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DWTS' Harry Shum Jr. Defends Dance Experience After He, Jenna Johnson Land Highest Score
Carrie Ann Inaba and Jenna Johnson one, two stepped into a tense exchange.
After the Dancing With the Stars judge schooled the dance pro about an element of her and partner Harry Shum Jr.’s performance during the Oct. 13 episode, Johnson shared she’s willing to “take all the feedback.”
“I absolutely hear what they’re saying,” Johnson exclusively told E! News in a joint interview with Shum. “Again, this is a competition. There are judges for a reason. They do need to give feedback. So, yeah, we will take it.”
During the "Super Bowl Night" episode, the duo performed a samba to Usher’s “Yeah!,” which received a 33 out of 40 from the judges.
“I want to go far in this competition with Harry,” she added. “He deserves to be here, so let’s do it.”
As for what Shum, 44, thinks of the critique?
“We wanted to also, between us, honor the task we were given, which is put a halftime show in one minute and whatever 12 seconds,” he said. “So, the risk that we took I guess was just doing a halftime show and making it as explosive as possible while also doing a lot of samba.”
But even with Inaba’s critique, the wind certainly hasn’t been knocked from beneath the Glee alum's wings.
“I’m so proud of our performance,” he continued. “I’m so proud that we got to still keep ourselves in the dance and not get that taken away from us.”
Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
ICYMI, Inaba ruffled a few feathers following the pair’s energetic duet after she called them out on implementing “a lift” into their routine, which is prohibited in competitive samba.
Johnson, 32, appeared taken aback following the comment before questioning, “a lift?”
Inaba then grabbed a sheet of paper and read the definition of a lift as “any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner.”
Disney/Eric McCandless
The camera then panned to an open-mouthed Shum while Johnson closed her eyes and nodded.
And while the moment appeared to create some tension in the ballroom, leave it to Derek Hough to break through the ice.
“Dang,” he said. “I felt like I got told off.”
“That was undeniably a fantastic performance,” he added. “I hope everyone at home loves it. I know everybody in here loves it.”
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