Britt Stewart Is Dancing Her Way To The Stars

CREDIT: ABC/Andrew Eccles

As a huge Dancing With The Stars fan, I was star STRUCK by Britt Stewart! Britt was in Portland for Dancing With The Stars Live and I was really grateful to be able to chat with her while she was in town. She’s been crushing it on the show as a pro dancer since their 29th season. Before that, you might recognize her from all 3 High School Musical movies or as Katy Perry’s backup dancer (including during her Halftime performance!) It was really cool getting to know her and learn more about the show. Check out our full interview below!

When did your love for dance begin?

I've been dancing since I was three years old, which is crazy. I'm 33 now, so I've been dancing for 30 years. I just started as a kid, my parents were looking for something to put me in and I completely fell in love with it. It was the only thing that I wanted to do when I was younger and whenI grew up, I was a competitive dancer. I actually started dancing professionally when I was 15 years old. My career got started with all three of the High School Musical movies, which is really exciting. Then I decided to move to LA and then from there, it's just been non-stop. Now I find myself on this amazing stage of Dancing with the Stars! It's crazy. I mean, I like to say that Dancing with The Stars is the cherry on top of my dance career because I got all of these amazing experiences. Then this came into my life and it's just been such a blessing to be part of.

What was your experience like being in all 3 High School Musical films?!

You know what, it was crazy. The first movie was not what it was meant to be. It was a Disney Channel, low budget summer film. I think we were only in production for six weeks. So if you're unfamiliar with film production, that's nothing; film production can be months and months and months. So six weeks, that's with rehearsal time, is no time at all. It was just so special because all of us the dancers, the principal cast, we were all around the same age, we were teenagers. We grew up together and it was just such a special experience. It was really what made me realize that I wanted to be a professional dancer.

After HSM, you ended up going on tour with some incredible artists, including Katy Perry! Do you have a favorite experience from your touring days?

My experience with Katy Perry was amazing because I was with her for three years. We traveled the world and I feel really blessed and grateful because I was with her when she did the Super Bowl halftime performance. I remember, I got off that stage and I started crying because the Super Bowl is one of the most watched performances that you can ever do as a live performer. It was amazing to be a part of that. Also, I had the opportunity to dance for Janet Jackson. That was something that was on the bucket list as a professional dancer. You know, it's Janet Jackson, which is like, insane and amazing. Those were probably two of my favorite experiences and it was just really special.

In addition to Dancing with the Stars, now you're also president of a nonprofit called Share The Movement. Can you talk a little bit about what that is?

We launched in April of 2021, so, in the nonprofit world, we're actually quite a baby organization. Our mission is to increase diversity in the professional dance industry by providing financial, educational and inspirational support to young BIPOC dancers. BIPOC is black, indigenous and people of color. We're just looking to bring equity and inclusivity to kids that want to dance, but may not have the means to. Honestly it was very kismet. All at the same time I was working on the very beginnings of this nonprofit organization during 2020 and then, at the same time, I was becoming the first black female Pro on Dancing with the Stars. It just all seemed to be the perfect timing. Right time right place. It was, like I said, it was kismet. [Learn more about Share The Movement here]

Did it feel a little bit full circle doing another Disney project now that DWTS is on Disney+?

Oh, yes, it totally feels like I've come back home. I mean, with it being on ABC, it's still within the Disney family. But being on Disney+, I was like, this is amazing. We broke barriers. We were the very first live reality competition show. I think it was actually the first live show ever on a streaming service, which is a huge deal. A lot of people weren't sure how it was going to go, making the switch from ABC to Disney+, but it was so successful and we all felt the support, that Disney support. It was amazing.

Are there any Stars that you would love to have as your partner one day going forward?

It's so funny, because I love getting surprised every single time. You just want someone that is committed to the process, that is a hard worker, and has an amazing personality. That's what you want. But I mean, personally, I would love for one of my High School Musical buddies to come. I know Corbin has already been on the show, but I would love like Zac Efron or Lucas Grabeel, to come on the show. That would be super fun for me because it would be a full circle moment. I think it'd also be really fun for the audience to have someone else from High School Musical come back on the show. If that's not that High School Musical, there’s the series on Disney plus. I think an actor from that would be super fun. I mean, if I'm thinking really big, like Justin Timberlake - would he be an option? I have a really good friend who, before this past season, he had a dream that I was going to be partnered with Usher. I mean, that would be insane. We can manifest that! I mean, I feel like we had some really big celebrities this past season, so I feel like Usher could be someone for next season.

This past season, you were partnered with deaf actor Daniel Durant. Did you know sign language before going into this?

I did not know sign language at all before this season. It was so special to me because not only did I not know ASL, but I really had not had the opportunity of knowing anyone deaf. It just was circumstantial. There's no one deaf in my family, in my direct community. Meeting Daniel completely changed my life. I was exposed to this beautiful new community. I picked up this new language and it was interesting. In the beginning, his moms came, I think it was week two, into one of our rehearsals. This was very early into our process. I knew some sign, but I didn't really know that much sign and they were blown away because they almost felt like we were creating our own language because we were still communicating. I wasn't really that great at signing at that point, we just had amazing chemistry. We have amazing chemistry and it was a really special experience. He blew me away every single week. It was a hard process for him. You know, just because of everything, he had to work 10 times harder, I feel like, than your average celebrity that comes on to the show. But he was in it and he was committed the whole way. He would shock me every Monday. We would get offstage and I'm like, Okay, you did it. That was amazing. And it was. I also think it's rare in life when you get to do something, and you get to have this exchange of knowledge. It's just really, I mean, it's amazing. I am so grateful that I got paired with Daniel this past season. I'm grateful for the season as a whole, we just had so much fun. And I know that, you know, to hear the audience reaction. We both receive such beautiful messages from so many people and to know that we had an impact beyond a reality competition show is really cool, too.

What are the rehearsals like for the show? Do you feel like you get enough time to practice?!

It depends on the week. Sometimes I'm like, okay, I feel ready. Sometimes I'm like, this was not enough time. I mean, definitely in the beginning, because there are so many couples, we only get three hours a day. As people get eliminated, that gets more and more up until like six. I think in the finale they get like eight hours a day, maybe a little less. But three hours a day flies by because you're also filming a TV show. So you have to do interviews, you have to do all these different things you have to set up during the rehearsal process. Sometimes it feels like there's never enough time. But in the process of it all, it's still really fun. The pros have a lot of responsibility. We have creative meetings, we have biddings, we have all these things. It's actually really exciting. And the tour this year, my good friend, Emma Slater, she leads us through this whole number that's called a week in the life of a pro. It basically a very musical and theatrical version and walks you through day to day of what it's like to be in our shoes.

How do you train for the show and for being on tour?

It's interesting. When we're on the live show, your kind of in teacher/choreographer mode for the majority of the week. And then you have to realize, oh, wait, I also have to perform this as well. Let me make sure I turn myself on now, as a as a dancer, performer. You have to balance these very, two, not very different roles, but different roles at the same time. Then, on tour, we don't practice until after the season finishes. After the finale happens, we have a week and a half to two weeks off. Then we create this entire show in two weeks. It is jam packed. There's no days off. It's 12 hour days. We are just really like working hard to get a show up on its feet, but it's rewarding because we get to do this.

How has the tour been going thus far?

It's been awesome. I think this [Portland] is technically our sixth show or seventh. It still feels new, which is awesome because the excitement, the adrenaline, all of that is still there. We're just really proud of the show. It's different. We have a different stage. Our amazing director, Mandy Moore, came back. She worked with us a years ago and she left and did very big things in the film industry. But she came back to direct this tour, and we're just really proud of it. We're so excited. That response so far has been amazing. So I am very excited to be here in Portland, Maine and that you all get a chance to see this one because it's going to be very good.

For someone who's never seen a live Dancing With The Stars show, what can they expect from it?

We give you everything and the kitchen sink. What I love about the Dancing With The Stars tour is that you really get a feeling like you’re seeing a bit of the live show, but in a completely different way. You really get to know us professional dancers in a new way. You get to know Gabby Windey, our celebrity host this season, in a new way. It's just exciting. We take you on a roller coaster of emotions; you get to see hot guys with their shirts off, you to see sexy ladies, you get to see emotion and in different contemporary numbers and fierceness. It's an hour and a half long show and it is just jam packed with amazing dance and storytelling.

Last, but not least, here in Maine, our state motto is “The way life should be.” According to you, what is the way life should be?

The way life should be it should be just filled with love. Always just the most love. That's what I think. As long as you have love and led with love, you've got something going on.

Much love to Britt for taking the time to talk to me. Get your tickets to catch her on the Dancing With The Stars tour here!