'Dance Moms' Star Zackery Torres Announces They're Transitioning

In a TikTok posted on May 30, dancer and former Dance Moms star Zackery Torres announced that they are currently transitioning.

The Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition alum posted the video to the sound of Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” with the caption: “LIFE UPDATE!”

“I’m transitioning!” said Torres. “That means I’m transgender, if you didn’t know. My pronouns are they/she, which means that they or she are totally fine.”

The 22-year-old dancer recently graduated from USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance as a part of the Class of 2021. During their sophomore year at USC, Torres came out as non-binary.

Just last summer, Torres published an instructional guidebook, An Evolving Conversation on Gender: Dance Edition, which they intend to be a starting point for those in the dance community to learn and organize around gender inclusivity. Torres is also the founder and CEO of Continuum Community, a company that aims to provide practical, community-oriented resources for gender inclusion.

In an interview with USC’s student newspaper The Daily Trojan, the former reality TV star spoke on their experiences as a young dancer in the public eye, and how it shaped their understanding of their gender identity. “I started seeing all of the expectations that teachers — well-known dance teachers, and well-known choreographers — had for me as a male dancer growing up and at the time identifying as a boy,” said Torres. “‘Oh, you’re too feminine, you need to dance like a man.’ Just having teachers tell you that on national television, all this stuff, it kind of really got to me.”

While speaking to USC News, Torres also opened up about how they’ve worked to reject the gender binary in dance and advocate for inclusion at their alma mater. “If someone doesn’t identify as a man or a woman, what class would they take?” asked Torres, using ballet as an example of a dance form that relies on the gender binary. “How do we evolve that while respecting the past?”

Back in March, on the International Transgender Day of Visibility, Torres posted two selfies with the transgender flag emoji-adorned caption, “Proud to be transgender today and everyday.”

Torres’ transition journey announcement comes right on the cusp of Pride Month 2021. What a way to kick off the celebrations!

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Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: What It Means to Transition When You're Non-Binary

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue