September 8, 2022
'Drag Race' Star Shangela Headed to 'Dancing With the Stars'
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Shangela is headed to "Dancing With the Stars" as part of new season.
As reported by USA Today, D.J. "Shangela" Pierce, 40, will be the first male celebrity to be paired with a male professional dancer.
"It was jaw on the floor," Shangela told USA Today. "I feel so grateful and have not missed out on how momentous this is. And I want to rise to the occasion, baby."
Shangela will reportedly be partnered with Gleb Savchenko and found out about the partnership while filming the Season 3 finale of HBO's "We're Here" in New Jersey.
According to Shangela, the casting is more "two guys dancing."
"This is something totally different because I'm a drag entertainer who will be standing up there," Shangela says. "On the dancing nights, I'm going to be dressed as the doll, honey. That's my fiercest form as an entertainer. When I'm in drag, my pronouns are she/her. So seeing a drag queen with a male dancer is going to be something powerful. This is going to be a great space and an amazing platform to showcase that kind of representation."
Excellent!
Last season, out dancing star JoJo Siwa made "DWTS" history with her same-sex pro partner in Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy.
Set to debut on Sept. 19, the full list of celebrities competing on the 31st season of the show includes "CODA" star and deaf actor Daniel Durant, "Charlie's Angels" star Cheryl Ladd, "Cruel Intentions" star Selma Blair, 50, comedian Wayne Brady, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice, "Jersey Shore" star Vinny Guadagnino, "Bachelorette" Gabby Windy, "American Idol" alum Jordin Sparks, and mother-daughter influencers Heidi and Charli D'Amelio.
"Coming from the drag world, I'm a performer. I'm going to be teaching him a couple of things," says Shangela about her partner. "I've never been ballroom dancing before, and this is going be all very new to me. But let me tell you something: When Shangela shows up, it's going to be a show. I can guarantee that."
Will you be watching?
