Harry Shum Jr. Wants to Remind Everyone That Dancing with the Stars Is “A Dance Show. It Is Supposed to Be Joyous”
· Thought Catalog
Updated 11 hours ago, October 17, 2026
Harry Shum Jr. gave every Dancing With the Stars celebrity contestant an individual tribute on Instagram on October 16, including a message to Jenna Dewan about taking criticism with grace. His own performance with Jenna Johnson had drawn an illegal-lift call 3 days earlier.
“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 to Dewan.
Shum, 44, also recognized what his castmates were bringing to the competition beyond their steps. He credited Tatyana Ali with encouraging mothers to preserve their joy and described Connor Wood’s performances as carrying the excitement of finally getting an opportunity he’d long wanted.
For Guillermo Rodriguez, whose run ended with his October 13 elimination, Shum wrote: “The joy was bursting through every step you took. I love you, man.”
Jackson Olson received recognition for managing both DWTS and his Savannah Bananas game schedule. Shum singled out Maura Higgins’ elegance, Amber Glenn’s commitment and Tyler Cameron’s “confidence and smoothness.” Julia Stiles’ return to her Save the Last Dance routine had made him happy.
He also praised Paralympian Ezra Frech, 21, for his movement, confidence and maturity. “I’m just blown away by your charisma and ability to move the way you do,” Shum wrote.
The tributes followed an October 13 samba that Shum and Johnson, 32, performed with inspiration from Usher’s 2024 Super Bowl halftime show. Judges identified technical errors and an illegal lift. A backflip involved help from 2 troupe dancers; afterward, Johnson appeared to lift her foot off the floor during a spin on 1 leg.
Johnson questioned the lift ruling. Carrie Ann Inaba, 58, responded by reading a definition that counts a movement as a lift when a partner’s support or assistance leaves a dancer with both feet off the floor. Johnson has since cleared the air with Inaba.
The dispute also involved Johnson’s husband, fellow professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, 40, who appeared to threaten to slap Inaba while defending his wife. In an October 15 public apology, he said he’d contacted Inaba to apologize personally, too.
“I should never have made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it,” Chmerkovskiy wrote.
Shum’s introduction to his tributes explained why he was celebrating the cast: “Reminder that this is a dance show. It is supposed to be joyous.” He also urged people to celebrate each other with more love because people were already suffering in the world.
He reserved encouragement for himself as well: “Keep being you.
Want more Thought Catalog? Follow us on Facebook or head to our website.