JoJo Siwa Reacts After Getting Highest Score of the Night for Debut 'Dancing With the Stars' Performance

By Allison Schonter

Jojo Siwa has plenty to celebrate following her Dancing With the Stars debut. As Season 30 of the hit ABC dancing competition kicked off Monday night, the Dance Moms alum not only made history as being part of the show's first same-sex pairing, but also earned plenty of applause with her first performance, which earned the highest score of the night, and she couldn't be any more excited.

After earning a total of 29 points out of a possible 40 points for their Quickstep set to "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet alongside pro dancing partner Jenna Johnson, Siwa reacted to her high score when speaking to Entertainment Tonight backstage. Reflecting on her debut performance on that fact she and Johnson earned the highest score of the night, Siwa said "it was so cool! I didn't know when it happened!" She added that she "lost it" when returning host Tyra Banks "said it was the highest score of the night."

For their debut performance, Siwa and Johnson performed a colorful quickstep to Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." The performance earned high praise from the panel of judges. Carrie Ann Inaba gave them an 8, with both Len Goodman and Derek Hough giving them 7s. Bruno Tonioli, who dubbed the performance "the "groundbreaking moment we've been waiting for," also gave the pair a 7, putting them at the top of the leaderboard in Week 1. The performance, as Tonioli said, was a groundbreaking moment for the show, as it marked the first time a same-sex pairing has taken the stage.

In a video package before their first dance, Siwa, who publicly came out as LGBTQ in January, said "this is a whole new ball game for me. I've never done anything ballroom before. It's a learning experience that I'm more than ready for." Siwa added that "for the first time in Dancing with the Stars history, I am dancing with another female, and I'm really, really proud. I came out in early 2021 and what I love to do is make truly being who you are easier for kids."

In a social media post after taking the stage, Siwa said it was "THE BEST ever" and thanked Johnson "for taking me through this process while making it the most fun ever." She added that "making history and Top score of the night was literally a dream come true for me. Chase every dream you have and believe in yourself. Know that I love you all and I am smiling so big right now because of you, we did this !!!" Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays on ABC.

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