If one have been to put in writing a listing of professions that warrant the least quantity of sympathy, “movie star” would probably prime that checklist. Whereas it is true that an appearing profession on stage and display falls to solely a handful, as soon as you have reached that movie star standing, the world is your oyster, as they are saying. Journeys to unique locales, hobnobbing with Hollywood’s elite, and a very good evening’s sleep on a heap of money only for saying just a few traces right here and there are only a few of the advantages celebrities presumably obtain. When an actor decries having to look on crimson carpets, or doing press excursions, or whines about their chardonnay being lukewarm, it is onerous to muster that “there, there, the world is terrible, however you may be alright, sparky” compassion.

So, for a present like Dancing with the Stars that gives a glimpse into the “onerous work” the celebs undergo to excellent their routines, it may possibly’t probably be actual. Proper? Unsuitable! Not solely do the celebrities of Dancing with the Stars work for that Mirrorball Trophy, it may be an excessively hectic expertise that sticks with the movie star years later. Simply ask Zendaya.

Zendaya Would not Dance Round Her Expertise on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Zendaya, on the age of 16, appeared on Season 16 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013. The actress had simply begun making her mark within the business with Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, co-starring alongside Bella Thorne as a pair of associates who lengthy for dancing stardom, satirically sufficient, and take their first steps, or first two-steps, on Shake It Up, Chicago, the show-within-the-show. She was paired with Val Chmerkovskiy, a long-time skilled on the sequence, and made all of it the best way to the finale the place, regardless of receiving 10s throughout the board, they got here up brief, shedding to American Idol alum Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough, earlier than he took a seat on the choose’s desk in 2020.

In an interview with W Journal printed on January third, 2025, Zendaya was candid about her emotions surrounding her time on ABC’s dance ground, saying, “Pay attention, I am nonetheless harboring slightly animosity about that. I felt that loss. I used to be solely 16 years outdated, and it was extremely hectic. Being on reside tv each week? It’s so scary.” She confesses that a lot of that stress rested on her shoulders, having taken the chance much more significantly than, on reflection, she ought to have. She expands on that time, including, “I want I would loved it slightly bit extra and was similar to, ‘Eh, no matter.’ You realize what I imply? However I used to be stressing myself out. I actually went by way of it on that.” Superstar or not, everybody can relate to how onerous it could be to search out the braveness at 16 to place themselves on the market on reside tv, the place you are being judged not solely by the panel however by a whole bunch of followers at house. To this present day, Zendaya admits she has not watched the present since her look and has solely watched it intermittently earlier than.

The ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Guidelines Again Up Zendaya’s Expertise

Now, it might be the recollections of a 16-year-old who was nonetheless adjusting to life within the highlight on the time, however in Zendaya’s protection, the Dancing with the Stars guidelines celebrities decide to are much more hard-core than you would possibly anticipate. For starters, you do not select the present, the present chooses you, however you enhance the percentages in case you’re already a fan of the present. However you may’t inform anybody in case you’ve been chosen. Talking of selections, you additionally do not decide who you are partnered with, which songs you dance to, your wardrobe, or who does your hair and make-up. You apply seven days per week, should attend the ultimate costume rehearsal, and get a sprig tan as soon as per week. And even in case you’ve obtained the routine down, the producers reserve the appropriate to tweak it as they see match throughout rehearsals.

Zendaya is not the one movie star to look again on their time on Dancing with the Stars in a less-than-positive gentle. Danica McKellar is one among a number of contestants who declare the present is “rigged” in order that some stars keep on longer than they need to, saying the sequence is “a actuality present, not a dance competitors.” However then one other star, Antonio Sabáto Jr., claimed that, “If you happen to’re not a dancer, or you do not have dancing expertise from a younger age, you are not gonna win.” So, stars that truly have dance expertise have a aggressive benefit? Hardly skullduggery, however there you go.

Dancing with the Stars is accessible to stream within the U.S. on Disney+

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