Val and Jenna dish on planning a wedding during 'Dancing with the Stars: Live!' tour with over 60 stops
"Dancing With the Stars" pros Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson just wrapped season 27 of the hit show.
Although neither took home the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, they aren’t complaining. The couple, who announced their engagement in June, enjoyed cheering one another and their partners on throughout the season.
Chmerkovskiy, who partnered with actor Nancy McKeon this season, says he was devastated when Johnson and her partner, "The Bachelor’s" Joe Amabile, were eliminated.
"It’s kinda like, you have double the chances of winning, really," Chmerkovskiy told “Good Morning America” on competing against his fiance. "Her win is my win and vice versa."
"I don’t think we’re really competitive against each other," Johnson "I think naturally we are competitive people, but when it comes to each other — I mean I was rooting for him and Nancy the whole time, and he was definitely rooting for me and Joe."
Despite always having each other’s back, Chmerkovskiy said that both of their main interests when it comes to the show will always be their dancing partners.
"We’re there to provide an opportunity for our partners, so ultimately that’s our priority," he said. "I know she’s gonna do a great job because that’s her job — and I’m always gonna do a great job because we both take our jobs very seriously."
"Part of that job is to give our celebrity partners a chance to win. We would never jeopardize that because we love each other. Our integrity to work is very different from our private life," he added.
Johnson, who won the competition last season with her partner Adam Rippon, went home this season after a double elimination during the show’s semifinals. Chmerkovskiy and McKeon were the third couple eliminated.
After a busy season of non-stop training, the couple is set to embark on the "Dancing with the Stars: Live!" winter tour, which kicks off December 15th and hits over 60 cities.
"This will be our first official tour as a couple and as engaged, which is awesome and I can’t wait," Johnson said. "We’re going to be planning a wedding and then we’re gonna be dancing the night away every night. It’s gonna be so much fun."
Chmerkovksiy said audiences can expect new elements to enhance the show experience.
"The celebrities change, the dancing changes, the choreography's different, the production’s different," he shared. "We’re constantly coming up with ways to integrate the audience, so it’s a very interactive show. It’s an experience more than a theater sit-down. You really feel like you’re part of the experience."
Some of the pros confirmed for the tour include Witney Carson, Alan Bersten, Artem Chigvintsev, Sasha Farber Hayley Erbert, Emma Slater, Britt Stewart, Brandon Armstrong and Gleb Savchenko.
"This is one of our best groups of dancers yet, so I think it’s gonna be awesome just for all of the fans, especially to see all of us with our high energy and great dancing on stage," Johnson said.
Six celebrities, including season 27 winner Bobby Bones, Milo Manheim, Joe Amabile, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Mary Lou Retton and John Schneider, are also scheduled to appear on the tour.
Johnson and Chmerkovskiy still plan to fit some alone time in outside of the madness of the action packed tour in the coming months.
"We do love to find a little diner and have breakfast together," Johnson said. "That’s our favorite thing to do."
"It’s fun to explore the local culture," Chmerkovskiy added.
"I grew up in New York City," he continued. "We live in Los Angeles. It’s nice to remind yourself what this country’s made up of and the small towns that really make this country great and make our show a success. To able to go into those little nooks around the country and get to know the communities and then perform for them is really special."
Interacting with the faces supporting the show from across the nation is one of his favorite parts of the job. “This tour celebrates all of our fans and all of the people that made our show such a success for such a long time,” he said.
Johnson can’t wait for the New York City stop. "Radio City Music Hall — are you kidding me! And my whole family’s flying out for that one."
Chmerkovskiy shares the sentiment but also anticipates packed venues at smaller stops in the tour schedule. "You think the big cities have the big theaters — the fancy theaters — but honestly some of the smallest towns you stumble on some of the most beautiful theaters."
"The best crowd and audiences too!" Johnson added.
And of course, wedding planning, will also be in the mix.
"We’re planning to not invite anyone, so very easy planning," Chmerkovskiy joked.
"I have a lot of help," Johnson said. "We have a planner. My mom’s super into weddings, so we’re gonna do it."
"I am zero help, but I will look SO good," Chmerkobskiy ensured.
Check out tickets for the “Dancing with the Stars: Live!” winter tour here.
