Key Points
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Harry Shum Jr. reminded Dancing With the Starsfans to spread love.
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In an Instagram post on Friday, he shared encouraging messages to his fellow contestants.
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This has been a dramatic week on DWTS, with Guillermo Rodriguez being eliminated and pro Jenna Johnson — Shum’s partner — getting in a tense discussion with judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
Harry Shum Jr. has a reminder for Dancing With the Starsfans.
After a tense week of drama, Shum urged fans and his fellow contestants to “celebrate each other with more love.”
“Reminder that this is a dance show. It is supposed to be joyous. People are suffering in the world already,” Shum wrote in an Instagram post on Friday.
He shared sweet messages of support and encouragement to his fellow DWTS castmates including Guillermo Rodriguez, Connor Woods, Tatyana Ali, Jackson Olson, Maura Higgins, Amber Glenn, Tyler Cameron, Julia Stiles, Ezra Frech, and Jenna Dewan. Shum also included a note to himself.
Indeed, it has been an eventful week on DWTS. Fan-favorite Rodriguez was eliminated on Tuesday during the show’s first-ever “Super Bowl Night.” His fellow contestants were sorry to see him leave, with pro Daniella Karagach saying his elimination was like “a piece of us leaving.”
And Shum continued the love for Rodriguez, saying in his Instagram tribute, “Guillermo — How you rallied the people at home and even us on the show to celebrate what DANCE should mean to people — the joy was bursting through every step you took. I love you, man.”
Moving onto Woods, Shum praised his “levelheaded perspective” and called him the “body roll king.” As for Ali, he celebrated her focus, balance, and the way she represents her community.
“You’ve been an advocate for mothers holding on to their joy while doing one of the hardest jobs on the planet — being a mother,” Shum wrote of Ali. “You continue to reveal parts of you that we may have not known. Your dances on the stage inspire so many people, while also always remembering to represent and celebrate your multi-cultural background.”
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He then went on to commend Olson for his ability to pull double duty as a dancer on DWTS and a player for the Savannah Bananas. Meanwhile, he noted both Higgins’ and Glenn’s infectious senses of humor. Turning toward Cameron, he remarked on the Bachelor alum’s improvement over the past few weeks. Then, he praised Frech for his maturity, charisma, and confidence.
Shum also celebrated Stiles’ tribute to her iconicSave the Last Danceroutine, saying, “With every performance — I can feel how special it is for you to be on that stage. You getting to do your iconic dance 20 years later must have been the dream you never knew you needed. It makes me so happy seeing.”
Finally, Shum shared his admiration for Dewan, whom he said he met “several decades ago.”
“You are a powerhouse of a performer, but the thing I remember most is how nice and gracious you were to me when I was a young creative trying to figure this industry out. Watching you take criticism with grace and just laying it all out on the dance floor each week, I go: that’s the Jenna I know and love,” he wrote.
Turning the kindness toward himself, Shum said, “Proud of you for not letting anyone take your light and spark away no matter how much they try. Keep being you.”
Beyond Rodriguez’s elimination, this week was full of drama as Shum’s partner Jenna Johnson and judge Carrie Ann Inaba had a tense exchange over a lift following their samba to “Yeah!” by Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris, which received a 33 out of 40. During the spat, Inaba read the definition of a lift to Johnson.
“She’s a judge for a reason,” Johnson later told Extra of Inaba. “She’s doing her job, I’m gonna do mine. I’m gonna take the feedback.”
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
