Disney Plus Shangela and Gleb Savchenko
In a September 2022 interview, “Dancing With the Stars” pro dancer Gleb Savchenko teased a huge surprise if he and his partner Shangela make the finals of season 31.
Here is what Savchenko is thinking about doing:
Gleb Savchenko Said He Might Do a ‘Full-On Drag Performance’ for the Finale
Savchenko is partnered with Shangela (non-drag name DJ Pierce) for season 31, a drag queen known for appearing on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” among many other TV and film roles. In an interview with OnlineCasino.CA (shared with Heavy via press release), Savchenko said that he’s considering donning his own drag persona if they make it to finale night.
“If we go far and maybe reach the finals I might become a drag queen and we’ll do a full-on drag performance,” said Savchenko, who added, “I have to start learning to walk in heels, I’d need some tips as I’ve never tried them on.”
Savchenko also revealed that it can take up to five hours for Shangela to don her drag costume, so she rehearses without.
“Shangela, when she performs she is a full on drag queen,” said Savchenko. “He rehearses without the full costume because it takes him four and a half, five hours to put this whole thing on. So for me as a professional it is a big change.”
But he loves it, saying that “it’s different” for him, but he’s enjoying it.
Savchenko Has Been Advocating For a Same-Sex Partnership For Years
In the same interview, the dancer said that when he was on “Strictly Come Dancing,” the U.K. counterpart to “Dancing With the Stars,” he was asked if he would dance with a man and he said absolutely.
“Because number one, it is a challenge, but it is also visibility. It’s raising awareness and educating a lot of people,” said Savchenko. “It’s great to educate and show people it doesn’t always have to be a guy and a girl dancing together, it could be two girls, it could be two guys, it doesn’t really matter because we are creating an art form.
“It’s all about love and it’s all about art. I have only received a tonne of support and only good comments and no one said anything bad.”
This echoes what he previously told Mr. Warburton magazine in a February 2021 interview where he revealed he actually wanted to be partnered with figure skater Johnny Weir in season 29, but the show said no.
“[W]hen Johnny Weir got on the show I was like, ‘Johnny, you HAVE to be my partner, but they ended up not doing [a same-sex pairing]. They’ve done it before in Australia with Courtney Act and in the UK with Nicola Adams and they were both amazing!” said Savchenko, adding that while recognizes that there is a “strong male/female dynamic in dance,” he thinks seeing “two men doing the same thing” is “awesome” and “so fascinating.”
“I would love to do it, but it would have to be with the right partner,” said the dancer, adding that the support he receives from the LGBTQ community “means so much.”
“I love my fans and anyone who’s super positive and give[s] you lots of love,” said Savchenko.
“Dancing With the Stars” had its first same-sex pairing in season 30 when popstar JoJo Siwa was paired with professional dancer Jenna Johnson. In season 31, host Alfonso Ribeiro asked Shangela about being part of the same male-male pairing and she corrected him a bit — pronouns change depending on whether she is in drag or not.
On Reddit, fans have been explaining to one another how it can be a little rude to refer to a drag queen as a man.
“This is one of those scenarios where there’s a lot more gray areas when it comes to terminology and it’s likely that Alfonso just isn’t used to the fluidity of Shangela’s identity and expression. I don’t think he meant to disrespect her, I think he’s just trying to figure out the right thing and made a mistake,” said one fan.
Either way, it sounds like Savchenko might be creating his own drag persona if he and Shangela make it to finale night, which would certainly be an exciting performance.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific time on Disney Plus.