UCLA senior Jordan Chiles has been managing a demanding schedule this fall, balancing her academic responsibilities with gymnastics training and participation in the 34th season of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” Chiles, who is majoring in African American studies, spoke to UCLA Newsroom about her experiences on the show and how she is handling multiple commitments.
“I’ve just had a fun experience,” Chiles said about joining the reality competition. “My partner, Ezra (Sosa), has been remarkable, and I’ve just enjoyed literally everything about it. It’s a dream come true. As a little kid, I watched the show, and to be on it just means everything.”
Chiles and Sosa have performed strongly on the program, recently tying for the top spot on the leaderboard alongside other contestants such as wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and reality star Whitney Leavitt.
In addition to competing on television, Chiles continues to train with her UCLA gymnastics teammates as they prepare for the 2026 NCAA season. She described how some of her teammates have attended tapings of “Dancing With the Stars” and interacted with professional dancers. “The girls are having a magnificent time. A few times, I was able to bring some of the pros that they wanted me to — they would text me, like, ‘Hey, can we meet so and so?’ I think it’s really cool just to let them have that opportunity of being in that space. So they really enjoyed it, and they had fun, for sure.”
Chiles also noted that some professional dancers visited UCLA gymnastics practice sessions: “Yes, some of the pro dancers definitely did. My own partner, Ezra, was able to come and watch. And then Val (Chmerkovskiy) did as well. As kids, we always want to support one another, but knowing that we can have (those) who we look up to come and support us just means everything. So, they really enjoyed it. We call it ‘celebrity Sundays’ because the majority of the time they come in on Sundays. So, it’s really cool just to see them light up and have fun with it.”
Although she hasn’t taught any dance routines to her teammates yet—“I have not taught them any of my routines… They keep asking me and I’m like, ‘Uh, let me find a day that I could process which dance that you guys can learn.’”—she shared how dancer Val Chmerkovskiy showed teammate Tiana Sumanasekera some moves.
To manage her workload across academics and athletics while participating in live television competitions each week this quarter at UCLA—where many classes offer online options—Chiles worked with coaches and counselors: “This quarter, I told my coaches and my academic counselor, ‘Hey, can we make sure everything is online? Because that’s going to be the easiest for me.’ And so, I have all of my stuff online. I’ve just been trying to make sure I do as much homework as possible… But (balancing it all has) been really fun. It’s my senior year so I’m trying to enjoy the best of it and just really finish everything out as strongly as possible.”
Reflecting on her final year at UCLA: “Knowing that it’s my senior year… yes, they were fast but I got to enjoy them… know that I’m always going to be a Bruin no matter what — it’s going to be bittersweet for sure. I’m definitely going to take a lot out of it and be very thankful that I had the opportunities that I did.”
When asked about standout moments from her time on “Dancing With the Stars,” Chiles emphasized teamwork behind-the-scenes: “There are a lot of different things…and it’s the behind-the-scenes work…we all know this is a competition but at end…as long as we can support each other outside (is important). I’ve just had a fun experience….I’ve just enjoyed literally everything about it.”
She added regarding camaraderie among participants: “We all know that it is a competition — obviously we all want to win a mirror ball — but I think the best thing is just being able to have that relationship with everyone whether it’s celebrity whether it’s pro whether it’s show crew … that’s what makes it really fun and enjoyable.”
Fans can watch Chiles perform with Sosa Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC; voting occurs during East Coast broadcasts beginning at 8 p.m ET/5 p.m PT.
