Normani Kordei Interviewed On Her Dancing Experience, DWTS, Val Chmerkovskiy, And More
Normani Kordei tells Billboard that her biggest challenge on Dancing With The Stars is “just to be quick”. Lots more below including how Val has been pushing her to the limits….
Normani, did you take a lot of dancing lessons when you were a kid? You have mastered all these dances pretty well and your kicks go so high. I was just wondering what kind of training you had?
I have been dancing since I was 3, and competitively since I was 9. I was in classes every single weekend I think that people kind of forget the fact that I am not a ballroom dancer, and this is all so new to me. So, I’m learning the technique. Like I said, I’m kind of having to unlearn certain things that I have learned.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
I think in general just to be quick. You know, quicker feet and partnering is something new for me. I have never done that before, even when I was dancing. So just tighter movement with feet, and just staying active.
I can understand that, but it looks like you and Val have clicked from the beginning.
He’s dope. I have to say he’s a cool guy. Like inside and outside of rehearsal, he’s helped me in so many ways. Like even at the first one, I overthink a lot — and, ultimately, when we watch our videos after every live show, we are super proud because we know how hard we worked. He pushes me to the limit.
I can’t imagine how tough that was, rehearsing on a different continent during the Fifth Harmony Asian tour and then getting on a jet to fly out for a show. How did you do that? How rough was that schedule?
I do not know how I did it. People ask me and I have nothing in response. Like, I just don’t know. I think eventually, just staying present and accepting the fact that I am going to these places I have never gotten an opportunity [to go to before], like going to Asia. You can’t really complain about that. Plus, getting opportunities to see so many new faces and their stories while being on Dancing with the Stars, which is something that I also wanted to do.
So, I can’t really complain. But yes, it did take a toll on my body. But I drink a lot of water, and I took my vitamins and kept staying active. That helps, because once you kind of get lazy, it all goes downhill from there.
To read the full interview, see Billboard.
Dancing since 3? I can’t say I’m surprised.
Imagine that…so she’s as much a Pro as Heather Morris as far as I’m concerned!
Oh joy, another Pro cast this season.
If it wouldn’t be for a few of the amateur guys cast this season (Rashad and David) I wouldn’t be watching. I hope the guys slay their team dance tonight and take down the ladies. (sorry Nancy and Simone).
Lol she’s not the same as Heather…she’s the same as Paige though, except her mom doesn’t own a dance studio.
Hmmm yeah I’m questioning her dance experience too now? Since age 3 and “competitively”? Classes every weekend? Interesting….?
Why is she not the same as Heather, Eliza? because she didn’t try out for SYTYCD & instead decided to become a girl group pop sensation? Paige is an MMA fighter. I think you’ve confused her with Danica McKellar, as she is the one who mother owns a ballroom dance studio where Danica was taking lessons in ballroom.
Paige’s family did own a dance studio, KellyK. Danica was taking ballroom lessons for awhile in Dallas.
Ohh, I see. I could’ve sworn that Danica’s mother also owned a dance studio once upon a time.
I thought that Danica had supposedly studied ballroom at her Mom’s studio for 17 YEARS. I thought that was the reason she started off so strong but never improved – she’d hit her’level’ (according to the Peter Principle) already…
“So, I can’t really complain,” so I will just say, “So, I can’t really complain,” and never actually complain… or just wait for Val to complain for them?
Could’ve sworn I heard that as well about Danica when she was on that season-that her mother owned a dance studio….
No matter at this point-Normani dance experience, I think, has been underestimated according to her answers in that interview-at least to me b/c I, surely, had no idea she danced “competitively” (still don’t know what she means by that though). I knew she’d been dancing since she was little but I figured, mostly, in hip hop. Her experience could be in the more traditional tap, jazz that kids tend to do when they’re young-still she admits to be dancing for years and she’s only 20 yrs old and we’ve seen what she can do on the dance floor so she’s ringery enough that’s for sure!
She’s learning technique? What? Up until now she’s been sitting back on her dance experience in other styles because she hasn’t been dancing ballroom.
I’ve already started drinking in order to be able to tolerate the likely tongue bath from the judges that Team ValMani will likely receive tonight.
There’s five hours until airtime in my timezone but I might join ya now anyways, Kelly 🙂
Definitely one of the biggest ringers of all time, if she’s been dancing since she was three. But I think Heather is still worse. The whole SYTYCD and all.
For me, Heather is worse. Her career is, was, and will be meant for dancing…professionally…as a backup etc.
But, I don’t think Normani is as bad.
Also, doesn’t this argument happen most if not every season because they cast someone who has previous professional and/or ballroom and/or jass and/or tap and /or DANCE experience. I don’t think TPTB care anymore.
I did not realize Normani had that much dance experience. She was a competitive dancer? I’m a lot less impressed by her than I was previously.
Guys she did Jazz and Hip Hop as a kid just like Alfonso and Nicole. She’s nowhere near the training of a pro dancer and this only happened during her childhood it wasn’t really extensive work. Plus she has natural dancing ability. I thought most people knew that. She is not a pro dancer.She did small competitions where they have little kids dance. Most kid who compete are not even good. It doesn’t mean anything. She is not a certified dancer. She cannot get paid to dance because she’s amateur. Just some insight.
Alfonso primarily did tap. Big difference. Also, he was TWICE Normani’s age when he competed in S19.
20-3=17. 17 years of dance training. Just because she isn’t a “certified dancer” (is there even such thing?) & “cannot get paid to dance” is only downplaying her prior training to try to make it seem as if she’s not a ringer that she is. Last night’s ‘salsa’ and I use that term loosely was definitely more Jazz/hip-hop. with the same ole same ole we’ve seen every week, C-bro walk..high kick.
I’ll take LEN’s (the actual ballroom dance judge of the panel last night) critique over the blathering of Carrie-Ann Inaba, who was once a paid dancer on a show that was on TV likely before you were even born Jazz. Your opinion, or insight as you say is not gospel.
@Jazz – Normani is an *amateur*? Um.. NO!, Rashad, David, and Bonner are amateurs when it comes to dancing, or even performing for that matter. This entire process is new to them.
And I believe Alfonso was in his early 40’s when he competed on the show. Big difference.
No, EmnEm, they’ve never cast an actual professional dancer before – why people keep trying to equate Heather with others before her, I just don’t get. This is not a hard thing to figure out.
Jazz, you’re outta your element – and I think it’s HILARIOUS you think you’re giving us “insight”. Smug much?
At this point, bringing up Alfonso is poor form – the dude was 43 and hadn’t taken a dance lesson/been paid to dance in some professional capacity for at least 20 years by the time he did DWTS. He also was only ever formally trained in tap – the rest of the styles he did, he was self-taught. Which all got mentioned in this post, which Normani and Heather fans conveniently chose to ignore. You’re not making fresh arguments, boo – you’re just repeating the same disproven tripe over and over again.
Er, we’re going by Normani’s own words, Jazz. Suck it up and deal.
You refer, Jazz, to Normani’s dance experience during her childhood. HELLO – her childhood was not that long ago!!! She isn’t in her 40’s!