Harry Shum Jr. made an immediate impression when he stepped onto the Dancing With the Stars ballroom for the Season 35 premiere, earning the highest score of the night alongside professional partner Jenna Johnson. Their cha-cha earned 21 out of 30 points, putting the actor at the top of the leaderboard after the first night.
The performance was especially notable because Shum already has an extensive background in dance. Known for his roles in Glee and the Step Up franchise, he began his entertainment career as a dancer and performer. He has also worked as a backup dancer, making his transition to the DWTS ballroom a highly anticipated one.
Despite his experience, Shum has pushed back against the idea that his previous dance work automatically gives him an advantage. After the premiere, he explained that DWTS involves much more than simply knowing how to dance, emphasizing storytelling, personality and connecting with both a partner and the audience.
His daughter, Xia, was also in the audience for the premiere, making the evening particularly meaningful for the actor. According to Shum, it was actually the first time she had seen him perform a full dance in person, giving her reaction an unexpected significance.
After watching her father perform, Xia delivered a remarkably honest assessment. Rather than focusing on the complicated choreography or his impressive dance background, she noticed something different about the way he moved during his DWTS performance.
Shum revealed that his daughter told him, “Wow, Dad, this is actually the first time you didn’t dance so hard.” She explained that she associated his usual hip-hop performances with much more intense movement, while his ballroom routine appeared softer to her.
Her final observation was simple but meaningful: she told her father that he had “danced soft” and that she liked it. The comment gave Shum a perspective that he might not have received from the judges, especially because his professional dance experience has usually been associated with high-energy performances.
Johnson also appeared impressed by what she saw from her new partner once the cameras were rolling. She said she knew Shum could dance, but seeing him perform in front of a live audience showed her another side of his abilities and made her proud of the partnership they had developed.
The judges rewarded the pair with three 7s, giving them a total of 21 points. While the judges praised his performance, they also encouraged Shum to avoid falling back on familiar movement patterns and to pay closer attention to ballroom technique, including his weight and axis.
Shum’s debut therefore became memorable for more than simply producing the night’s highest score. It introduced viewers to his competitive side, showed the challenge of adapting years of dance experience to ballroom technique, and gave his daughter a chance to see her father perform in a completely different way. Her unexpectedly honest reaction may have been one of the sweetest moments of his first night on the show. Compiled with information from various sources.
