JoJo Siwa on her new show with her mom and why ballet didn't prepare her for 'DWTS'

JoJo Siwa talks about making history on Dancing with the Stars, why ballet didn't prepare her for ballroom, and how she feels about being a role model at such a young age.

She also talks about her new show, Siwas Dance Pop Revolution, where she and her mom work together to find new kid pop stars.

Video Transcript

- (SINGING) One, two, three, take my hand and come with me, because you look so fine that I really want to make you mine.

JOJO SIWA: The experience of "Dancing With the Stars" has been unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I mean, it's been the best experience ever. The response from being the first ever same-sex couple on "Dancing With the Stars" has just been amazing, from not only the LGBTQ community but from the entire world.

I think that now the majority of a world is at least an ally. And I think that's so amazing and so supportive. And it's so awesome. We have a lot of disadvantages being a same-sex couple. A, I am not as strong as a man. I physically am not. I'm getting there. I'm getting to be really strong. But coming into this competition, I couldn't even do a single pushup compared to the Miz, compared to Aman, I mean, just cannot lift like they can.

Advantages that we have, I think it's really cool that we get to kind of go back and forth with who gets to lead, who gets to follow. I think that's something really special. I also think our connection with each other is, I would put money on, the strongest out of any couple this season. She's just become my best friend. We have a blast every single week.

A lot of ballroom is actually completely opposite of technical competitive dancing. There's a lot of times where Jen'll be like, everything you've learned in a ballet class, erase. It's the complete opposite.

I explain it like a football player trying to play baseball. It's very, very different styles. And Jen and I'll get frustrated in rehearsals. And I'll be like, this is why I danced when I was little. Why am I not doing this? She's like, because it's a tango. And you've never done a tango.

Now that the world gets to see this side of my life and now that I just get to share that with the world, it just-- it's awesome.

I didn't sleep at all the night that I came out. And I was actually texting Iggy Azalea at 2:00 in the morning. And she was like, why are you awake right now? And I was like, I came out. Press is going wild. And I was like, why are you awake? She was like, eh, new baby, press is going wild. I was like, cool, great.

My phone blew up with love and support. And then I decided to take a journey into the section of the internet that we never go into called the comments. And that was a mistake. And people were not all supportive in the comments. And I think that's even something too with "Dancing With the Stars" that Jen and I talk about almost every day is people want us to fail just because we're two girls.

JESSALYN SIWA: I just want her to be happy. I just want people to be nice to her. And I told her a long time ago, I don't mind sharing you with the world as long as the world loves you. I'm like, you don't even know her, and you're saying all these things. How dare you?

But then I'm like, you don't even know her. You don't get to know her. So your loss at the end of the day.

JOJO SIWA: I think something that I appreciate hearing the most actually comes from adults when they say, I wish I had someone like you when I was little. There is a lot of weight on my shoulders. And there is a lot on my mind all the time. But it's almost like the world just loves who I am. That gives me so much joy, knowing that there are kids who are little who now have me. And it's just a constant reminder of be yourself.

Somebody who really, in my mind, has been like, oh, whoa, is Lady Gaga and Freddie Mercury. Those two have changed my life. I remember when I learned the lyrics of "Born This Way," it was just over quarantine when I learned that it says, no matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender life, I'm on the right track, baby, I was born to survive. When I learned that it said those things, I was like, whoa. That is so true.

It does not matter. You're on the right track. You're born to survive.

The feeling that I get when little kids say that they look up to me or that I changed their lives or that I inspire them or that I make them feel OK to be who they are, that's all I want is for people to feel OK to be who they are.

[SCREAMING]

Hi.

[SCREAMING]

JESSALYN SIWA: We are going to make you guys the next phenomenon.

I have always been a fan of dancing. I had a dance studio my whole life. I watched "Star Search." I watched "Mickey Mouse Club." and then being on "Dance Moms," I would always sit on set. And I would think to myself, if this was my show, this is what I would do.

And then we were in quarantine. And I started kind of putting it on paper. And we just ran with it. And pretty soon, we were having auditions. And we had all these amazing kids.

JOJO SIWA: One thing led to another, and boom.

JESSALYN SIWA: Here we are. It's just insane how it came together.

JOJO SIWA: It's interesting because we've worked together my whole life, I mean, since I was born. But working together in this way we've never done before-- and so it's-- there was hurdles, of course. But at the end of the day, we're a team. And we always will be. And we're stuck with each other, no matter what.

[MUSIC PLAYING]