Emotions are high for Jordin Sparks this evening on Dancing With The Stars! In an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife.com, the former American Idol star revealed her 4-year-old son DJ (Dana Isaiah Thomas Jr.) will be in the audience to watch her perform for the first time this season with partner, Brandon Armstrong! “I’m so excited. I can’t wait for him to come. I told him the other day, I said, ‘You want to come see Mommy? You get to come! And he said, ‘Really? Mommy, I can’t wait!’ He’s so excited.” Jordin admitted that emotions are always high for her in the ballroom, but things will be especially emotional with her baby in the crowd.
“I’m just trying to keep it together!” she laughed. “I might break down… but they will be happy tears for sure, not sad.” Jordin added that this week’s dance for Disney Night, in particular, is one she has felt “the most connection to” of all the dances. “It’s for him. It’s for DJ and I. I want him to know how much I’m thinking about him and how much I love him, even though I have to be away during the day,” she said.
Of course, DJ, along with the world, has watched Jordin take the stage before, and crush it every time! She admitted that when it comes to DWTS, her nerves are just the same as they are ahead of a big gig! “The nerves are still there, girl! I still get butterflies. I think the biggest difference is that I just don’t have to warm up my voice… which is actually a good thing!” the “No Air” belter told HL. “With this, I have a partner, I have somebody that is also performing right alongside of me, so that takes some of the pressure off but it’s also like, I want to do the best I can for him, as well, so it’s different added source of pressure.”
She added that she has loved her time ballroom dancing and even after her DWTS stint, Jordin hopes to continue to dance! “I think I’m gonna find some classes and continue doing ballroom because I like it. I like it a lot!” she gushed.
The singer spoke to HL to discuss her partnership with legacy mentorship organization Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), and leading outdoor performance and lifestyle brand, Merrell. Together, they hosted an intimate outdoor event at Franklin Canyon Park in Los Angeles with Bigs and Littles from the local Los Angeles BBBSA chapter that allowed young people to enjoy their time in nature and learn about the mental and physical benefits of being in nature.
“We have our homes and all this advanced technology, but at the end of the day, the earth, the trees and animals, all of those things are really what’s innately connected to us and what we’re connected to, so for me, I try and be outside as much as I can,” Jordin explained. “Being able to do that with the Big Brothers Big Sisters was great, too, because there’s a lot of communities and people who aren’t necessarily able to experience nature in this way, especially in big cities, so really loved being able to be with Big Brothers Big Sisters Of America and bring them outside in this way.”
Be sure to tune in to Dancing With the Stars on Disney+ tonight, October 10, at 8 PM ET!