American gymnast Jordan Chiles has been making waves with her performances on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ this season, and recently discussed the common misconceptions people have about gymnasts who take up dancing. Chiles has been impressing fans and judges alike on the dance floor alongside her partner, Ezra Sosa, with the pair recently advancing to Week 9 of the show.
Chiles has continued the trend of elite gymnasts appearing on DWTS, with others such as Simone Biles, Suni Lee, and Stephen Nedoroscik previously competing on the show.
Jordan Chiles Challenges The Common Misconception That Gymnasts Can’t Be True Dancers
Chiles discussed the misconceptions people have about gymnasts who dance in an interview with dancer and actress Julianne Hough. Hough also competed on DWTS and performed impressively, winning the Mirrorball Trophy twice. She is currently a co-host on the show.
Chiles explained in the interview that gymnasts’ foundational technique actually helps them take on dancing confidently: (13:08 onwards)
“So, with dancers, performance comes from every movement, right? I discovered that in the Rumba yesterday. With gymnasts, it’s like sudden things – our performance is in the big skills that we do. When I came onto the scene of gymnastics, people were like, “Wow, she can dance.” Keep in mind, as a little kid, all I did was play Just Dance. All I did was dance in the mirror and go on YouTube, you know.”
“Like, people were always telling me, ‘Oh, you can dance. You can dance.” So I took the way that I move differently into my gymnastics. But I think the biggest thing is, people think just because we pose as gymnasts, they think, “Oh, they can’t actually dance.” But we can. We get the technique because we’re taught to do that.”
Chiles is set to perform next on DWTS on Tuesday, November 11, where she and Sosa will be performing a Cha Cha to “Get Up” by Ciara featuring Chamillionaire.
Suni Lee Praises Chiles For Her Performances On DWTS
Chiles’ national teammate and friend, Suni Lee, recently praised Chiles for her performances on DWTS, expressing how ‘proud’ she is of her. The two have often shown their support for each other and have competed together at the Paris Olympics.
In an interview with the Daily Express, Lee said: “She is killing it right now. I’m just so proud of her. She looks like she’s having the time of her life, and I know it’s something that she’s wanted to do for a really long time.”
Lee competed on the 30th season of DWTS alongside her partner, Sasha Farber, where they were eliminated in the semi-finals. Just like Chiles, she enhanced the notion that gymnasts can also be dancers.