point.”
Disney
As he noted, “I never had the proper training, so being here to have someone to tell me exactly what I'm doing wrong—because even on those jobs, it was always just I was just trying to survive, I was just trying to pick up as fast as I could so I wouldn't get fired. So, I always felt anxiety over it and that's kind of why I stopped.”
On Dancing With the Stars, however, the name of the game is learning proper technique, and mistakes are just part of the process.
“I got emotional when they were just giving notes,” Harry admitted, “but also like giving such good feedback because I don't usually get that. So, this is really nice to have this.”
For a closer look at the celebrity-pro pairings going to head-to-head with Jenna and Harry on season 35 of DWTS, read on.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
You won't hate this news—the 10 Things I Hate About You star will be saving the last dance for her pro partner.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Cha-cha-chopping away... The celebrity chef will be turning up the heat this season.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Twenty years after starring in Step Up, the dancer is stepping up to the challenge.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
The comedian, also known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn more applause on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Ciara exclusively told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
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