JoJo Siwa to Dance with Same-Sex Partner on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ First Time in Show History
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Dancing with the Stars just announced the first two celebrity cast members for Season 30. The multi-talented JoJo Siwa and Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee are both headed to the ballroom. After a huge year, Siwa will make history as the first Dancing with the Stars contestant to be paired with a same-sex partner.
Siwa revealed the news and her excitement about Season 30 in an Instagram video. Siwa came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in January and introduced her girlfriend Kylie Prew.
JoJo Siwa Will Dance with a Same-Sex Partner on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
“I’m so happy that I get to dance to another girl,” Siwa said. “I think this is going to make it normal for other people around the world. I always said obviously ‘you can love whoever you want to love,’ that’s known all around the world of course. That’s the message I’ve been spreading especially to a younger generation. Now, I’m able to say ‘you can dance with who you want to dance with.'”
When Siwa was first approached about joining the cast for Dancing with the Stars, she was asked if she wanted to dance with a man or a woman. She immediately told them she wanted to dance with a woman and did not hesitate. She previously competed on The Masked Singer and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020.
“I think it’s going to save lives,” host Tyra Banks said about Siwa dancing with a same-sex partner. “I think it’s going to change lives, and it’s going to make a lot of noise, and the noise that needs to be made.”
Siwa is a trained dancer who found her claim to fame starring in Lifetime’s Dance Moms. She did say that even though she is a trained dancer, she wants to be “blindsided by ballroom.” Her mother offered to take her to ballroom dance classes, but JoJo wants to dive into the Dancing with the Stars experience headfirst. The “Boomerang” singer will learn to do ballroom just like the other celebrities and be on a leveled playing field.
Sunisa Lee is Balancing School and Competing on the Show
Lee earned gold in the women’s all-around competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after Simone Biles withdrew. She will join the growing roster of gymnasts like Biles, Aly Raisman, and Shawn Johnson who have competed on Dancing with the Stars in the past. She is the first Hmong-American to make the U.S. Olympic team and also took home the silver medal in the team final and a bronze for the uneven bars.
She just started classes at Auburn University. College can be a stressful time for some students, but Lee has a plan for how she is going to juggle her classes and compete on the show.
“I did start college about a week ago,” she said. “I’m basically doing online school for this semester so when I go out to L.A. I don’t have to fly back every weekend. But I’m really excited that I get this opportunity and I think I’m going to make the most of it.”
A New Promo Teases the Most Magical Season Yet
A new promo for Season 30 features Banks in a gorgeous purple outfit and a whimsical headpiece. She leads fans on a journey through all of the past 29 seasons. There have been 363 stars who have stepped foot in the ballroom to learn over 25 dance styles. Over 3,600 costumes have been worn by the celebrities who have achieved 318 perfect 10’s over the years.
The most shocking statistic of all is that 6,231 spray tans have been done on set. The show is known for loads of sequins and incredible dance routines that earned them over 113 Emmy nominations. Fans have watched the show for over 25 million hours ahead of the spectacular new season.
The full Season 30 cast will be revealed on September 8 on Good Morning America. Do not rule out seeing another Olympian join the cast. There are typically multiple athletes on each season of the show who always bring some stiff competition.
Which celebrity do you want to see compete on Dancing with the Stars Season 30?
