It seems like Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars is the season of showmances, or at least, that’s what the show is trying to push. From the beginning of the season, Brooks Nader and her pro partner Gleb Savchenko were rumored to have a showmance brewing. They very quickly leaned into those rumors, and started incorporating that steamy chemistry into not only their dances, but their rehearsals as well, as seen in the post-performance package every week.
While fans were rooting for them at the start, they very quickly lost interest after Gleb and Brooks’ dancing started suffering in favor of their romance. It’s almost like they assumed they could coast off that alone and not actually dance. It didn’t work and they were eliminated. But with Gleb and Brooks gone, a lot of viewers have turned their attention to Jenn Tran and her partner Sasha Farber. The chemistry was noticeable prior, but with the focus off of Brooks and Gleb, it’s even more palpable now and viewers are eating it up. But that’s not necessarily a good thing. Let me explain.
Sasha and Jenn Are the Latest Rumored Showmance on DWTS
Almost every season of Dancing with the Stars there is a couple that is rumored to be in a showmance. We saw it last season with Rylee Arnold and Harry Jowsey, and obviously, we’ve seen it in Season 33 with Brooks and Gleb, and now Sasha and Jenn. Sometimes the rumors aren’t just rumors and the partnerships actually do blossom into romance, but sometimes they’re simply rumors, based on nothing but the chemistry exuding from the partnerships. And it’s understandable that viewers would pick up on the chemistry. After all, you don’t spend hours upon hours with someone and not grow close to them, but it becomes a problem when everything becomes about the potential romance and not about the actual dancing — AKA, the point of the show.
Sasha and Jenn are the latest to fall into this trap. Their chemistry has been clear from the start, but with Brooks and Gleb out of the competition, their chemistry isn’t going under the radar anymore. It’s nice to see more people appreciating them and their partnership, but it’s not for the right reasons. Viewers are always sniffing out potential showmances, it’s nothing new, and usually, it’s harmless. But what makes the Jenn and Sasha situation feel different is that this time the judges are even getting in on it. After doing a routine to “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid, the judges flat out asked Sasha why he didn’t actually kiss the girl during the routine. And up in the skybox, while they were getting their scores, Julianne Hough joined in on a chant with the rest of the dancers telling him to “kiss her!” Sure it’s all in good fun, but there’s just so much more to Sasha and Jenn than the potentiality of a romance. I’d even go as far as saying it almost feels as though they’re the backup showmance, with Gleb and Brooks gone the show needs something to keep the numbers rolling in, and a showmance is the surefire way to do that, so Sasha and Jenn are the perfect substitute. But their partnership is so much more than that.
’Dancing with the Stars’ is Jenn’s Moment
Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of Jenn and Sasha together as much as the next person, but Jenn’s entire motivation behind joining this season of Dancing with the Stars was to find herself. After her season of The Bachelorette didn’t end up with a happily ever after, she sought out to be her own soulmate. So trying to force a showmance on her after all she went through on The Bachelorette feels especially tone-deaf all things considered. If Jenn herself announces it, and she and Sasha are happy, then I am all for it, but I am also so here for Jenn’s personal growth and solo healing journey. Looking back on Night 1 to now, you can see how much more confident she has become. She’s radiant.
I think we should be focusing more on that aspect of Sasha and Jenn’s partnership. Yes, he’s taught her how to be a beautiful dancer, and yes, maybe they are in a budding showmance. Who knows? But he’s also helped her come out of her shell so much. Her journey is her own, of course, but Sasha has also helped bolster her and held her up when she needed it most. That’s what a good partner does, and frankly, Sasha and Jenn may have the strongest partnership this season for that reason. If they decide they want to pursue something further, that is their choice and not something that should be influenced by or speculated by viewers, judges, or the hosts. Jenn’s already been The Bachelorette, let her have her moment in the ballroom, this is her time to shine on her own.
Dancing With the Stars airs on Tuesdays on ABC and can be streamed on Disney+.
U.S. reality show based on the British series “Strictly Come Dancing,” where celebrities partner up with professional dancers and compete against each other in weekly elimination rounds to determine a winner.
- Release Date
- June 1, 2005
- Cast
- Carrie Ann Inaba , Bruno Tonioli , Len Goodman , Tom Bergeron , Cheryl Burke , Tony Dovolani , Derek Hough , Mark Ballas , Karina Smirnoff , Maksim Chmerkovskiy , Kym Johnson , Sasha Farber , Val Chmerkovskiy , Emma Slater , Sharna Burgess
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- Studio
