JoJo Siwa of Dancing With The Stars has a pre-show ritual to calm her nerves, and she originally learned it from her dancing partner, Jenna Johnson. JoJo, who is currently a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, came in second place with Jenna during DWTS season 30. The pair made history as the first same-sex dance couple the show had ever seen and blew judges away all season long with their routines. JoJo received some criticism for already being a professional dancer before joining the show as she appeared on shows like Dance Moms and Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition.
The Dance Moms alum currently stars in her own Facebook Watch series called JoJo Goes. The show premiered on June 23rd and follows JoJo as she and her friends go on new adventures and try new experiences. In the premiere episode, JoJo, who came out in January 2021, went to West Hollywood Pride for the first time. The "Kid in a Candy Store" singer also tried her hand at professional volleyball in order to prove her athleticism to her girlfriend, Kylie Prew. The latest episode brought JoJo to a hospital, where she learned what the average day is like for a medical professional.
In a recent episode of JoJo's web series, the So You Think You Can Dance judge tells Kylie about a pre-show ritual she does to calm her nerves before one of her concerts. Entertainment Tonight shared the exclusive clip where the dancer reminisces about a mantra Jenna taught her and how she still puts it to use even without her dance partner. JoJo tells her girlfriend, that she didn't always have a ritual, but on DWTS, "Jenna and I would always say 'we're prepared, we're excited, and we have each other' every time we danced."
While JoJo doesn't have Jenna to give her confidence on tour, she's reworked their pre-show ritual to work for her concert. JoJo explains, "right before I do something like this, I say, 'I'm prepared, I'm excited, and I have myself." The DWTS alum confesses that the ritual prevents her from getting nervous, which helps her enjoy her performance. She tells her girlfriend this is helpful because she has difficulty enjoying her concert if she's nervous.
JoJo and Jenna may have left Dancing With The Stars months ago, but their bond is still as strong as ever. It's nice to hear there was something JoJo could take from her experience and use every night at her own tour. It's hard to imagine a seasoned performer like JoJo would get nervous before a performance, but it just goes to show that she's not much different than the average 19 year old. While JoJo may not have Jenna with her at her shows, luckily, she has thousands of adoring fans who can keep her company when she's on stage.
Source: Entertainment Tonight