Jenna Dewan may be a seasoned performer, but some “Dancing With the Stars” viewers are questioning whether her Season 35 casting gives her an unfair edge.
The actress pushed back on that criticism in an Entertainment Weekly interview published Wednesday, stressing that her dance background does not mean she already knows ballroom.
Dewan, known for “The Rookie,” previously worked as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and starred opposite her now-ex-husband Channing Tatum in the 2006 dance film “Step Up.” Still, she told the outlet the styles are not interchangeable: “Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages.”
The 45-year-old acknowledged that certain parts of her training can help her in the ballroom. “I’ve learned choreography, I can perform,” she said, before adding that the competition has required “a certain sense of unlearning” on her part.
Calling ballroom dance a “brand new technique,” Dewan explained that the shift was challenging at first because it forced her to rethink movements she had relied on for years. “It almost threw me off initially because I had to unlearn a lot of — I don’t want to say bad habits — but just habits of the style that I’m used to,” she said.
Dewan insisted her dance background actually makes her feel “more nervous” to compete on the ABC show.
“It’s not like you’re giving me a style that I’ve done — I can go out there and do that,” she continued of “really foreign” ballroom moves. “It has its advantages, but it also has its challenges.
“But that was part of why I wanted to do it,” Dewan added. “I really wanted to challenge myself.”
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Her pro partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, agreed that it’s “naive to think that this show is just about dance.”
The 40-year-old said, “It’s about the human experience and the human journey and how much you’re willing to reveal yourself. Dance is a vehicle for us to find out more about these people — and I think that’s our advantage.”
News broke of Dewan’s casting on Wednesday, with other future contestants including “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “Step Up 3D” star Harry Shum Jr.
The actor, 44, defended his casting as well.
“I think everyone’s idea is like, ‘Oh, you dance, so you should be able to dance anything.’ And I mean, that’s just not true,” the “Grey’s Anatomy” alum told People. “There are hundreds of styles, not dozens, hundreds all over the world.”
Shum Jr. shared with Entertainment Weekly that dancing with partner Jenna Johnson takes “a whole new vocabulary” and is “going to be a challenge.”
Other Season 35 cast members include “Summer House” star Ciara Miller, actress Julia Stiles and “Traitors” alum Maura Higgins.