Getty Images Britt Stewart opens up about her past.
One of the newer “Dancing With the Stars” pros is opening up about her journey to get to where she is now.
In an interview with AOL, Britt Stewart opened up about her past experience and how she was brought down by one of her dance teachers.
“I had a very strict ballet teacher who told me that I would never be a professional dancer, because of my muscle structure,” the told the outlet. Stewart has her parents to thank for instilling confidence in her and giving her the tools she needed to carry on doing what she loved.
“I felt like I wasn’t thin enough. And then, being in the entertainment industry so young, I always felt like the Black girl never had the lead role. And so that gave me the feeling of, ‘OK, maybe I’m not thin enough. And maybe I’m not beautiful enough,'” she recalled thinking.
Stewart is expected to compete on season 32, marking her fourth season a pro on the show.
Here’s what you need to know:
Britt Stewart Was the First Black Female Pro on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Stewart became a pro on “Dancing With the Stars” on season 29, making her the first female Black pro to join the cast.
In an interview with In the Know in 2022, Stewart opened up about the opportunity that was afforded to her by production.
“It is such an honor and I am really grateful that I was on troupe for as long as I was,” she said, explaining that she used that time to really develop herself as a ballroom star.
“Even on troupe, I was the first-ever Black female to have a full-time contract with the show. And I don’t think it’s the show. I think it’s the culture of ballroom dancing,” she continued. “Ballroom dancing as an art, as a sport, is just not very diverse. It has come a long way, but it isn’t diverse. So, there aren’t many ballroom dancers that look like me,” she added.
Stewart says when she got promoted, she was “so happy to take that responsibility on.” She went on to say that making dance accessible is very important to her.
Britt Stewart Joined ‘Dancing With the Stars’ in 2020
Stewart joined the “Dancing With the Stars” cast as part of the show’s troupe in 2020. “I was in shock. I was extremely excited. I was terrified,” she told AOL. During that time, she’d participate in group numbers and she even went on tour with other cast members. It wasn’t until season 29 that she got promoted.
She was partnered with figure skater Johnny Weir for her first season on the show, and the two finished in 6th place. On season 30, Stewart and Martin Kove were the first to go home.
On season 31, Stewart’s life changed. She was partnered with Daniel Durant, an actor who is hearing impaired. Not only was Stewart determined to learn sign language to communicate better with Durant, but the two also ended up falling in love.
“Britt is a wonderful partner, she’s so open-minded, and is learning how to sign — so she’s teaching me dance, while I teach her ASL,” Durant said during an interview with Mr. Feel Good.
Stewart and Durant finished the season just ahead of the semifinals, in 5th position, but their love story is still unfolding.
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