'Dancing With the Stars' Alum Julianne Hough Reacts to Artem Chigvintsev Being Cut

Artem Chigvintsev's name was not on the list of pro dancers announced for the upcoming season of [...]

Artem Chigvintsev's name was not on the list of pro dancers announced for the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars, which was a surprise to both fans and the dancer himself. Former dancer and judge on the series, Julianne Hough weighed in on the situation, admitting that it's something that happens often in the business.

"It's nothing personal to anybody," DWTS alum Julianne Hough told Us Weekly of the decision on Tuesday, Sept. 11. "It's a business thing [based on] what the public wants and needs. People are going to try things."

"Whatever is supposed to happen is supposed to happen," Hough added, noting that the change may be beneficial to Chigvintsev in the long run.

"Sometimes, the greatest part of not being asked is actually an opportunity for more to open up for you," she said. "I have one instance in my life where somebody didn't ask me back to something and it was really a dig to my ego a little bit, but it was actually what I needed the most in my life, but I never would have had the courage to quit myself. For a lot of the people that maybe didn't get asked back, or there's been a shakeup, just focus on what else there is out there and keep your eyes open and let your heart open."

Such is the case for former pro Sharna Burgess, who was also not asked back this season after winning Season 27 with partner Bobby Bones. This year, Burgess became a judge on the Australian version of DWTS, and she and Chigvintsev were recently asked to choreograph a dance for So You Think You Can Dance.

Chigvintsev spoke out about the decision during an appearance on Nikki Bella and Brie Bella's The Bellas Podcast on Wednesday, Aug. 28, describing the show's decision not to ask him back as a "massive shock."

"It's not even a job, it's a lifestyle if you've been doing it for a very long time. There was never a thought in my mind that I'm not going to be doing it," he said. "There's always a chance, as a pro, you might be doing some performances on the show and there's still an involvement in some sort. But getting this call, [hearing] 'There's gonna be no involvement in the show from now on,' it's like going through a breakup after 10 years."

"I dedicated 10 years of my life to that company and being let go a few days before the announcement, that's, like, a punch in the stomach really," the pro dancer added. "I can't let anyone decide my fate from now on."

Photo Credit: Getty / Rodin Eckenroth

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