Jenna Johnson: Passion and Purpose

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Squeeze Episode featuring Jenna Johnson: Passion and Purpose

Release Date: June 18, 2025

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Introduction and Friendship Dynamics

The episode kicks off with a warm welcome to Jenna Johnson, a celebrated dancer and recent guest whose previous appearance elevated the podcast's popularity, ranking it among the top 10 performing episodes.

• Jenna Johnson [00:27]: "No pressure. Jeez, you guys compete with that slicked back hair, little accent he has. I mean, he's hot."

The hosts, Val Chmerkovskiy and Kelsey Merritt, engage in a light-hearted banter about friendly competition, highlighting the camaraderie and playful tensions that enrich their interactions.

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Jenna's Dance Journey and Early Beginnings

Jenna delves into her passion for dance, tracing her roots back to age three, nurtured by her two older sisters who were both dancers themselves.

• Jenna Johnson [10:07]: "I started when I was three. I have two older sisters, and they were both dancers. They were going to this studio out in Utah called Center Stage Performing Arts Studios."

She emphasizes the influence of her family and mentors in shaping her dance career, mentioning notable figures like Julianne Hough and Mandy Moore, whose guidance was pivotal in her development as both a dancer and choreographer.

• Jenna Johnson [12:34]: "They are my guides. And even to this day, like when I'm choreographing for the show, if I'm stuck or I don't feel good about something on my routines, I'll send them the video and I'll be like, 'Advice, help. What do I need to do?'"

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Balancing Passion and Parenthood

Transitioning to motherhood, Jenna shares her experiences navigating the challenges of balancing a demanding dance career with raising her son, Rome.

• Jenna Johnson [48:36]: "What age you started Ballroom?"

She discusses the initial survival mode of establishing a new routine post-pregnancy, evolving into embracing her son's unique personality and the joys he brings.

• Jenna Johnson [52:25]: "A common denominator in my life is this need for control. I am such a control freak. And I think motherhood or parenthood in general, you have to let go a lot. You've gotta just go with the flow."

Jenna openly addresses feelings of mom guilt, particularly when managing her commitments to "Dancing with the Stars" tours while being away from her son.

• Jenna Johnson [55:05]: "My most recent mom guilt has been going on the Dancing with the Stars tour... I know that I will look back on that time and be so grateful that I did it for myself."

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Overcoming Infertility and Emotional Healing

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Jenna's journey through infertility and miscarriage, highlighting the emotional toll and the pivotal role of therapy in her healing process.

• Jenna Johnson [59:29]: "He was like, 'If you feel comfortable, I think this is something that you should do.' And we actually both started to go to therapy at that time."

She emphasizes the importance of community and shared experiences in overcoming personal struggles, advocating for openness and vulnerability as tools for healing.

• Jenna Johnson [66:26]: "The biggest thing that I've learned through all of this is there's really nothing wrong with you... Just being so grateful and present in the moments that you are pregnant or you do have your baby because life just happens and it's unfair sometimes."

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Triumph on "Dancing with the Stars"

Jenna recounts her transformative experience competing on "Dancing with the Stars" alongside Joey Joseph, detailing how this journey reignited her passion for dance and led to a meaningful personal victory.

• Jenna Johnson [42:44]: "I can see that. Wow."

Her partnership with Joey is highlighted as a harmonious blend of mutual respect and shared passion, culminating in their season win.

• Jenna Johnson [43:11]: "He is just like, 'I just wanted this for Jenna more than anything.' And I'm so happy she had her moment."

Jenna reflects on the importance of keeping the passion alive in her career, citing her evolving approach to choreography and personal growth.

• Jenna Johnson [29:25]: "I need to keep the fire alive. I'm so grateful for everything."

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Future Aspirations and Personal Growth

Looking ahead, Jenna expresses her aspirations to expand beyond televised dance performances into live theater and Broadway, inspired by her husband's adventurous spirit.

• Jenna Johnson [75:26]: "These next couple of years I really want to push myself to be outside of my comfort zone... I really want to do Broadway."

She underscores the significance of continuous personal development and embracing new challenges to sustain her passion and prevent burnout.

• Jenna Johnson [76:05]: "I love dancing for live TV... But there is no feeling like dancing for a live audience. That's something I'm really passionate about."

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Closing Thoughts and Community Support

In her closing remarks, Jenna emphasizes the value of community support and shared experiences in overcoming personal challenges, encouraging listeners to seek connection and remain hopeful in their journeys.

• Jenna Johnson [67:43]: "Don't give up, don't give up... It can happen one way or another. Maybe not on your timeline, but just do not give up."

She reiterates the transformative power of vulnerability and openness, both in personal healing and in fostering supportive communities.

• Jenna Johnson [68:00]: "I've tried to have that same approach when it comes to my own social media. Be like a journal and be open because you never know what somebody is going through."

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Conclusion

Jenna Johnson's episode on The Squeeze offers a profound exploration of passion, purpose, and personal resilience. Through candid discussions about her dance career, motherhood, and overcoming infertility, she provides listeners with valuable insights into maintaining mental well-being amidst life's challenges. Her journey underscores the importance of community, self-care, and unwavering passion in navigating both personal and professional landscapes.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jenna Johnson [10:07]: "I started when I was three... There was the first time I kind of fell in love, if that's even a thing."

• Jenna Johnson [29:25]: "I need to keep the fire alive... I'm so grateful for everything."

• Jenna Johnson [52:25]: "A common denominator in my life is this need for control... You have to let go a lot."

• Jenna Johnson [67:43]: "Don't give up... Your baby is waiting for you."

• Jenna Johnson [76:05]: "I love dancing for live TV... there is no feeling like dancing for a live audience."

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections as per the podcast guidelines.

Transcript

[Jenna Johnson]

The following podcast is a dear media production.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

So we told Val that your guys episode is one of our top performing episodes to do.

[Jenna Johnson]

Really? It's a top 10.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

You've really elevated everything and you guys are killing it. I'm just so proud. I'm so happy for you.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

But we did tell Val we need to see who's this gonna do better now tell us.

[Jenna Johnson]

Snap.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. He wanted to take the credit. So we were like, well, I love a competition. We're have Jenna on. And here we are.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Who the common denominator is.

[Jenna Johnson]

No pressure. Jeez, you guys compete with that slicked back hair, little accent he has. I mean, he's hot.

[Kelsey Merritt]

And he dipped me. He's here. What are we gonna do?

[Jenna Johnson]

We'll see. We both are very opinionated. We're both Aries, if that means anything to anybody. We're fire and fire. We both think we're right most of the time.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I'm manifesting.

[Jenna Johnson]

Manifesting.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Thank you.

[Jenna Johnson]

Do I owe this to you? Do I owe the miracle? Julianne Hough remember seeing her dance one time and I was just like, I think that's when she booked Deal or no Deal.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Was she a Deal or no Deal girl?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes, I'm quite positive she was a suitcase girl.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I have to see if this deal or no Deal thing is real because.

[Jenna Johnson]

I'm quite positive we need to text her. I'm quite positive it was Deal or no Deal.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Very close.

[Jenna Johnson]

I was not a dealer.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

No Deal girl.

[Jenna Johnson]

But I was.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Jenna, welcome back to the Squeeze.

[Jenna Johnson]

Thank you.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Welcome back.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We are so excited to have you back. No, but we. So we told Val that obviously we're excited to have him back. And your guys episode is one of our top performing episodes we have. Really 10. Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

I loved that day. That was so like I had just had my baby. It was kind of like getting back into things. And I just remember being so like, warm and fuzzy here and now you've really elevated everything and you guys are killing it. I'm just so proud. I'm so happy for you. Like, yes, thank you.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Thank you. We did. I actually watched the interview back this morning and it was. I feel like we had fun. We were like giggly and chatty and I don't really think we, like, closed the loop on anything because we were like just pinging ideas.

[Kelsey Merritt]

How long ago was it?

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

This was over two years ago.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Over two years.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

We had our original set. The black couches.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. Black. Yeah. Everything Rome was, I think four months.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah. That is nuts.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Now he's A freaking toddler. Yeah, the world. But. But we did tell Valentine. We were like, it's one of our top performing episodes. So we had him on. We were like, we need to see who's this gonna do better now?

[Jenna Johnson]

Snap.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. He wanted to take the credit, so we were like, well, I love a competition. I have Jenna on. And here we are. So we had Val. Now we have you.

[Jenna Johnson]

No pressure.

[Kelsey Merritt]

And. Yeah, we're gonna see who. Who it was.

[Jenna Johnson]

Okay.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Who the common denominator is really that our lemon drops really connected with no press.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah, I know.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I am actually curious to see. See what that is. Good luck.

[Jenna Johnson]

Jeez, you guys, how can I compete with that slicked back hair, little accent he has? I mean, he's hot.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. And he dipped me.

[Jenna Johnson]

And he dipped you?

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. So what are we going to do?

[Jenna Johnson]

We'll see. What am I going to do today? Dip her.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I know.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We'll do some lifts after.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Okay. So we start each episode off with this jar. It's a game called Citrus Got Real.

[Jenna Johnson]

Okay.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

If you want to pull a little piece of paper out of there. So cute. And you can read it to us. Do you cheat? I mean, you just said yes. You planted it.

[Jenna Johnson]

You know what? Okay.

[Kelsey Merritt]

It's a good one.

[Jenna Johnson]

Don't worry. Oh. If you had to hop on a flight right now, all expenses paid, where would you travel to? Oh, that is so good.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Isn't that good? We go to the airport right now and choose anywhere.

[Jenna Johnson]

Oh, my gosh.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Where are you going?

[Jenna Johnson]

Okay.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I know. I actually don't know the answer, but it was a good question.

[Jenna Johnson]

You know where I'm gonna go?

[Kelsey Merritt]

Where?

[Jenna Johnson]

I'm going to go to Rome, Italy. And the reason why is because that place holds a very significant moment in my life. It was the first place I'd ever been to in Europe, and Val took me there. It was also the first place that we went to after we'd broken up and got back together. Oh. And it's where we refill in love. I really feel like it just established our roots and our relationship in a new way. And our son is named from that beautiful city. So I would love to take my family and go to Rome. It's just one of my favorite places in. In the world. It's so beautiful. The food is just. I mean. Yeah, Good Italian food, plus the art, the history, the museums. It's just, like, spectacular. Val and I have this thing where we have a really hard time going to beach vacations.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Okay.

[Jenna Johnson]

We get really anxious after, like, two days of doing Nothing on the beach. We're just like, what do we do with ourselves? We just don't know how to, like, sit down and relax, which we're working on. But we love walking. We love travel. We love running around the whole city, like, being so exhausted, getting all of our steps in. We love art. He's, like, really got me onto museums and stuff, and so. Yeah, I just think it would be so fun. And I haven't been back there since.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Oh, you haven't?

[Jenna Johnson]

No. I went one time. I would say this was eight years ago.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Wow.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah. And I'd love to go back. Oh, and bring my little Roma.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. So is that what you named him after? Like, that trip, like, you guys re falling in love?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah, that's for me, what it represents for Val. He. Val came up with the name, actually, so he did take credit for that. He. I'll give it to him. I'll give it to that guy. He did come up with it, and I thought it was so beautiful, but I think it has different meanings for both of us. He really wanted, like, a romantic name for his son and everything, and I just was like, this is perfect, because it's, like, it's. It's our love story. And he was made with so much love, so.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Wow. That's great. I didn't know that. That's cool.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Rome.

[Jenna Johnson]

That's where I would go.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Really not gonna. I have no clue how I'm gonna.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah, we're not gonna top that one.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Think of anywhere close to it.

[Kelsey Merritt]

But I'm just curious. When you go on vacations, who are you guys? More, like, activity people. You're like, you gotta keep the day busy. You want to be scheduling this and that.

[Jenna Johnson]

We have to wake up and go to the gym and, like, keep a routine.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

I can't just let myself go for a week, which working on.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

But I just. I love to be like, oh, I want to feel my best on vacation. Instead of, like, slump. But, yeah, we love, like, activities. If we're just letting the hours go by, it's. We're anxious.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I don't know if we can go.

[Jenna Johnson]

On vacation together, but maybe, like, people like you would help us.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah, we love that.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We think. I. I feel like. I feel like we could, in the sense of it would level out, but also, we haven't been on a vacation like that before. Like, when we go. We've only been on, like, actual, like, trip vacation. A couple. Well, that's alive. When we were with our friends, we hopped around Europe, and that we did stuff.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. Like, cognac was scheduled with activities.

[Jenna Johnson]

Guys, we could go together and we could do every other day. One day is chill, One day is explore. One day. You know what I mean? Mix it up.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. Yeah, I like it. I. I like both.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. I think we just haven't done a lot of. We want to go. Like, we really want to go to Tokyo. Where's places in Europe we really want to go, but I think we're nervous to do it, just us, because I don't know how that will be like, for Taylor with the traveling. Like, I think that's why we haven't done it. That's why I haven't spearheaded the idea of, like, I don't know, walking the streets of Rome. How. How is that going to be for you?

[Kelsey Merritt]

I don't know. There's only one way to find out.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah, I guess we have to go now.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I've only. I've been to Rome twice, I think on a press tour, but always for.

[Jenna Johnson]

24 hours for, like, work in and out.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I haven't been able to explore it at all.

[Jenna Johnson]

Maybe we'll have to put you in disguise, but there's nothing like walking around just in the city of love. Really?

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Just like cobblestone, and everyone's, like, outside eating pastas, and it's just music's playing in the distance.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

There's a coliseum right there in the middle of the city. It's just.

[Kelsey Merritt]

What's the fountains called?

[Jenna Johnson]

I'm not even going to try to pronounce it.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Cut it out. It's fine.

[Jenna Johnson]

True.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Oh, she knows.

[Jenna Johnson]

She knows that.

[Kelsey Merritt]

That exactly. I did do the. I did.

[Jenna Johnson]

You threw the thing.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yes.

[Jenna Johnson]

And it was like the fountain of love.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

What do you throw, like a.

[Jenna Johnson]

A penny or coin?

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Oh, that's in a. That's in a. A Disney movie.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Probably.

[Jenna Johnson]

Probably.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. It's very famous.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Okay.

[Kelsey Merritt]

But it's always, like, flooded with tourists.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes.

[Kelsey Merritt]

And, like, we were there on one of the. The Twilight press tours. So we literally pulled up in, like, our van with security and everything. Pulled up. I jumped out. There's literally hundreds and hundreds of people at the fountain. I jumped out for five seconds. Did the coin made your love wish? Yeah. Very quickly and efficiently.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Did you wish for me?

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yes.

[Jenna Johnson]

I wished Lee was there. See, you guys need to go to Rome together.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

You wished for me before I was there? Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Probably even 18, 20, 11.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah, 12.

[Jenna Johnson]

No, I probably was, though.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

It's fine.

[Jenna Johnson]

You were young, too.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I'm excited to. We didn't, like Dive into your dance origin and all of that stuff. And Taylor, I feel like, learned a little bit from Val about the Utah dance world.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Fascinating in all of it.

[Jenna Johnson]

The Mecca, I mean.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah, I guess I kind of want to know, like, when did dancer for you?

[Jenna Johnson]

I started when I was three.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Okay.

[Jenna Johnson]

I have two older sisters and they were both dancers. They are both dancers, but they were going to this studio out in Utah. It's called Center Stage Performing Arts Studios. And so they were actively in dance and competitive dance. And so I would kind of just get hauled along with the carpool. And I was obsessed. I would try to run into the dance classes and they start kids really young there. So when I was three, I got put into this like, cute little combo class. I just remember it sparked something like. Don't know what it was, but I just remember, like, there was the first time I kind of fell in love, if that's even a thing, or like, passion started for me. So, yeah, I started at the studio. And mind you, this studio is where Derek, Julianne, myself, Lindsay, Whitney, Ezra, Riley, Brandon, we've all come from this same studio where it all began for us. And so I was surrounded by epic dancers. And, you know, I think when you're growing up, you're like, oh, I'm going to try out soccer. I'm going to try out this. I'm going to try this. I never wanted to try anything else because I was just so set on, like, I loved dance and my mom never had to convince me to go to class or rehearsal. So that's when it started for me. And yeah, I just, I'm so glad that I also had two sisters to kind of follow in their footsteps. They ended up transitioning. One of my sisters, my oldest sister, she's 11 years older than I am, so she became one of my first teachers as well.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Wow.

[Jenna Johnson]

So she was one of my first company directors. She really guided me and helps me become into the dancer that I am today. And then I have a sister who's three and a half years older than me. Once she graduated high school, she transitioned into being a. A teacher as well. And she was my company director as well. So. Wow. I'm. I'm really lucky to have them. They are my, my guides. And even to this day, like when I'm choreographing for the show, if I'm stuck or I. I don't feel good about something on my routines, I'll send them the video and I'll be like, advice, help. Sos. What do I Need to do? What do I need to fix? They're just so smart and they. They know my style.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

So, yeah, that's where it all kind of started for me.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

That's so awes. No clue about that.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

That's really, really a family.

[Kelsey Merritt]

It's so crazy to me that there is this one place that in. In. Val said it, like, it's either the. It's either the Chemeskis.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Or the Utah girlies.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

It's like, it really is the best dancers in the world.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

It's. It's crazy. Again, there's a lot of discipline there.

[Kelsey Merritt]

What's the secret sauce? Why. How are they producing all these people, including yourself?

[Jenna Johnson]

In Utah, you put. You get your kids into something early.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Like, you want to find their passion early. And I kind of love that about it. Everyone's involved in extracurricular activities. Everyone's in sports or dance or gymnastics, and you just, like, do it, and you grow up with kids doing it. So there's this great camaraderie. There's this great, like, essence of team from a young age, which I think is really special, where you don't find that in a lot of different places. But it's also competitive, which sometimes to a fall, I think we need to, like, have a healthy balance. But it is very competitive.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah, it'll push you.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Be the best.

[Jenna Johnson]

But, you know, it's. It's so interesting. I'm. Man, life is so crazy. But I remember because Julianne Huff, she moved to London for a while. She was. She's from Utah, but she moved to London. She did a lot of her ballroom training out there. She danced with Mark Ballas. And I think for her senior year of high school, she came back to Utah. She, like, kind of stopped and was coming back to Utah. And I remember she started doing private lessons. And I remember seeing her dance one time, and I was just, like, dumbfounded at how a specimen could be so stunning and, like, sexy and sensual, but elevated. And so I was like, begged my mom, please, can I take a private lesson from her? Like, please, please, please, please, please. So she was like, okay. So I took this Latin, and I just kind of gotten introduced to ballroom at this point because I started with, like, a jazz, ballet, all the core stuff, and I wanted to take ballroom. And so she. We started doing private lessons after school on, like, Fridays. And one of our private lessons, she came in, she was wearing these, like, little jean shorts. She was the hottest thing I'd ever seen. And I was just like, omg. I get to learn cha cha locks from Julianne Huff. And then one day she called my mom and she was like, hey, I'm so sorry. I. I booked this gig in LA and I don't think I'll be able to do a private lesson with Jenna this week. I think that's when she booked Deal or no Deal. And then she literally never came back to Utah. She just like, bye. She, like, was she a dealer?

[Kelsey Merritt]

No deal.

[Jenna Johnson]

She. I'm quite positive she was a suitcase girl because we watched her and I was like, that's my teacher. But then she, like, literally never came back to Utah and then she just became Julianne Hough. But I remember, like, that was the first time I had idolized somebody being like, omg. Like, there's something special about her that I. I really want that. So, yeah, I. I'm so grateful that I got, like, a little piece of Julianne's training before she took off and became freaking superstar.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

That's such a good story.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

What was the she like? She starred in a movie.

[Jenna Johnson]

She did Footloose.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Footloose, yes.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yep.

[Jenna Johnson]

But that was after Dancing with the Stars and then she did her music career, then she did Footloose and then burlesque.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Like, I have to see if this Deal or no Deal thing is real because I'm quite positive this will blow my mind.

[Jenna Johnson]

We need to text her. I'm pretty sure that's like, one of her first gigs was a Deal or no Deal.

[Kelsey Merritt]

There's a good chance she was one of my first crushes if she was a Deal or no Deal girl because that, like, the age I was at.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Some of my first crushes were Deal or no Deal girls.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah. When they, like, open the briefcase.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

How much money are we getting? Yeah. I was like, I can see that. Wow.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I like number 12. Dang. She only had five bucks in there, like, and then they. Then they have to leave for the rest of the episode.

[Jenna Johnson]

Honey, I can't wait for us to call her.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

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From Quince, go to quince.com/squeeze for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E dot com squeeze to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com squeeze wait. Okay, I remembered my question from way back when. What? What did you say? What age you started Ballroom?

[Jenna Johnson]

I started ballroom around 8 to 10.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Okay. Is that norm? Like at Center Stage, does everyone do all normal styles and ballroom?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Okay.

[Jenna Johnson]

And that's what makes this specific studio so unique.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Okay.

[Jenna Johnson]

Is because you cross train instead of picking One like being a convention kid and just doing these couple of styles. We always did both and that was something that just made us stand out, always at competitions. But we had partnering, which a lot of young kids don't get. And so we already knew how to like, interact with a guy, do lifts, do these different things. See, I was like 8 to 10, starting ballroom.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

It's so cool.

[Jenna Johnson]

Dancing with a boy for the first time.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

That's so. It's funny you say that though, because I grew up dancing. I obviously had no ballroom anything, no male partner experience. And then I went to college for dance for a little bit before nursing. But that was the first time I'd ever partnered with a guy. And it was a little odd to me at first because I was like, how, like, I'm just gonna trust someone. I mean, I was always the one that was like lifted in things, but it wasn't like, I'm not like trusting this one human to lift me. And like actually dancing with someone, it is different.

[Jenna Johnson]

I always tell people, especially dancers, wanting to come out here and be an industry dancer, commercial dancer. The ones that always get hired are the ones that have experience in partnering. It's just how it is. And it's so unique to me or so interesting to me that some of the best industry dancers, like, they're just smashing it. And as soon as you put them in a partner scenario, they stress ball change and like, cannot do a step and like panic. It's so mind blowing to me. So I'm so grateful that like at a young age I was thrown into these scenarios where my teammate was a guy.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And we had to figure it out and make it work and I love it.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. Were you always like, I'm doing dance forever or.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Did it get to a point where you got older and you were like, okay, do I want to actually like, like pursue this professionally or what? Was that for you?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah. I always. I remember at 16, I tried to convince my parents to let me graduate early and move to LA and try to get started working and dancing. And they were already stressed that I wasn't a normal child, like having normal experiences because I would do half days at school and then go straight to the studio and train for hours on end. Yeah. And that was my life and I loved it. I was the one that was asking for that.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

So they really wanted to maintain these childhood experiences, like going to a prom or this, where I was like, I'm not going to need this in the future. This isn't going to help My dance career. And they were like, no, you need this to be a human. A human being. And I'm really. Now looking back, I'm grateful that I had that, because I wasn't. I was not a social kid. I just was always so driven and motivated. But now looking back, I like, when I'm looking at my child now, I want him to have those experiences.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

He needs to be a kid. Because I think the reason why they forced me to have a normal upbringing is what made me not lose my passion for dance. I didn't burn out, you know.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

But, yeah, I always knew that I wanted to make it a career. And at that time, like, so youo think you can dance and Dancing with the Stars were exploding.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

So I saw a path of, maybe I do this and maybe I can pursue it and it will become a thing.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Didn't know how or what the tools were to get me there, but I was just like, this is. This is what I want to do.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah. You said something that I was going to ask about. So jumping forward a little bit now, unless you want to stay there for a sec. Now that dance, like, is your job.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Is it hard to keep that passion, or do you. How do you, like. Do those lines get blurred?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes. Yes and no.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Okay.

[Jenna Johnson]

And I had to. I had to figure that out. I think the hard. Right, the hard way. Especially with Dancing with the Stars, it's so incredible. But it can become pretty monotonous in the rhythm of things. Right. You meet a celebrity, you have this journey, you get eliminated, you win, you go on tour. And I was getting into a rhythm that wasn't making me inspired. But because I wasn't reinventing myself as a choreographer, as a dancing, I was just kind of going through the motions. And so it wasn't until I really. I was pregnant. Well, actually, no, I really wanted to be pregnant. And I was having a hard time getting pregnant, and I'd had a miscarriage. And I was just like, my world was crumbling. I was so lost, so confused. And I was asked to dance with a girl that coming season. And in my mind, I had wanted to take a break from the show because I wanted to be pregnant. So I was already kind of like one foot in, one foot out. And I was just like, ugh, I don't know if I can handle this. Anyway, I said yes, and I ended up dancing with JoJo Siwa. And that really, like, reignited my love for dance. And it was a challenge. The choreography had to be different from what I had ever done before. And the way I approached things, like, it wasn't. I couldn't rely on things I had just done so easily in the past. And that, I think, was such a turning point for me where I. I realized, like, it's on me to. To keep this passion alive.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Reignite the flame.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah. Like, I've got to approach things differently. I can't just take each season and. And do the same motions because, yeah, then I'm gonna get really burnt out and I'm not gonna love it. And so I think that was a really big moment for me. And then I ended up getting pregnant right after that season and taking a season off and getting to watch the show from the sidelines and be in the audience. So also then made me miss being on the dance floor. And I had to have those conversations of, like, why do I love dance? Why am I missing it? You know? And so I think timing was so, so perfect for me in that year, year and a half of, like, having to confront where I was at with my biggest joy in my career. And I wasn't happy or I was. I just felt stuck. I wasn't going anywhere and then missing it and then re. Falling in love with it. And. And then I was so excited to come back after I had had my son. I was just energized. And I was like, okay, I'm never gonna take this for granted again. And then just so many beautiful things in dance happened after that. Like, we were nominated for an Emmy, and then I ended up winning this past season with Joey. So I think I needed that dull moment to be like, why do I love this? Don't take this for granted. It can be taken away from you so, so fast. And then I just really put. Put the pressure on me to, like, this is up to you then.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Keep the fire alive.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah, I have. Sorry, I have one more. This question is going to require you to brag about yourself, so. But. Oh, is there? Okay. So the. This last season.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

That you won with Joey. It's is the first season I've ever watched.

[Jenna Johnson]

What?

[Kelsey Merritt]

And I'm hooked now. I get it now.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I've been trying to get him to watch it for so long.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I've seen episodes. I've seen random episodes.

[Jenna Johnson]

Okay. But you were like, this was the.

[Kelsey Merritt]

One where I watched the whole season.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Great one to start with.

[Jenna Johnson]

Thank you. Yeah. Great one to start with.

[Kelsey Merritt]

From what I've gathered.

[Jenna Johnson]

Okay.

[Kelsey Merritt]

You are, like, the choreographer guru. Like, you're, like, known for that famously. What. How do you how do you. How do you become that? How, like, where does the choreographer in you come from?

[Jenna Johnson]

That is such a great question, because I don't know. I don't know what the answer is for everybody. But I'll tell you how it happened for me because, again, we're. We were trained to be dancers, exquisite dancers. Right. But choreography isn't something that's like, here's how you orchestrate a great dance or come up with formations. But I luckily had amazing mentors that inspired me to want to be a choreographer. One specific. Well, a couple, my sisters. Both of them are really great choreographers as well. They're just smart when it comes to, like, spacing transitions, how to come up with a routine from beginning to end. That makes sense. And, you know, it is exciting. Then I started working with a choreographer named Mandy Moore at a very young age. I think she started coming to our studio when I was around 8. And so I've just watched her choreograph for so many years, and I was so lucky to work with her on so youo Think youk Can Dance. And then when I joined Dancing with the Stars, she was like the head choreographer doing all of the opening numbers at the time.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Time.

[Jenna Johnson]

And she did that for a couple of years. And she would ask me to come in early and help a sister or to kind of prep some moves before everybody else came in. And so I really felt like I got a firsthand. Here is how you choreograph a brilliant routine, because she is, in my opinion, the best of the best. Yes. She. For those of you. You that don't know who Mandy Moore is, she did La La Land. She did. She choreographed all the dance scenes for Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. She's just.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Did she do Taylor's tour?

[Jenna Johnson]

She did the Heiress tour.

[Kelsey Merritt]

She did.

[Jenna Johnson]

She choreographed the Eras tour. She's done almost all of the Dancing with the Stars tours. She's just so smart, and I think our brains are similar. And she approaches it very, like, visually where. And this is how I do it now, where I have to have a notebook, and every time I get a new routine or a new song, I have to listen to it over and over again. I write. I write out all of the eights. I rather. I write out specific lyrics that, like, make me feel a certain type of way, whether it says, like, heart or embrace or whatever it is that I'm. I know that I want to pinpoint in the choreography and, like, make a moment. She's all about moments. And for me, that's what makes dance so relatable and special, is if you can make somebody feel an emotion or feeling or sensation. And so I just really learned everything I know from her. I'm so, so grateful for her and everything she's done. And, yeah, she's just the absolute best. And I feel like Val and I learned a lot from her together, and she always had us prep with her together. And that's what really also formed our. Our relationship when it comes to choreography as well. We just figured out what worked for us and how to come up with routines together. So, yeah, that's kind of how it happened for me. But for me, I guess I just love visuals. I love emotion. I always want people to feel something when they watch my routines. So that's kind of how I approach it as a choreographer. But there is no rule book, like, here's how to do it. Just kind of, like, do it.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

So good. It's so true. How are you and Val together when you're choreographing things? Like, how do you. Because I guess because we work together in the sense of, obviously, we're doing this, but. Yeah, like, there's not, like a. Like, you can be like, I think we should go left. He's like, no, we should definitely go to the. Like, how do you.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah, it's interesting.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Settle a disagreement, because with us, I feel like it's a lot easier. He's like, no, we should actually start a social club like this. I'm like, okay, great. Let's do that. But, like, you can actually have, like, two.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah, I guess. I guess. No, for sure. I guess to, like, relate it. It was. If you would be doing, like, his acting scene, and he was like, I think you should cry on this part. And you're like, I really don't think I should cry. It's not the right emotion. Yeah, that's kind of how it is for us when we're creating. Yeah, we both are very opinionate. Oh, my gosh. Opinionated. We're both Aries, if that means anything to anybody. But so we're fire and fire. Yeah. And we both think we're right most of the time, which is really fun. But, no, I think there's also no rulebook on how to work with your spouse or create with your spouse. I think both of us are very passionate and have an intimate relationship with dance, and so we have to respect that first and foremost, like, coming into a space together. But he always pushes me and challenges me in the studio. That I need that. And I always feel like my, some of my best work comes from his opinion or his challenge or his push. And so I really love creating with him also too. When it comes to like, emotion and things getting to dance, then our own movement is so special. It's just like, I, I don't know how to. It's just euphoric, really. It's just doing something with the person that you love, that you love most. It's just magic. But getting to create a piece like the Len Goodman tribute that we were asked to choreograph two seasons ago, they want an Emmy. That one that was very stressful because we understood the pressure first of all and the sentiment. How do you pay tribute to someone's legacy in three minutes with dance moves? But dance is so special in that sense that it can create the most glorious emotions through movement. And I think when there's a general or a cohesive intention behind the movement, that's when magic happens. And that was what happened in the ballroom. So, yes, we, we did a great piece. We choreographed good movement, but I think everybody showing up having a similar intention and emotion is what really made that piece come to life.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

So it was so beautiful.

[Jenna Johnson]

Thanks you guys. Really. I did love that number.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

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[Kelsey Merritt]

Absolutely.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We just had him and Kelsey over the other night. Finally we had them. We've had them on the podcast separately but. But we've been trying to plan a double date with them for literally ever. And we like found one Monday that everyone was in town. We were like, come over, have dinner.

[Kelsey Merritt]

But we did it.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We did. We did do it. What was your experience dancing with Joey?

[Kelsey Merritt]

Terrible.

[Jenna Johnson]

Absolutely terrible.

[Kelsey Merritt]

What a nightmare.

[Jenna Johnson]

Oh man, Joseph, he is just one of the best people I've ever met. Truly. I did not watch his season of the Bachelor at all. And he knows this, but I had kind of like stopped watching it and. But my sister is a very avid Bachelor fan and so when she found out that he was going to be on, she was like, jenna dead. You have to have Joey. And I was like, really? He seems kind of boring. Like, you know, because he wasn't ever like controversial from what I had heard. There was no crazy headlines ever.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Which boring.

[Jenna Johnson]

Because he's the best. Anyways, I was like, yeah. Anyway, we met, and immediately I just felt like we'd known each other our whole lives. He is very scarily like a doppelganger to one of my brothers. And so maybe that's what connected us so quickly. But he, like, my brother, plays tennis, has played it through college. One of the most genuine, generous people I've ever met. Understanding, emotionally intelligent.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And that was Joey. He was just like, yeah, he's just great. And was down.

[Kelsey Merritt]

So down.

[Jenna Johnson]

He's just a guy's guy. Like, just down. Yeah. Doesn't have an ego, cares, but isn't. Wasn't ever, never, ever took anything I said to him personally. And I wasn't always the easiest to deal with. I had my days, for sure, but he just. Just wanted to do well and wanted to get better and wanted to experience all the Dancing with the Stars had to offer. So whether that was wear a wig for Hair Metal night that looked so crazy, or to rip open a shirt for the fourth time, because I was like, give the people what they want. He was just down, and I think that's why people loved him so much.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Like, that's what the show's about. If you think about it, we're. We're just dancing around in rhinestones, like, acting like fools kind of. But if you embrace it and. And start to love dance as much as he did, people feel that.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. I feel like you could really feel the. He wanted it for you just as much as you wanted it for him. I felt like even, like a couple weeks in, that was very apparent that it was like you both were. Wanted it for yourselves, but also equally as much for the other. What?

[Jenna Johnson]

Just to kind of like, give you a tidbit of Joey when we won, that moment was such a blur. And I just remember screaming the whole, like, screaming. Looking at him jumping up and down, just being like, Joey. And Alfonso came over to him and was like, joey, what does this moment feel like for you? He took the mic, and the first thing he said was, I just wanted this for Jenna more than anything. And I'm so happy she had her moment. Like, that's the type of person he is.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

There are. He's just. Yeah. Gonna be in my life forever. I'm so happy we got to experience that chapter together. I know that you don't come across those partners or relationships very often, so I will hold that near and dear to my heart forever. He is just like, One in a billion.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

That's so sweet.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Why was he so good? Like, it doesn't make.

[Jenna Johnson]

It doesn't make sense.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Like, week two, we were going, why is he good?

[Jenna Johnson]

He's not a dance. He's never. He took like, a mambo class in college one time, and he was like. I rarely showed up. Like. But the reason why he's so good is he knows music.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Okay.

[Jenna Johnson]

He can, like, he has natural rhythm, which for a white guy is really hard. And to, like, naturally be able to. I've seen you move.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

He just needs a little tequila, then he's fine.

[Jenna Johnson]

Great. We could take a shot every show. You know what I mean? You could take one, I would watch, cheer you on, and we could go do the jive. No. But, yeah, Joey. Joey's just so great.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I remember after. I think it was.

[Jenna Johnson]

Was.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I think it was week four, I went to a taping and.

[Jenna Johnson]

Oh, yes, I saw you also.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

That was one of the sweetest moments. I came home and told Taylor about, like, this, like, while the show was going on, like, you are all in. In your own world, obviously, you're doing this live show.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

And after, like, I was, you know, halfway up in the audience and you and Val saw me, you guys, like, waved and you both ran over and gave me a hug and I came home. I, like, that. Was this one of the sweetest things? Like, this is, like, your guys's time. You're, like, you're in your lane. You're in your zone. You're putting on this show after. You're probably exhausted. Like, you're ready to go home. You've been there since 8am and the fact that you both, like, one saw me, acknowledged me and, like, came up and were just chatting with me, like, I just thought it was really sweet. And I was like, you guys didn't. Like, you're in the middle of doing your thing. You do not need to say hi.

[Jenna Johnson]

I think it's so comforting. And.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

And.

[Jenna Johnson]

It. It's so comforting to see familiar faces in the audience in those stressful environments because our families don't come as often. You know, his parents will have a heart attack if they ever watch the show in person. They, like, can't handle the stress. My family travels when they can, but every week it's like strangers. So when there are those spaces that feel like home, it's. It means a lot. It's grounding. So. Of course, I was so happy to see you. That made me.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I was at the.

[Jenna Johnson]

Take a deep breath. Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I was at finale too. And that was so fun. Like, getting to, like, see that all firsthand happen was just, like, so exciting and nuts. I wanted it so badly for you guys because I knew how badly you wanted it. But also just the love and respect and commitment you guys had to doing it for each other was truly just.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Didn't you? You told me that after whatever week it was four, you told me that. You told Jenna.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Oh, yeah. When we talked after, I was like, why is Joey so good? And you're like, I have no clue. And I was like, I think you could win. Win. And you're like, I know. I think so. And I got home and my friend was like, did you just jinx it for her? I was like, no, I'm.

[Jenna Johnson]

I'm manifesting.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I'm seeing it for her. Thank you.

[Jenna Johnson]

Do I owe this to you? Do I owe the miracle? Wow. No, thank you. I saw early on that we might have a chance, but you just never know. And there was so many good contenders. Alona, Chandler, Steven. Like, there were so many Danny. There were so many good personalities. So I just was like, like, whatever it is, I'll be happy because I've just had such a fulfilling season with Joey.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

But to be able to take it home was really the cherry on top.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

How do you. How do you, like, what's the mentality going into next season now? Are you just, like, you're fine with whatever. Do you, like, wanted again?

[Jenna Johnson]

I'm so competitive. I'm so grateful. And I'm gonna stay in that moment of being like, I just had a once in a lifetime opportunity last season with someone so special. I'm not gonna forget about that.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

So I don't want to be too greedy, but I'd still love to have an impact this.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

You know, this upcoming season, that's always the goal. So whether it's a different approach, whether it's really focusing on choreography and having more moments in that regard, like, I'm excited. I love. I love. It's like the beginning of a new school year. Honestly, you're just like, what's gonna happen?

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I'm so excited. I need them to just bring back to a year's.

[Jenna Johnson]

Oh, two seasons a year. Why not? It'd be so fun.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

My chances of getting on. Hey, do you have any more dance questions?

[Kelsey Merritt]

No, no, I asked my dance questions.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

You got them all out. Are you sure? That's funny. Okay, let's talk about motherhood.

[Jenna Johnson]

Ah, yes.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Let's do it. Okay, so we said last time when you were here, Almost four months.

[Jenna Johnson]

Four months old.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

And now by the time this comes out, he'll be almost. Almost two and a half.

[Jenna Johnson]

Literally almost. Yeah. Wow. Time flies.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

How has parenting changed over these past couple years?

[Jenna Johnson]

Well, I think in the beginning you're kind of just like in survival mode of like, what is our new routine? We're now parents. Are we equipped to do this?

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And you're kind of just like day by day taking it. And now he's this little man with a personality and a voice and an opinion and it's so fun. He is just the yummiest little squish.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

He's so cute.

[Jenna Johnson]

Thank you.

[Kelsey Merritt]

But is this a good age? This is great fun stage.

[Jenna Johnson]

Here's the thing that's. People say like terrible tunes, which I understand because he does have his moments for sure. But I've been reading these things about their emotions are starting to really tap in right now and they don't know these big feelings that they're feeling. So if he's having an outburst or something, I shouldn't think of it in a negative regard of like I'm doing something wrong. But he's trying to figure out how to navigate through these strong emotions.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

So I'm trying to convince myself of that. These strong emotions that are happening. But it is such a fun age. Like the new words or phrases that he's putting together. He just, just. I don't know where he. He started school, so I feel like he's been learning a lot of new things from school. But he just started saying, and I don't know why this word takes me out, but when this little man. Human is looking at me and I say, rome, you want to go ride your bike? Yeah, mom. Yeah. Like, did you just think about that? Like. And also, where did you learn? Who said that to you? So sweet.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Oh my gosh.

[Jenna Johnson]

So fun. And they have energy, they keep you on your toes. He's constantly making us laugh.

[Kelsey Merritt]

H. What does he have from both of you, personality wise?

[Jenna Johnson]

When I tell you, it's as if someone just like smashed me in Val.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Really?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes. Cuz there are so many attributes that I'm like, oh, that is Val. His personality, part of his personality. Like he's got the scowl, like this face. He's very. He's a little timid at first of people, which. That's Val to a T. Yeah. Because if you don't know him, you're like, oh, Val's very reserved. He's a little intimidating. And then you get to know him and he's Just like this goofy guy that wants to do comedy, you know, stand up.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

That's kind of Rome like he's a. He's very thoughtful, very methodical and just like how his approach is to people or new experiences. But then he is funny. He's just goofy. I think he has a lot of my mannerisms when it comes to like our facial expressions. He has my very big eyes and so he's really expressive. He loves music and singing. And I will not say that I am a singer at all. I will not claim that. But something that was really important in my upbringing, my mom sang to us constantly. Just always singing lullabies, nursery rhymes, whatever it was. We were always singing. And so I. Since Rome came home from the hospital, we sing like songs every night together. And then Val started doing it. It's so funny because the difference in our songs, I'm singing like Twinkle twinkle little star and I love you, you love me from Barney. Val's over here singing New York State of mind to my 2 year old. And guess what? He knows almost all of the lyrics to New York State of Mind.

[Kelsey Merritt]

No.

[Jenna Johnson]

But he's got an incredible voice and he loves music. So it's just, it's so fun to see like their interest. But man, he just makes life so much better.

[Kelsey Merritt]

That's awesome.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

I'm curious what. What's been the biggest thing that you've learned or something that's been a lot more meaningful or surprising to you?

[Jenna Johnson]

I think a common denominator in my life is this need for control. I am such a control freak. And I think motherhood or parenthood in general, you have to let go a lot. You've gotta just go with the flow.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Give into certain situations. And I think that that has actually been one of the best things for me. Something that therapy could never really trigger. My pinpoint on how to let go fully. Motherhood has just been that where my house is going to probably be a disaster one day and that's okay. Or we're going to go on a flight with my 2 year old and he's not going to behave perfectly and that is okay. Or I'm not gonna have my full to do list done by the end of the day. That's freaking okay. Like life goes on as long as everyone is healthy and happy and smiling.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Like life is so beautiful.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And I think also just I care less about what people think.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Because I have so much more purpose. Where before kids, you know, people's comments about me or what I did or My life or how I looked this. That they would. They would affect me in a certain. To it. To a point. Certain extent. And now I'm just like, unless you're my son or my husband, I really don't care about your opinion to a degree, because, like, this is all that matters to me.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

I'm not going to obsess over this. I don't have time. First of all.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Second of all, I just. I want to be in my bubble.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And I. And if people's opinions or. Or hate or whatever is going to burst, that. I don't need it. I don't have time for it. So I think those have been some really powerful things that have, like, saved me, in a sense, from motherhood, which I was not expecting.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. That's awesome. That's really cool how obviously you work in the sense of you're a boss mom and you are getting your work done. You're doing Dancing with the Stars, touring, doing all of this stuff. I'm curious how if you struggle at all with mom guilt, because I think moms put a lot of pressure on themselves.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

And a lot of women feel like they either have to sacrifice their career or give something up in order to be a mom.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Curious how you've dealt with that.

[Jenna Johnson]

I definitely have felt mom guilt, for sure. Last season was the first time I had made it all the way to the end of the show, to the finale, and been an active mom, and I was having to leave my son hours on. On end, and I was also exhausted. And so that was. That was interesting trying to figure it out. And I knew that there was an end goal, you know? And so I think that also motivated me, in a sense, to, like, do it for him and show him why Mommy has been away for so long. And I think showing him what passion is and never losing that has been important for me, but also just barely. My most recent mom guilt has been going on the Dancing with the Stars tour. And this past tour, they weren't able to accommodate our whole family. And we didn't really get into it or announce why we weren't going together. But, you know, there was an opportunity for myself and Joey to go right after we had won. And I debated on whether to go because I was going to have to leave Rome and my husband for quite a while. And Val was just so not adamant, but he was very supportive and saying, like, you should do this.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

When else are you gonna have this moment? Right. And so he really helped push me into, like, going on the tour, while I was away, I was getting all of these dms and comments because I would share Rome at home and us FaceTiming before bedtime or what he was doing while I was away. People were like, wow, I could never leave my child for that long. Like, you should be at home with your son all of a sudden, you know, just like, crazy. Comments which teach their own. But so that did make me feel guilt. Guilty, I guess.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

But in the grand scheme of things, I know that I will look back on that time and be so grateful that I did it for myself.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

In a selfish way, which I think you have to have moments of selfishness in motherhood to not lose yourself fully, which is really, really hard to do. But, you know, Rome got to come out and visit me on tour and he got to see me perform and. And he got to be backstage and he gotta, like, sit in the audience during meet and Great. Like, these are moments that I know that we'll look back on as a family and be like, how special was that time? You know? But also, I'm grateful that I have quite a few moms on the show as well that are navigating it. So getting to confide in someone like a Daniella or a PETA or Whitney who are going through those same struggles, I think it's really awesome to have that. That circle to be able to trust and, like, vent to.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. Wow. I didn't even think about that aspect of. There is other moms on the show. That's something that they're completely also navigating.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah. And it. It's a first for a lot of us. So to be able to do it together and to kind of lean on each other, I'm. I'm so grateful for, like, Daniella had her daughter on the road, and I felt like I got to be mommy to her and in certain moments, you know, and get my little, like, toddler fix, which was so special. So, yeah, it's really interesting.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Her and Rome are close.

[Jenna Johnson]

They're a couple months apart.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Johnson]

I think five months apart. Nikita and Rome.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. She's the cutest when they're. When the two of them are together.

[Jenna Johnson]

Like a love story.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Truly an arranged marriage for sure. Low key.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

But yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

There's videos of this.

[Jenna Johnson]

Oh, pictures and videos.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

You need to just follow everyone because there's so many cute kid videos. Like, I was telling him about Lindsay posting, like, Sage stepping on her little, like, stars and squares Sage video.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes.

[Kelsey Merritt]

She's one of a kind.

[Jenna Johnson]

Sage Needs her own show.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Honestly, it's like her personality is crazy.

[Jenna Johnson]

She's coming for all of our jobs, and I'm here for it. I'm like, take it. Come on, sweetie.

[Kelsey Merritt]

So funny.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

She is really cute. She. She probably does need her own show. I'll have to talk to Lindsay about it.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Okay. So last time you were here, you touched a little bit on going to therapy after your miscarriage.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We didn't dive too much into that time. I'd love to kind of hear about that time for you and what made you take the step into actually going to therapy.

[Jenna Johnson]

H.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

If you're comfortable.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah, for sure. No, I'm a big therapy advocate, but I think at that time, I didn't just. I just felt so lost, so dark, rock bottom. I didn't know who I was, what my purpose was, what my worth was. I was mourning this thing that I wanted more than anything, which was pregnancy or. And this baby. And, you know, Val and I had a lot of deep conversations, and I think he. He could sense that I was a shell of myself.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And he was one of the ones that really encouraged me to, like, maybe you need to see somebody or talk with somebody, because there were just certain things that he couldn't relate to. And I'm sure he was hearing the same story over and over that I was crying about or venting about. And I think there's certain conversations that you need to have with your spouse, but I think there's also certain conversations that somebody else needs to. To navigate. Help navigate for you without this emotional biased opinion. So he. He was like, you know, if you feel comfortable, I think this is something that you should do. And we actually both started to go to therapy at that time. I felt like also our relationship was. Was just not where it needed to be as well. And it was because I was just. I wasn't my. I wasn't me. I wasn't Jenna. So I started to go to therapy then, and that really, really helped me. The first. I remember I was so embarrassed because my first appointment, I don't even know if I spoke. I just mostly sobbed the whole time, But I kind of needed that, you know? And she was so understanding and just, like, there for me. But I just remember being like, oh, my gosh, I'm one of those. Just sobbed in her chair.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I mean, the fact that you felt.

[Jenna Johnson]

Comfortable enough, though, I think I was at. I was just there. I was at that point where I just needed to. Yeah. And I couldn't believe how much better I Felt after just like, having a safe space.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And then we really started to work on things and to talk about where this was coming from. You know, really dive in. Childhood things that had been brought into my adult life. This pressure, this need to control. There were so many things I learned. I went in trying to not fix the situation, but kind of help mourn this miscarriage.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

But I ended up learning so much more in that process, and I just love therapy. I'm. Everybody needs to do it. I think if you're up for it, you need to be open. But it just really saved me in that time.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. We both are. Big therapy.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Was this the first there? Like, did you get lucky on the first time?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

With the therapist?

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Wow. Okay.

[Jenna Johnson]

This was. Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Sometimes it takes.

[Jenna Johnson]

And it's interesting because she. I was with her while after I had experienced my miscarriage, we had stopped trying to get pregnant, and I was still with her when I actually found out I was pregnant with Rome. And I remember I had to cancel an appointment because I was so sick, and I had found out that day that I was pregnant. And so I was like, I have to actually cancel. I'm so sorry. I'm pregnant. Like, I think I'm pregnant. And she was very happy with me or for me. But, yeah, it was interesting because I think that's also when I've was confronted about certain things about my body that I was not expecting to come forth in these therapy sessions. So it was just so helpful for me to really, like, confront so many things that I was dealing with, but pushing aside or suppressing. But through that, like, miscarriage experience, I. I learned and gained so much.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Wow. How do you. This might be a personal question. Totally fine to cut it out. But I'm curious how. How now, having struggled with fertility, is it scary for you wanting to try again? Like.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

How do you. How do you approach that? Because I'm sure there's pressure, but also, like, such a fear behind it.

[Jenna Johnson]

A lot of people have been asking us recently, you know, like, baby number two, are you guys. You know, when's the next baby gonna come? And it's something that I've had to voice to Val is it's terrifying for me to want to jump into that again, because I remember the first time being so desperate for this baby, and it really put me in such a bad place again. Not that that's how it's gonna go again, but I think even tapping into that past just scares. Scares me so bad. So I think that's kind of made me want to take my time and not rush into anything or, you know, just take a different approach, which I think we will when we're ready to start trying for baby number two. But it's been something that I did not expect. Was that, like, trauma of peeing on ovulation sticks, tracking my periods, peeing on pregnant, thousands of pregnancy tests and them all being negative. Like, that is a time in my life that really wrecked me. So it is. It is scary. But then again, like. Like I just on a flu, got pregnant with Rome, and that was such a beautiful experience. We weren't trying. So again, I. I don't know how it's gonna go this next time.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

But it. It does really, really scare me.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. I feel like when that time does come, I feel like you'll be well equipped because of everything, all the work that you've put in.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

And I feel like it's.

[Jenna Johnson]

They'll.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

You'll be able to handle things whether. However they go for you.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

It seems like you'll be in a really good headspace because you've put the work in.

[Jenna Johnson]

I. I agree, and thank you for that. But I think, yeah, I think I need to just have the mindset of, like, yeah, everybody has their own journey and their own path to this. And what. I. Take back what happened to me all those years ago. No, because it's where I. It got me to where I am today. So I know that even in those low points in our life, there's always, always. There's always a better outcome. There's always a journey that you learn something from. So I just gotta take it, take it how it is and go with the flow. And whatever's meant to happen will happen. But it has. I thought I would be like, let's bang them out back to back to back.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

But it's been so interesting for me to be like, oh, this does scare me. I'm not sure I want to do that again.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. I'm curious what advice you have for women that are struggling dealing with infertility.

[Jenna Johnson]

Something that really got me through was watching other people's videos. I know that's so weird to say, but these YouTube videos of these vulnerable, beautiful women that were strong enough to open up about their experiences really got me through. I remember, like, in the middle of the night, watching these videos about their trying to conceive journey. They were the ones that gave me hope. And every time they got a pregnancy, a positive pregnancy test. I remember, like, crying during some of them because I was so invested in their journey and I was so happy for them. And so I think if you can find a community that you feel safe enough to, to be open with or to even secretly watch videos or keep keep tabs on what they're doing, like that's what gave me hope.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

And to not stop trying or to like lose faith in this whole, whole journey. So I'm so grateful to this. They call it the ttc trying to conceive community that puts themselves out there for people. I really, really looked to them and even during my miscarriage there was another beautiful community that I was not expecting who had shared their stories and that's, I feel like what helped me really heal in those moments.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah, there's. We talk about like, I feel like we mainly focus on the negatives of social media because there are.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

But in instances like this there could be such a healing community, just life giving space.

[Kelsey Merritt]

So true.

[Jenna Johnson]

I think I've really. Yes. I so agree with you. I've tried to. Now I look at my social media more of a journal because I see the value in being vulnerable and open. Obviously people can come in real hot with some negativity, but I just know that those accounts that I get to look to and be like, wow, I'm so grateful they shared that tidbit because I feel seen, I feel heard. That's exactly how I feel. And they're strangers, they don't know me. You know, I, I just really was so impacted by that. And so I've tried to have that same approach when it comes to my own social media. Be like a journal and be open because you never know what somebody is going through. And there have been many times where beautiful moms have reached out to me and been like, thank you for sharing this. Like I went through something similar, all of this. So yeah. And anyone that's going through infertility, miscarriage, like, don't give up, don't give up. Do what you need to do for you. But it's going to happen one way or another. Maybe on. Not on your timeline, but just do not give up. Don't lose that hope. Your baby is waiting for you and when they come to you, it's going to fulfill every need that you ever dreamed of. So.

[Kelsey Merritt]

I know.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. Like sucking my tears back up. What's next for you?

[Kelsey Merritt]

What a transition.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Oh, I can't really thought that. Really? Well, no. Well, when I was watching back our interview with the both of you, it was really at a time where our. We we were very new to this whole infertility, miscarriage thing. Nothing personally, but I remember you had said friends.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We had friends that were told they would never naturally get pregnant. Tried for years, did multiple rounds of ivf, finally got pregnant, and then randomly on a fluke, got naturally pregnant eight months after that baby was born. And we've had people close to us have miscarriages since then, struggle with infertility. I think we told you guys we had two people at our wedding that had just found out they were pregnant and both of them miscarried. So it was like really eye openening. It was an eye openening time for us because I feel like it's talked about more but how common miscarriages are and how common infertility is.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

And since then it's been cool. It was cool to watch that back, to hear like how shocked we were that one in four women, like have a miscarriage and.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

And then in the last two years we've seen it.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Merritt]

With all of our friends.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah. So many people in our life. But it's been, it's been cool to see the evolution of even how we're talking about it just from two years ago to now. So I'm really thankful for you guys coming on and sharing that because it was. It was a cool moment for us to like sit down and talk with a couple about it. And you know, obviously we'll start trying at some point here. And I feel like we've been able to learn a lot from people like you and Val about it and like how, you know, there's. It is likely that's going to happen. Like something like that is going to happen.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

God willing not. But hearing those stories, it helps prepare you in a sense.

[Jenna Johnson]

It is very crazy how common it is. And I think, think the biggest thing that I've learned through all of this and all of the research and is there's really nothing wrong with you.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah.

[Jenna Johnson]

Or nothing that you do to create this instance for yourself. And I think that was something that I struggled with. I just. I was so resentful of my body. I felt like it had failed me. Just like my tool. That had been my best friend for my career and my biggest passion. I was. Was so angry at it. Cause I also miscarried while I was dancing or that's what kind of. That's when I felt it starting. And so I think just. Just knowing that like your body is going to figure it out and it's also going to protect you because the egg that I had wasn't healthy. So my body was protecting me because whether it would have survived and died or, you know, yeah, it was, it knows. Your body knows best. So there's nothing that you can do, you did for anybody that has this experience that like could prevent it. I think just also having that in the back of your head. And also during all of this, my brother, actually my brother and my sister in law, we were pregnant at the same time when I was pregnant with Rome and they were a couple weeks ahead of us and she had a healthy pregnancy her whole nine months. Everything was great. She went in to have the baby and she ended up having a still. Stillbirth. And that I just remember being like, what is this word? Stillborn. Stillbirth. I like I'd heard about it in, in passing but to experience it with our family and then, then since then, the amount of people that I know that have had a stillborn, or stillbirth, it's insane. And again, there's just like some things that you cannot do or cannot avoid. And so I think just being so grateful and present in the moments that you are pregnant or you do have your baby because life just happens and it's unfair sometimes. But these are our own little trials that we have to go through. So yeah, it's, it's crazy what the body can do does and then how precious life is. Really, really truly.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yeah, it's such an amazing outlook. But genuinely, what is next? What are you, do you have anything fun coming up? What are you excited about? Obviously we're excited for Dancing with the Stars when that time comes.

[Jenna Johnson]

Yes. Dancing with the Stars was picked up for season 34, so that's so exciting. Again, we'd never know if we're actually on the season. We always cross our fingers, hope that we are.

[Kelsey Merritt]

So I got a good feeling about you.

[Jenna Johnson]

I, I sure hope so. I would love that. But also I think I'm really excited. These next couple of years I really want to push myself to be outside of my comfort zone. I love thriving and like comfort Jenna. And I think my husband, as crazy and spontaneous as he is, he just inspires me every day. I mentioned, mentioned to you that he's been like trying the stand up comedy and I just couldn't fathom anybody wanting to try that in their adulthood. Just like totally because they were excited to do that and put themselves in scary situations. But he's really inspired me to want to do those things that I've always wanted to do. And I think something that has always been On a bucket list for me, but I've kind of just like pushed it off for when I'm done dancing, when I'm done dancing. But I really want to do Broadway. I'd love to do more live theater, like a Chicago Roxy Hart, like some. You know, I just. I want to audition. I want to, like, put in the work. I want to prepare myself for a time when I can do that, you know? So whether that's near future or not, I just. I want to start putting in the work to do that. I. I really would love to do.

[Kelsey Merritt]

That and definitely see that.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Thanks.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Yeah, I think you would be so freaking good.

[Jenna Johnson]

I love dancing for tv. For live tv. I love choreographing for it. But there is no feeling like dancing for a live audience. That's why I love doing the tour is just like that intimate experience you're having with an audience member and their initial response to something you do. Like, you can't get that with the TV screen, you know? So it's just something I'm really passionate about. So we'll see. We'll see where that leads. I'm gonna manifest it.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

We're gonna manifest it.

[Jenna Johnson]

Feel like romance. Right here. Yeah.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Right here, right now.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Would you ever consider being a dealer? No deal, girl.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Listen, I gotta warn you, My husband may have a crush on you.

[Jenna Johnson]

Never say never. Never say never. I know some really amazing people that have been dealer. No deal girls. So, so good.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

So good.

[Jenna Johnson]

I wouldn't put it past me.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Yep.

[Jenna Johnson]

I'll give you all the drama when I open the briefcase.

[Kelsey Merritt]

Thank you.

[Val Chmerkovskiy]

Thank you. Well, thanks for coming and chatting. I can't wait to see how your episode does against Val.

[Jenna Johnson]

Come on, you guys, like, subscribe, do.

[Kelsey Merritt]

All the things, watch it five times. It's so good.

[Jenna Johnson]

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.