Disney Plus Shangela and Gleb Savchenko
“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Gleb Savchenko revealed in a new interview that he thinks he and his partner Shangela, a seasoned drag queen who has appeared on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” multiple times, have an “extra advantage” over the other season 31 couples.
Here’s what Savchenko said about their partnership and the reaction they have received to being the first drag queen couple on the show:
Gleb Savchenko Says the Support of the LGBTQ Community Has Been an ‘Extra Advantage’
In an interview with OnlineCasino.ca, which Heavy received in a press release, Savchenko said that the support he and Shangela have received from the LGBTQ community has been “huge” and it is giving them an advantage over the other couples.
“There is huge support from the LGBTQ community, huge love and only positive comments,” said Savchenko. “It’s something very important especially for us being on the show, a reality television show, especially when people need to vote. To have a community come together and support us it’s super important and gives us a little extra advantage to hopefully go far in the competition.”
Savchenko also revealed that for his recent 39th birthday, Shangela took him to Lance Bass’ Hollywood-area nightclub called “Heart,” which opened in February 2022 and is the “biggest gay nightclub in the U.S.,” according to WeHoville.
“It was my birthday … and Shangela took me out to Lance Bass’ nightclub here in Hollywood and they took me on stage, there was a drag queen show and the whole thing,” said Savchenko.
Savchenko also said that they haven’t really seen any negative comments, though there is definitely a small contingent of fans who do not approve of the partnership.
Savchenko Also Said That ‘Raising Awareness’ is so Important
In the interview, Savchenko said that having a same-sex male couple (Shangela is DJ Pierce when she is not in drag) is “raising awareness” on such a high-profile show.
Savchenko said:
[We are] raising awareness and educating a lot of people. We have millions and millions of viewers and now we’re on Disney Plus. 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 that’s all about just sharing positive vibes. It’s all about love and it’s all about art.
Savchenko went on to say that he is “very proud” of what they are doing on the show, and he praised Shangela’s performance capabilities from her time performing as a drag queen.
“As a performer, it’s there, which is one of the most important ingredients for me to work with someone like that because it is a TV show. It’s not a dance competition, it’s a TV show,” said Savchenko. “So technique, learning all the ballroom dances and delivering it is important but it’s a balance between the entertainment value and the dancing part of it, it has to be the perfect combo.”
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific time on Disney Plus.