Charli D’Amelio Was a Competitive Dancer Before DWTS

Charli D’Amelio is competing on season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars,” partnering with professional dancer ​​Mark Ballas. But, does the TikTok star have an advantage given her dancing past?

While she has made a name for herself dancing on social media, the “The D’Amelio Show” star has actually been a competitive dancer for 10 years, reported Seventeen.

According to The Washington Post, she first started dancing when she was three years old. Charli studied ballet, hip hop and tap.

“My life before TikTok was very normal,” she told the publication. “I would go to school, go to dance, do my homework and go to bed. It was pretty much like every other teenager’s” life. She kept a vision board, topped with a photo of Jennifer Lopez, whom she had wanted to dance with since she was 12 years old. Eventually she downloaded the app, immediately taking to it as “a place for me to be creative and express myself.”

She has even performed onstage with Bebe Rexa and Jonas Brothers. As Seventeen explained, Texas slid into her DMs to ask her to perform at the Barclays Center.

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Charli’s Mom Is Also Competing on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Charli is making history this season, competing against her mother Heidi D’Amelio.

“I was in shock,” Heidi, 50, said on “Good Morning America.” She admitted she thought producers “were joking” when they first reached out.

“I didn’t think they were being real, I thought it was a prank,” Charli added. “But when they were like, ‘ No this is real,’ I was so excited for the both of us. Especially to do this together!”

But who will the famous family vote for? “There’s definitely going to be a little side-eye if my own father or sister don’t vote for me,” Charli quipped on “Good Morning America.” “I guess we’re going to have to see who they like better. … I think my sister is definitely on my side. She is my roommate, so she has to live with me — she better be on my side!”

Joking about still cooking for her daughter, Heidi added that she would be “checking phones.” As she said, “I want to see who they’re voting for.”

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Charli Has More Than 100 Million Followers on TikTok

Charli rose to fame dancing on TikTok, with People reporting she was the first content creator to reach 50 million followers and 100 million followers. She currently has 147 million followers.

“Her influence on social media has earned her coveted spots on lists such as Forbes 30 Under 30, Fortune’s 40 under 40, AdWeek’s 2020 Young Influentials and Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood Impact List in 2020, 2021 and 2022,” according to a press release.

It became a family affair, even featuring her mother at times. Her sister Dixie has also amassed a platform. Dixie currently has 57.5 million followers.

“I’m getting to experience things I wouldn’t have been able to do if I didn’t have this opportunity,” she told James Charles on his YouTube channel. She added that she has gotten to meet other influencers, ones she has “been watching for years.’

Season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars” premieres live on Disney+ at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific times.

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