Jenna Johnson talks 1st Emmy nomination for 'powerful' Len Goodman tribute

When "Dancing with the Stars" pro Jenna Johnson found out she was nominated for her first Emmy she said "it felt like I was floating."

"It's hard to explain all of those feelings," the 30-year-old dancer told "Good Morning America" on a recent Zoom call ahead of the 76th Creative Arts Emmys, taking place Sept. 7, saying she felt "a rush of sheer excitement and joy" through her veins.

Johnson and her husband, fellow "DWTS" pro Val Chmerkovskiy, shared their epic reaction to their Emmy nomination back in July, sharing the moment they learned their routine honoring late "DWTS" judge Len Goodman had been nominated in the outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming category.

"This has been something that Val and I have dreamed of accomplishing," she said. "It was this immediate relief that what we did was validated and was appreciated by many others. That's not why I create art, but to then have this beautiful gift given to us, it was so beautiful. I'm so grateful."

Johnson recalled feeling "beyond excited that they would trust us with this special moment" when "DWTS" producers approached her and Chmerkovskiy to choreograph a tribute to Goodman at the beginning of last season.

"Then comes the added pressure," she noted, "because we knew what this meant for the show, what it meant for each of us as dancers and having those relationships with Len -- but also, how do you honor one person so meaningful in a two-minute dance?"

The couple's goal, Johnson said, was "to evoke a lot of emotion" with the piece and to keep it to what Goodman would have liked, which, in her words, was "true, pure, beautiful ballroom."

That's exactly what they -- along with pros from "DWTS" past and present -- accomplished last October with a waltz set to "Moon River."

"We wanted to add little sentimental moments," Johnson explained. "So I think having Derek [Hough] step into the spotlight where [Goodman's] hat would have been ... and then ending with the spotlight on his empty chair and hearing his voiceover, I think those were all moments that we really wanted to capture some emotion, but also to have him with us in the ballroom one last time," Johnson said.

"The dancing just was spoke for itself," she continued. "I think you had incredible dancers dancing so beautifully with one purpose, and it turned out really magical. I just got chills again thinking about it."

Johnson noted how the "raw emotion" the routine evoked was partly due to it being filmed in one take, something unlike normal pre-taped numbers which she said had "the luxury" of two and sometimes three takes.

"You could just feel this, like, balloon of emotion," she said. "It was powerful."

Having dancers from throughout "DWTS" history is something Johnson said added "a treat" for longtime fans and gave those dancers a chance to honor someone who had been a part of all their journeys.

"We all come from different walks of life and also different eras of the show, so I think to have all of those eras together as a united front was really, really epic."

In the end, it was a moment for each of those dancers to remember Goodman, who had been a judge on the series since it began in 2005, save for a couple seasons.

Johnson said she was "always a little bit terrified" of Goodman, who died in April 2023 at age 78, because on "DWTS," he represented of all her toughest coaches in her life and dance career.

"I always wanted to do my best for him," she gushed. "I always wanted to show up for him, because he wouldn't mess around and he would be direct and very honest and blunt with his critiques. And if I got a smile out of him, or if I got a congrats or a round of applause, I knew I did a good job."

No matter what happens at the Emmys, Johnson is set to hit the ballroom again this fall on "DWTS" season 33 alongside her celebrity partner, "Bachelor" alum Joey Graziadei, in the hopes of winning her second Mirrorball Trophy.

"Dancing with the Stars" season 33 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with episodes streaming on Hulu the next day.

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