Xochitl Gomez Shares Secret Behind Successful Partnership With Val Chmerkovskiy For 'Dancing With The Stars'
Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy have constantly impressed the "Dancing With the Stars" judges and audiences, and they recently opened up about what makes their tandem work.
The "DWTS" partners sat down for an interview with Gold Derby about the popular dance competition show. During the interview, Gomez shared how the professional dancer dealt with her, who is a dyslexic.
"I have dyslexia," Gomez shared before adding, "and so, dealing with someone who has dyslexia, sometimes people don't know how to work around that. And he can tell the way that I like to learn, and it's not necessarily him over-explaining things, just literally showing me, like visually showing me."
Chmerkovskiy complimented the young actress for holding herself "accountable on her own." He added that she is a "self-motivated young woman."
Chmerkovskiy, who has won two Mirror Ball Trophies, acknowledged his expertise behind their successful performances while acknowledging the "Ursa Major" actress.
"I think I'm a great teacher. I love to teach," he said. "That's the reason why I'm great. Not because I'm the best, but because I just love it." However, he also stressed, "I'm only as good as my student. My student this season makes me look like a brilliant teacher because she is, like I said, very talented, picks things up very fast. She's a natural performer."
Last week, Gomez took to TikTok and shared a clip of her sprained ankle. The video also included a short video of her making a cartwheel before landing at an awkward angle.
"This shiiii is BANANAS! im good tho! A lil sprain, but WE WORKIN! #teamxv #dwts #teamyoungnstyle," she wrote in the caption.
@_xochitl.gomez This shiiii is BANANAS! im good tho! A lil sprain but WE WORKIN! #teamxv #dwts #teamyoungnstyle ♬ original sound - zong_qi - Z️
Chmerkovskiy reposted Gómez's video on his Instagram Story, writing, "Cause things were going really well," with a crying emoji.
Before the injury, Entertainment Tonight interviewed Chmerkovskiy about his working experience with Gómez, and the seasoned pro praised her for her bold spirit.
"I'm really proud of her. For a young age, she's really persistent and focused, and yeah she works hard," Chmerkovskiy said of his dancing partner. "She gets hurt. She keeps going."
"Dancing With the Star" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET live on ABC and Disney+.
