Meet Jenna Dewan’s mum Nancy Smith, who inspired her DWTS Dedication Night dance
She's described her mum as her 'biggest cheerleader'
Jenna Dewan is dedicating her DWTS routine to her mum, Nancy, on tonight’s Dedication Night, and it’s a tribute to the woman who started it all. Jenna and stand-in partner Alan Bersten are performing a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers in her honour. Nancy keeps a much lower profile than her famous daughter, but she’s the person Jenna credits with sparking her love of dance in the first place.
Nancy Smith, née Bursch, raised Jenna with her dad, Darryll Dewan, a former running back on Notre Dame’s 1972 football team. Jenna was born in Hartford, Connecticut, but the family moved around a lot during her childhood. Jenna has said she lived in seven different cities before she even reached seventh grade, eventually settling in Texas, where she went to Grapevine High School and was a varsity cheerleader.
Nancy has largely stayed out of the spotlight over the years, though she has joined Jenna at public events, including a gala in 2025.
Ahead of tonight’s show, Jenna shared a heartfelt Instagram tribute calling Nancy “my biggest cheerleader.” She praised her mum for showing her what kindness looks like and said Nancy was the very first person to encourage her dancing. Jenna described the routine as a full circle moment, and said she really hopes it makes her mum proud.
The dedication comes during a chaotic week for Jenna. Her usual partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, has been suspended for one week over a now-deleted social media post about judge Carrie Ann Inaba, so Alan, who was eliminated in week two with Giada De Laurentiis, has stepped in to dance with her.
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