Ariana Madix is slaying the ballroom each week on “Dancing with the Stars,” consistently earning impressive scores and captivating the hearts of the audience with each performance. There is no doubt that there is “something about her!”
GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos accompanied Ariana Madix, who is openly bisexual, and her pro dance partner Pasha Pashkov during their rehearsal for the upcoming week on “Dancing with the Stars,” which will pay tribute to Taylor Swift’s musical eras.
Ariana discussed the profound influence that dancing has had on her body and her unwavering determination to persevere and reach the top, regardless of any obstacles she may encounter. “It’s something that Taylor Swift said, she gets tired but she doesn’t get tired of it.”
The duo is set to perform a dance routine to Taylor Swift’s hit song “Cruel Summer”, and the performance is anticipated to be dazzling with some surprise elements. Ariana shared her excitement for the upcoming performance, “I’m very excited and she [Taylor] said she’ll be watching, which I think she means it. So that’s just crazy to me that Taylor might get to see these dances and hopefully we get a perfect 10 from Taylor because that’s what really matters.”
Taylor Swift, one of the most prominent figures globally, remains unwavering in her support for the LGBTQ community. In addition to writing a letter to Senator Lamar Alexander, a U.S. Senator from Tennessee, urging his support for the Equality Act, Swift also contributed to the Tennessee Equality Project and released her empowering LGBTQ anthem “You Need To Calm Down” in the same year. Swift utilizes her influence to shape pop culture and advocate for LGBTQ acceptance fearlessly by confronting anti-LGBTQ politicians and raising awareness about the necessity of safeguarding LGBTQ individuals from discrimination.
Ariana shared a special message for Taylor, “Can I be in the girl squad? I also really love cats. I feel like we have a lot in common and let’s hang out!”
Ariana isn’t the only person bringing LGBTQ representation to the dance floor this season. Ariana is also competing against acclaimed singer songwriter Jason Mraz, who also identifies as bisexual. On Mraz and his impact, Madix shared, “I’ve been a huge fan of Jason Mraz for a very, very long time. I remember jamming to his music and I put on his first album a while back and I was shocked at how I still remember every single word. Just to be in this company around him and his creative genius and his amazing dance talent as we’ve seen is really amazing. Hopefully, it is encouraging to see me or seeing Jason for other people who are members of the community who maybe aren’t as outspoken to feel confident in being able to put themselves out there.”
According to GLAAD’s Where We Are On TV Report, out of the 596 LGBTQ characters, 149 (25 percent) identify as bisexual. This marks a decrease of four percent compared to the previous year’s study. As a result, the presence of Madix and Mraz on the dance floor will hold great significance and make a positive impact on the bisexual community.
Ariana went on to share the lessons she has learned since joining the show, “I’ve learned so much about myself mentally and physically, that I’m capable of so much more physically. When I first see it (the dance routine) on a Wednesday, when Pasha is like, OK, and this is what it’s gonna look like. I’m like….. I’m gonna be doing that, like you have to be joking and then by Tuesday, it’s like miraculously coming together. It’s just meant a lot to see that these things are possible.”
To finish, Ariana shared her dreams for what’s next in her career, “I’ve said it since I was in elementary school, it was always my dream to be on Broadway. You know that is like a very lofty goal, and then it’s just like a vacation! But not for too long because I gotta get back to work. I think it’s genetic because my grandma worked up until she was like 90 years old, so it’s probably gonna be me!”
Don’t miss Dancing with the Stars Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, and streaming the following day on Hulu.