‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Jenna Johnson Has Her Sights Set on a Third Mirrorball

The choreographer is paired up with ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Harry Shum Jr. on Season 35 of the ABC show.

Jenna Johnson | Courtesy of Carly Sharp

With the return of Dancing With the Stars, choreographer Jenna Johnson is back in action, once again competing for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy. This time around, the professional dancer is paired up with Glee and Grey’s Anatomy star Harry Shum Jr., with the two starting things off on the right foot. During Week 1 of the competition, the pair scored a 21/30—the highest mark to come out of the season’s premiere episode—for their cha-cha to “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind and Fire. And last week, the two danced the Viennese waltz to “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls, earning a 18/30 total score.

Tonight, the couple will dance the jive to “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates as each of the celebrities and their professional partners are tasked with sticking to Week 3’s “Yacht Rock Night” theme. With two Mirrorball Trophies to her name (earned alongside Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon during Season 26 and again in 2024 with The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei), Johnson is looking to make this year a hat-trick. And with Shrum Jr. by her side, she believes it’s a real possibility.

Jenna Johnson | Courtesy of Carly Sharp

“Harry is so thoughtful and intentional with telling stories through art and dance,” Johnson tells SI Swimsuit. “It’s really inspired me creatively to rethink the way I approach the season and our choreography as a pair. I’m excited to tap into a deeper level of dance that I don’t think I’ve done before. And honestly, I truly cannot wait to share the stage with Harry. He is such an incredible performer and artist ... Even just being in the rehearsal space with him each day has filled my cup. I just love watching him work, and I love working with him.”

Johnson, 32, teases that Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars is going to be “bigger and better than ever,” noting that fans can expect another season that celebrates what makes the show so unique.

Jenna Johnson | Courtesy of Carly Sharp

“After all these years, I’m so grateful that people are more engaged and excited about dance than ever,” she says. “This was a path that no one ever thought could become a career, so the fact that I get to do what I love and see dance celebrated in millions of homes across America is just so special to me. I never take that for granted, and I’m so excited to see where Season 35 takes us.”

Life outside of the ballroom

Though Johnson was eliminated during the second week of Season 34 of the DWTS competition (alongside her celebrity partner, The Lost Boys star Corey Feldman), she spent the early part of this year on the “Dancing With the Stars Live Tour,” which wrapped in Ohio on May 13. And just two weeks later, Johnson made her debut on the SI Swimsuit Runway during Swim Week.

Jenna Johnson | Courtesy of Carly Sharp

“The whole experience was seriously a dream come true,” Johnson recalls of performing on the catwalk at the W South Beach in Miami on Saturday, May 30. “I kept looking around and thinking, ‘How am I here right now?’ One of the moments that really stood out to me was getting ready and doing glam alongside all the models and just being surrounded by so many beautiful, inspiring, successful, hardworking women. Then out of the corner of my eye, I’d look over and see [husband and fellow DWTS pro] Val [Chmerkovskiy], who was just as giddy as I was about the whole experience.”

In addition to performing alongside her husband during the SI Swimsuit Runway Show, Johnson also shared the stage with fellow pro dancers Britt Stewart, Emma Slater and Hailey Bills (Johnson’s niece!). When it was her time to walk the catwalk, Johnson strutted her stuff in a metallic blue bikini by ENEZ, a set that embodied the dancer’s personal swimwear preferences. “I’m definitely a bikini girly,” Johnson says. “I’m picky when it comes to bottoms because I love a high-cut leg.”

Jenna Johnson. Swimsuit by ENEZ. Earrings by Ben-Amun by Isaac Manevitz. | Ivan Apfel/Getty Images

Whether she’s hitting the ballroom floor or the runway, Johnson has one mantra that helps her shine from the inside out. “I am a believer that if you feel good, you naturally look good,” she says. “Choose something that feels comfortable, makes you feel like yourself and that you’re not constantly adjusting or thinking about. When you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing, you’ll wear it with natural confidence and ease.”

Jenna Johnson | Courtesy of Carly Sharp

Tonight’s episode of Dancing With the Stars airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and we’ll be covering the episode live here! You can also stream the complete SI Swimsuit Runway Show on Hulu and Disney+.

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