{
  "id": 5232593,
  "title": "‘Step Up’ Alum Jenna Dewan Responds to ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Casting Backlash: ‘It’s a New Technique’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/step-up-alum-jenna-dewan-responds-to-dancing-with-the-stars-casting",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T02:51:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/jenna-dewan-responds-dancing-with-the-stars-casting-backlash/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jenna Dewan, a former \"Step Up\" star, addressed backlash over her casting on \"Dancing With the Stars\" this week. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress clarified that she is new to ballroom dance and sees it as a \"different language.\" Dewan acknowledged that her dance training, including choreography and performance skills, will be beneficial but also noted that she will need to \"unlearn\" certain habits. The \"Rookie\" star admitted that ballroom dance feels \"foreign\" to her, but she welcomed the challenge as she wanted to push herself. Her professional dancing partner, 20-season pro Val Chmerkovskiy, defended her casting, emphasizing that the show is about more than just dance and that it's about the human experience. Celebrities like Whitney Leavitt and Harry Shum Jr. have also faced similar scrutiny due to their dance backgrounds. The \"Dancing With the Stars\" Season 35 premiere will air on Tuesday-Wednesday, Sept. 15-16 on ABC and Disney+.",
  "summary": "“I had to unlearn a lot of … habits of the style that I’m used to,” the actress, who once performed as Janet Jackson’s backup dancer, adds The post ‘Step Up’ Alum Jenna Dewan Responds to ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Casting Backlash: ‘It’s a New Technique’ appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "TVLine",
        "title": "Dancing With The Stars Reveals Season 35 Cast: Jenna Dewan, Harry Shum Jr., Giada De Laurentiis, Tatyana Ali, And More — Plus, Another New Pro!",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/dancing-with-the-stars-reveals-season-35-cast-jenna-dewan-harry-shum",
        "published": "2026-09-02T12:21:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hollywood Reporter",
        "title": "‘Dancing With the Stars’ Reveals Full Season 35 Cast, Including Julia Stiles, Harry Shum Jr. and More",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/dancing-with-the-stars-reveals-full-season-35-cast-including-julia",
        "published": "2026-09-02T12:25:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TheWrap",
        "title": "‘Dancing With the Stars’: Jenna Dewan, Connor Wood and Julia Stiles Among Season 35 Cast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/dancing-with-the-stars-jenna-dewan-connor-wood-and-julia-stiles-among",
        "published": "2026-09-02T12:25:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Billboard",
        "title": "‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 35 Unveils Cast Including a Savanna Banana, a Hanson Brother, ‘Love Island U.K.’ and ‘Summer House’ Vets & More",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/dancing-with-the-stars-season-35-unveils-cast-including-a-savanna",
        "published": "2026-09-02T14:58:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}