Jenna Dewan Posts Hilarious Throwback Pic of Her as a Background Dancer for Kelly Clarkson

After just announcing a new dance show coming to Netflix, Jenna is continuing to show us her roots—most recently, with a funny and sweet throwback photo of her dancing as a backup singer for American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. The photo was taken after Kelly won the competition (2002) but potentially before Jenna starred in Step Up (2006).

Fashion model, Clothing, Dress, Cocktail dress, Shoulder, Strapless dress, Photo shoot, Waist, Day dress, Little black dress,

(Image credit: NBC)

By Katherine J. Igoe

published 3 May 2019

in Features

After just announcing a new dance show coming to Netflix, dancer-actress-author Jenna Dewan is continuing to show us her roots—most recently, with a funny and sweet throwback photo of her dancing as a backup singer for American Idol winner (and now, of course, iconic singer) Kelly Clarkson. According to the Daily Mail, it looks as though the photo was taken after Kelly won the competition (2002) but potentially before Jenna starred in Step Up (2006). So this is a blast from the past that's about a decade and a half old at this point.

Jenna captioned the photo, "#tbt to dancing with @kellyclarkson at a Walmart parking lot in Texas...I will never forget quick changing in the break room amongst all the employees, and running through the aisles to make it back on stage in time 😂." I love these kind of unglamorous but super-fun details that Jenna often gives us.

The photo is also kind of perfect: The spectators milling around behind them, clearly unaware that they are witnessing poetry in motion. The super-bare stage with nothing but Kelly and the dancers, no lighting, no bells and whistles. Everyone's flare jeans and Kelly's insane (platform? wedge? flatform?) shoes. The early '00s were an interesting time for fashion, truly. The fact that both Kelly and Jenna are going to go on to great things, but are clearly putting in the work to get there.

Jenna continued, "To this day, Kelly is one of THE nicest and best i have met in this business ❤️" Considering that Kelly literally just had her appendix removed after hosting the 2019 Billboard Awards, I'm sure she appreciated the sweet shoutout.

Here's the original post:

A post shared by Jenna Dewan (@jennadewan)
A photo posted by on

Thank you to Jenna's stepdad for bringing this magical photo to my attention.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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