Harry Shum Jr. opened up about his past decision to stop dancing before he was cast on Dancing With the Stars.
“When I got announced, it was just constant pressure and I just had to remind myself that that was the reason why I stopped dancing — because it was constant pressure,” Shum, 44, exclusively told Us following the live premiere on Tuesday, September 15.
The actor explained that his decision changed in recent years. “As I’m older and I have a child — like so many things — it’s serious but also not that serious,” he said. “Like, I want to make sure that I take it all seriously, but then there’s a point where that naturalness becomes unnaturalness and you can oscillate between the two.”
He continued: “I’m loving this moment and I’m loving what’s ahead. I love the notes. I’m embracing the pressure. It’s like a pressure cooker — some slow cooking, baby.”
Shum and pro partner Jenna Johnson were the final couple to perform on Tuesday night. They chose “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire for their cha cha, which earned them 21 out of 30 — the highest score of the night.
Even before the competition officially began, Shum faced his fair share of pressure. After the cast was revealed earlier this month, some viewers questioned whether Shum’s dance experience would give him an unfair advantage. (Shum Jr. appeared on Glee from 2009 to 2015, has performed as a backup dancer for artists including Beyoncé and was featured in the Step Up movie franchise.)
“[That is my] younger self. I just never thought I would have done any of this that I’ve done in my career. Even dancing was such a fluke,” he told Us. “I got dared to audition for the day. Like, this is not supposed to happen this way, but I’m learning. That’s what the environment allows and you just go with it and you let the river flow. I’m really enjoying it.”
Johnson, 32, clarified that she is trying to find a balance between pushing Shum further and making sure he enjoys the experience like anyone else.
“Obviously, there is expectation. There’s pressure,” she said. “But I really just want this to be the best experience for him and we’re enjoying each second. We are so grateful.”
Shum told Us that earning a high score on night one helps the pair “learn what we can work on,” but he also joked that he “blacked out” when the judges praised his and Johnson’s performance.
“What I’ve learned now — like this first time going around — is that there’s so many elements,” he shared. “Everyone just focuses on the dancing, but there’s the storytelling. There’s also knowing what your [strengths] are. They’re seeing all of those things that [don’t] get talked about.”
Johnson praised Shum for his approach to the competitive aspect of DWTS.
“Something that I really appreciate about Harry is, earlier in the week, he was like, ‘They’re just numbers at the end of the day.’ I think that that needs to be our intention,” she said about the scores. “Obviously, the feedback that they give us is essential and we want to grow, and we want to get better. But I love being able to focus on, ‘Did we feel great about our performance? Were we connected? Were we focused?’ And so I feel like that’s kind of our intention going into this. I obviously can’t wait to get in the studio and go again.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. The two-part premiere continues Wednesday, September 16.
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