# Jenna Johnson (dancer)

Jenna Michelle Johnson Chmerkovskiy (née Johnson; born April 12, 1994) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer and choreographer. Born in California and raised in Utah, she was a contestant during the tenth season of the reality competition series So You Think You Can Dance.
Johnson then joined Dancing with the Stars as a member of the troupe, and was promoted to pro in 2016. She won the Athletes season with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and season 33 with The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei. Johnson received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her work with her husband, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, on the series.

## Early life

Jenna Michelle Johnson was born on April 12, 1994, in Los Angeles, California, to Curt and Tamara "Tammy" Johnson. She was raised in Provo, Utah, with her two older sisters Stacy and Jill, who are also dancers and previous contestants on the reality competition series So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).
Johnson was always interested in performing and was enrolled in dance classes at a very early age. She is trained in jazz, contemporary, and Latin ballroom. Johnson idolized her eldest sister Stacy, who was the director of Center State Performing Arts Studio in Orem. When she was old enough to join Center Stage's senior company, her sisters became "instrumental" to her progress. She graduated from Timpview High School in 2013.

## Career

In dancesport, Johnson is a five-time U.S. National Latin Champion, U.S. National Youth 10 Dance Champion, as well as a three-time National Contemporary Winner. She represented the United States at the World Latin Dance Champions in 2012.

### So You Think You Can Dance

Johnson auditioned for SYTYCD in Memphis, Tennessee, and was named a contestant for season 10. She was paired with contemporary contestant Tucker Knox and was eliminated on August 20, 2013, in the quarter-finals. During So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation, Johnson served as ballroom dancer Jake Monreal's all-star mentor. They were eliminated on August 1, 2016, in week 3. Johnson then mentored Latin ballroom contestant Chris "Kiki" Nyemchek for season 14.

### Dancing With The Stars

Johnson was a troupe member on Dancing with the Stars from season 18 to season 22. She became a professional dancer on season 23 and was partnered with actor Jake T. Austin. They were the first couple eliminated on September 20, 2016, finishing in 13th place; Johnson's lowest placement to date. Johnson danced with racing driver James Hinchcliffe on Halloween Night and Showstoppers Night after his partner, Sharna Burgess, sustained a knee injury. Johnson was also the couple's trio partner during the semi-finals.
After taking season 24 off, Johnson returned in season 25 as a troupe member. She was promoted to pro for a second time on the Athletes season and was paired with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon. They won the competition on May 21, 2018, marking Johnson's first Mirrorball. She is one of the only pros to win in her second season, and the fourth pro to win after being eliminated first in her previous season.
For season 27, Johnson was paired with television personality Joe Amabile. Despite continually receiving low scores and criticism from the judges, the pair was consistently saved by the viewers' votes. They ultimately reached the semifinals and were eliminated alongside Fuller House actor Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke on November 12, 2018, finishing in fifth place. For season 28, Johnson was partnered with Queer Eye star Karamo Brown. They were eliminated during the seventh week of competition on October 28, 2019, finishing in eighth place.
For season 29, Johnson was paired with Catfish host Nev Schulman. They reached the finale and finished as the runner-ups on November 30, 2020, behind The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev. For season 30, Johnson was paired with YouTube personality JoJo Siwa, marking the first same-sex couple in the show's history. They also reached the finale and finished as the runner-ups on November 22, 2021, behind NBA shooting guard Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach.
Johnson returned for season 32 and was paired with supermodel Tyson Beckford. They were eliminated during the third week of competition on October 10, 2023, finishing in twelfth place. Johnson and her husband Valentin Chmerkovskiy earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for composing two waltz routines during the season. The first was a tribute performance set to "Moon River" in honor of head judge Len Goodman, who died five months before the season premiered. The second was set to "La Vie En Rose", which Chmerkovskiy performed with his partner Xochitl Gomez during the semifinals.
For season 33, Johnson was partnered with The Bachelor star Joey Graziadei. They won the competition on November 26, 2024.
| Season | Partner | Place | Average Score |
| 23 | Jake T. Austin | 13th | 17.2 |
| 26 | Adam Rippon | 1st | 27.7 |
| 27 | Joe Amabile | 5th | 19.5 |
| 28 | Karamo Brown | 8th | 21.0 |
| 29 | Nev Schulman | 2nd | 26.5 |
| 30 | JoJo Siwa | 2nd | 27.7 |
| 32 | Tyson Beckford | 12th | 15.0 |
| 33 | Joey Graziadei | 1st | 26.8 |

#### Season 23

With celebrity partner Jake T. Austin
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | J. Hough | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Jive / "Kiss You" | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 22 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Go, Diego, Go! Theme" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Eliminated |
with James Hinchcliffe (Weeks 8 and 9, injury replacement)
Because of an injury to Sharna Burgess, Johnson returned to the show as the substitute partner for the INDYCAR driver in Weeks 8 and 9, replacing Burgess. The scores listed reflect her weeks as his substitute.
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | J. Hough | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "You Don't Own Me" | 10 | — | 10 | 10 | 30 | Safe |
| 9 | Jazz / "A Brand New Day" Team-Up Dance (Paso Doble) / "No Good" | 9 9 | 9 10 | 9 9 | 9 9 | 36 37 | Safe |
Burgess returned in Week 10. Idina Menzel was a guest judge in Week 9, taking Goodman's place

#### Season 26

With celebrity partner Adam Rippon
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Sissy That Walk" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Make Way" Team Freestyle / "Instant Replay" | 9 9 | 9/9$^1$ 9/10$^1$ | 10 9 | 37 37 | Safe |
| 3 | Contemporary / "O" Jive Dance-Off / "Johnny B. Goode" | 10 Awarded | 9/10$^2$ 2 | 10 Points | 39 41 | Safe |
| 4 Finals | Jazz / "Anything You Can Do" Freestyle / "Scooby Doo Pa Pa" | 10 9 | 10 9 | 10 10 | 30 28 | Winner |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Rashad Jennings.
$^2$ Score given by guest judge David Ross.

#### Season 27

With celebrity partner Joe Amabile
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Quickstep / "Fish Out of Water" | 5 | 4 | 5 | 14 | Safe |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "New York State of Mind" Jazz / "The Gambler" | 5 6 | 6 6 | 6 6 | 17 18 | Safe |
| 3 | Viennese Waltz / "You Are the Reason" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 4 | Trio Salsa / "I'm Too Sexy" | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | Safe |
| 5 | Jive / "Zero" | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Argentine Tango / "El Tango de Roxanne" | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango / "Burning Man" Team Freestyle / "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" | 7 9 | 7 8 | 7 9 | 21 26 | Safe |
| 8 Semi-finals | Contemporary / "This Year's Love" Quickstep / "Check It Out" | 8 8 | 7 8 | 7 8 | 22 24 | Eliminated |

#### Season 28

With celebrity partner Karamo Brown.
Due to a death in the family of Jenna's childhood best friend Lindsay Arnold, Jenna stepped in to dance with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer for weeks 8 and 9.
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Salsa / "Juice" | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Let's Go Crazy" | 7 | 5 | 7 | 19 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "I'm Still Standing" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Old Town Road" | 7 | 7$^1$/7 | 7 | 28 | Bottom two |
| 5 | Samba / "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | No Elimination |
| 6 | Contemporary / "Someone You Loved" | 9 | 8 | 8 | 25 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso Doble / "Survivor" Team Freestyle / "Sweet Dreams" | 9 8 | 8 8 | 8 8 | 25 24 | Eliminated |
| 8 | Jazz / "Come Sail Away" $^2$Dance Off / "Gonna Make You Sweat" | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 | Safe |
| 9 | Argentine Tango / "Bills, Bills, Bills" Foxtrot/ "Story of My Life" | 7 6 | 7$^3$/6 6$^3$/6 | 6 6 | 24 26 | Eliminated |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Leah Remini.
$^2$ Stepping in for Lindsay Arnold to dance with Sean Spicer.
$^3$ Score given by guest judge Joey Fatone.

#### Season 29

With celebrity partner Nev Schulman
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | D. Hough | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Foxtrot / "The Way You Look Tonight" | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Dynamite" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 3 | Argentine Tango / "Angelica" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba / "Because You Loved Me" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "Take On Me" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 26 | Safe |
| 6 | Jazz / "Good Vibrations" | 9 | 9 | 8 | 26 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble / "Swan Lake Remix" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese waltz / "Stuck with U" Cha-cha-cha Relay / "Rain on Me" | 9 Awarded | 9 3 extra | 9 points | 27 30 | Safe |
| 9 Quarter-finals | Jive / "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" | 9 Immune | 9 from | 9 Dance off | 27 29 | Safe |
| 10 Semi-finals | Foxtrot / "Sign of the Times" Contemporary / "If the World Was Ending" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 30 30 | Safe |
| 11 Finals | Paso doble / "Swan Lake Remix" Freestyle / "Singin' in the Rain Remix" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 30 30 | Runners-up |

#### Season 30

With celebrity partner JoJo Siwa
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | Goodman | D. Hough | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Quickstep / "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Rain on Me" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 3 | Argentine tango / "...Baby One More Time" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 4 | Viennese waltz / "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" Paso doble / "Ways to Be Wicked" | 9 9 | 8 9 | 9 9 | 9 9 | 35 36 | No Elimination Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Safe |
| 6 | Jazz / "Anything Goes" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango / "Body Language" Foxtrot relay / "Under Pressure" | 10 Awarded | 9 0 | 10 Extra | 10 Points | 39 39 | Bottom two |
| 8 | Salsa / "Feedback" Rumba Dance-Off / "That's the Way Love Goes" | 10 Awarded | 9 2 | 10 Extra | 10 Points | 39 41 | Safe |
| 9 Semi-finals | Argentine tango / "Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre)" Contemporary / "Before You Go (Piano version)" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 40 40 | Safe |
| 10 Finals | Fusion (Tango/Cha-cha-cha) / "I Love It" Freestyle / "Born This Way" | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 40 40 | Runners-up |

#### Season 32

With celebrity partner Tyson Beckford
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | D. Hough | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Never Too Much" | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | Safe |
| 2 | Salsa / "Aguanilé" — Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot / "Master Blaster (Jammin')" — Stevie Wonder | 5 | 5$^1$/5 | 5 | 20 | Eliminated |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Michael Strahan.

#### Season 33

With celebrity partner Joey Graziadei
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' score | Judges' score | Judges' score | Total | Result |
| Week # | Dance / Song | Inaba | D. Hough | Tonioli | Total | Result |
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Dancin' in the Country" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | No elimination |
| 2 | Rumba / "Shallow" | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Shout" Tango / "Rock You Like a Hurricane" | 9 9 | 9$^1$/8 9$^2$/9 | 8 9 | 34 36 | Safe |
| 4 | Viennese Waltz / "Lose Control" | 9 | 9$^3$/9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Trashin' the Camp" Team Freestyle / "I 2 I" | 8 9 | 8 9 | 9 9 | 25 27 | Safe |
| 6 | Argentine Tango / "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" Jive Dance-Off / "Time Warp" | 10 Awarded | 9 3 | 10 Points | 29 32 | Safe |
| 7 | Contemporary / "Work Song" Instant Rumba / "Birds of a Feather" | 9 9 | 10 9 | 9 9 | 28 27 | Safe |
| 8 Semi-finals | Foxtrot / "I Won't Dance" Paso Doble / "Come Together" | 10 9 | 10 10 | 10 9 | 30 28 | Safe |
| 9 Final | Cha-cha-cha / "Can't Stop the Feeling!" Freestyle / "Canned Heat" | 10 9 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 30 29 | Winner |
$^1$ Score given by guest judge Rosie Perez
$^2$ Score given by guest judge Gene Simmons
$^3$ Score given by guest judge Mark Ballas

## Personal life

Johnson first met fellow Dancing with the Stars pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy during its eighteenth season. They started dating in 2015, but their relationship was not made public until February 2016. Johnson and Chmerkovskiy separated sometime during the twenty-third season of Dancing with the Stars, and reconciled their romance in June 2017. They announced their engagement on June 14, 2018, during a trip to Venice, Italy.
On April 13, 2019, Johnson married Chmerkovskiy in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Among her bridesmaids were her former dance partner Adam Rippon and her childhood best friend Lindsay Arnold. Johnson openly struggled with fertility and suffered a miscarriage in 2021, which placed her in a deep depression for about eight months. On July 15, 2022, Chmerkovskiy and Johnson announced that they were expecting a rainbow baby. Their son, Rome Valentin Chmerkovskiy, was born on January 10, 2023.