DWTS’ Jenna Dewan Reacts to Criticism Over Dance Experience

Jenna Dewan is ready to step it up in the ballroom. 

With more than 25 years of dance experience under her belt, the Step Up star reacted to potential advantages she may have as she and pro Val Chmerkovskiy prepare to compete on Dancing with the Stars‘ season 35. 

“I own it,” Dewan told E! News in an exclusive joint interview with Chmerkovskiy following the DWTS cast reveal on Sept. 2. “There are certain aspects of it: I have performed before, I can learn choreography.”

Although the 45-year-old—mom to 13-year-old Everly with ex-husband Channing Tatum, as well as Callum, 6 and Rihannon, 2, with fiancé Steve Kazee—isn’t a rookie on the dance floor, she emphasized that not all movement is created equal. 

“Ballroom is a whole different language,” she explained. “It’s actually very, very challenging for me, and I wanted that challenge. That was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come and do this: I haven’t trained this hard in so many years and to do it in a new, different way, in this way, it was the right timing.”