Dancing with the stars may look downright fun and light-hearted because of all the glitz and glamor with the fun celebrities participating. But one of the show’s professional dancers, Ezra Sosa, explains how hard the preparation for the weekly shows actually is for the body.
“Being a dancer is the perfect balance between artistry and athleticism, and that’s why I love this art so much,” Sosa explains. But being paired with someone who really appreciates both sides of it, Jordan [Chiles] is an athlete, but she is also a very artistic person, especially in the field of artistic gymnastics. And so I definitely feel like our collaboration is so special because when we’re together and we work together on these figures, we’re pretty equal and we’re always face to face with all the dances. Especially when it comes to the show, my job is to really show America the different sides of my partner through dance.
After Tuesday’s live show wraps up, Sosa and Chiles will head straight back into the studio to start next week. How he prepares them physically all depends on the dance style they have been assigned.
“It’s a lot of stretching for the hamstrings,” the 24-year-old explains of their warm-ups, which last between 10 and 30 minutes. “It’s also a lot of hip mobility, because you’re using hip action. And for me, it’s different because I have to make sure my back is strong and my shoulders are strong, because I take her through a lot of these dances. But for her, she has to make sure she has a strong core, and she has to make sure she has really good alignment.”
Skipping cooldown is never cool for Ezra Sosa
While preparing for rehearsals is important to Ezra, the cooldown routine is what really counts.
“Your body tends to go [into] shock when you go from being so active to not being so active,” says Sosa. “You have to let your body get used to it a little bit. It’s relatively the same (as a warm-up), but it’s all about breathing exercises and breathing control, so basically just lowering your heart rate. But you’ll also repeat many of the same stretches and exercises you did before. I think it’s a good way to rev the engine and then just turn it back down.”
The couple practices in between dances during rehearsal, using many wall-mounted handstands to train and train certain muscles to keep their legs straight for longer periods of time.
“[We do them] for five minutes,” he says, adding that they dance four hours a day, with Jordan still working on her own athletics career. “She usually does her gymnastics in the morning, and then she meets me. When she is doing gymnastics, I choreograph and prepare the routine with someone else. Especially for a celebrity, it’s literally impossible to choreograph a routine for them, especially if they don’t really have any dancing experience.”
Dancing with a lot of nasty injuries
Ezra and Jordan are halfway through the show’s ten-week journey for a chance to win the mirrorball trophy. He admits he still “feels good physically,” but that puts a lot of wear and tear on the body.
“I’m sore today and I’m going to be sore a lot this week,” Ezra laughs, adding that he goes to physical therapy a few days a week to help him stay healthy. “I’m really proud of myself and the way I’ve taken care of my body, especially this year because I’m only now realizing how important it is for longevity in my career.”
Sosa admits he has even had a few injuries this season.
“Week 1 I had mild subscapularis tears,” says Sosa. “And then I had a small tear in the ligaments in my chest.”
He adds, “My fridge is full of ice packs. Icy Hot is really big for me. It’s just stretching, that’s what I do. I have little PT exercises that I do every day, just to make sure my body stays in check.”
What really gives Ezra a chance to win his first championship title in the show’s ballroom is the fact that he’s paired with another athlete.
“A lot of people praise her for being an Olympian and for all the accolades that she does,” Ezra explained of Jordan winning medals in the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris games for Team USA. “But what I love about her is her work ethic, her drive, her determination, and ultimately that’s what got her to where she is today.” Preparation, rehearsals and recovery are important to Ezra, but so is his diet when he’s burning all those calories during show season. That’s why he works together with Carls Jr. for a special partnership to keep his energy up.
“I’m honestly not kidding you, I’m not a fast food girl,” says Ezra, who loves the company’s Bacon Western Cheeseburger for a well-rounded meal. “But my partner this season is, so she got me back on the fast food kick, and Carl’s Jr. has been my go-to ever since. I have to eat my calories, but there’s also a lot of protein in their burgers, so it’s really good for me to have good protein too.”
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