'Dancing with the Stars' Nyle DiMarco: I didn't dance growing up in fear I'd make a fool of myself as a deaf person

Dancing with the Stars' second deaf contestant ever, Nyle DiMarco, admits he used to avoid dancing in fear of embarrassing himself.


"Growing up, I didn't dance at all, and I wasn't sure if I could. I didn't want to make a fool of myself as a deaf person," DiMarco told Us Weekly via his interpreter following Monday night's premiere of Dancing with the Stars.

"If I made a fool out of myself I think the world would have that negative perception that a deaf person can't dance, and it's important for me to do so well so that I can preach to the world that deaf people can do anything."

The latest America's Next Top Model winner proved skeptics wrong because he and pro partner Peta Murgatroyd tied for first place on the judges' leaderboard with two other couples during Season 22's debut. 

"Before I started DWTS, I knew it was going to be a huge challenge for me, but the first day that I met Peta, in our first rehearsal, I thought, 'Hey, this isn't really that challenging! I can dance!'" DiMarco said.


"It's not all about hearing. It's about our connection and Peta's pace and following it, and it really becomes not too bad."

It turns out, DiMarco found his first performance quite easy.

"It wasn't a challenge today and I'm glad the world knows that now, that we can dance and I can dance with Peta!" DiMarco noted.

The first deaf contestant to compete on Dancing with the Stars was Marlee Matlin. She Fabian Sanchezappeared on Season 6 and was the sixth couple eliminated with former pro dancer Fabian Sanchez.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski