'DWTS' pro Jenna Johnson discusses her and JoJo Siwa's 'palpable chemistry'

On Dancing With the Stars Monday, the eight remaining couples battled it out for a spot in the semifinals each performing to a Janet Jackson classic. To recap her night, JoJo Siwa's partner, Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy, joined Yahoo Entertainment's Last Night Now for an interview following the show.

In case you missed it, JoJo and Jenna made history during the Season 30 premiere, when the two women became the show's first same-sex dance partners. When asked if she feels like this season with JoJo has been different than past seasons in which she was paired with a male partner, Jenna admitted, "I think, with JoJo, what's different from some of my male partners is that I can't rely on moves that I know will work, or that I know will feel good, or look good, or that I've done in the past. Everything that I'm doing this season is new."

One of those new moves ended up being what Carrie Ann Inaba called "cirque de salsa" Monday, when JoJo held and spun Jenna, who was in an upside down spread eagle position.

"I giggle because I'm, like, I don't think that JoJo signed up for the show thinking that she was going to be lifting another human week after week," shared Jenna, who added, "But we both have had to sit down and be, like, if we want to compete with the other couples who are doing these lifts, doing these spins, we also have to do them."

During part two of Monday's DWTS, JoJo and Jenna faced off against Olivia Jade and Jenna's husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, in the Dance Off round. The two couples danced a rumba to Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes," but it was Jojo and Jenna who had Carrie Ann exclaim: "that passion and chemistry was palpable!" Even viewers on Twitter couldn't help but point out the insane chemistry between JoJo and Jenna.

"I told Jojo, week one, the only dance I didn't want to do this season was rumba," Jenna revealed to Last Night Now. "I didn't want to do it because it is a dance of love, and it is a very sensual dance that requires a lot of chemistry, and it works really well for a male and a female, and I just didn't know if I would be able to commit to a rumba, or if I would be able to pull it off, honestly, with another female." Fortunately, JoJo and Jenna ultimately embraced the opportunity.

"I just told Jojo, like, we've gotta go there and we've gotta sell it. Because if we look uncomfortable doing it, the audience is going to feel uncomfortable watching it," said Jenna.

While the ladies nailed the rumba and won the Dance Off, ultimately, it was a bittersweet night for Jenna as her hubby Val and Olivia were eliminated. As for what we can expect to see from Jenna and JoJo next week, Jenna shared, "We are going to go a more emotional route, which I don't think people have seen from JoJo yet. I feel like we've seen many different shades of her, but we haven't seen this sort of shade. So I'm excited to kind of tap into that, and I'm just really excited for what we have planned."

Video transcript

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- (SINGING) When you hear some feedback you go and take it higher. Crank it up. Give it to me, come on. Crank it up. Give it to me, come on. I'm gonna feedback feedback.

KYLIE MAR: It was Janet Jackson night on "Dancing With the Stars" Monday as the eight remaining couples battled it out for a spot in the semifinals. And we have a very special guest to recap her night with us-- JoJo Siwa's partner, pro dancer Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy. Hey, Jenna. How are you doing tonight?

JENNA JOHNSON CHMERKOVSKIY: Hi. I'm doing amazing. Thank you.

KYLIE MAR: You and JoJo made history during the season 30 premiere when you became the show's first same-sex dance partners, and since then you two have been killing it. Do you feel like this season with JoJo is a lot different than when you had to prepare with your male partners?

JENNA JOHNSON CHMERKOVSKIY: I think with JoJo what's different from some of my male partners is that I can't rely on moves that I know will work or that I know will feel good or look good or that I've done in the past. Everything that I'm doing this season is new.

KYLIE MAR: A few days ago JoJo posted on her Instagram saying this week's salsa dance is her favorite and that you two had been working on something you thought was impossible. Was it the move of Carrie Ann Inaba called "cirque de salsa" when JoJo was holding and spinning you around in a spread eagle position, because it looks so hard.

JENNA JOHNSON CHMERKOVSKIY: I-- you know, I giggle because I'm like, I don't think that JoJo signed up for the show thinking that she was going to be lifting another human week after week. But we both have had to sit down and be like, if we want to compete with the other couples who are doing these lifts, doing these spins, we also have to do them.

JOJO SIWA: Tonight I feel like Jenna really pushed me for strength. We wanted to do something that we hadn't done yet before and that was seriously intense lifts.

KYLIE MAR: During the dance-off round you and JoJo faced off against Olivia Jade and your husband Val, and even viewers on Twitter couldn't help but point out the insane chemistry between you and JoJo.

CARRIE ANN INABA: JoJo and Jenna, I'm sorry. Hold on one second now, because that passion and that chemistry was palpable. Palpable!

JENNA JOHNSON CHMERKOVSKIY: I told JoJo week one the only dance I didn't want to do this season was rumba. And I didn't want to do it because it is a dance of love and it is a very sensual dance that requires a lot of chemistry, and it works really well for a male and a female, and I just didn't know if I would be able to commit to a rumba or if I would be able to pull it off honestly with another female. I just told JoJo like we've got to go there and we've got to sell it because if we look uncomfortable doing it the audience is going to feel uncomfortable watching it.

KYLIE MAR: And finally, Monday night was also a double elimination. Sadly, Jimmie Allen and his partner Emma and Olivia and your hubby were sent home.

JENNA JOHNSON CHMERKOVSKIY: Yeah.

KYLIE MAR: But congratulations because you guys made it to the semifinals. What can we expect from you and JoJo next week?

JENNA JOHNSON CHMERKOVSKIY: We are going to go a more emotional route, which I don't think people have seen from JoJo yet. I feel like we've seen many different shades of her but we haven't seen this sort of shade, so I'm excited to kind of tap into that. And I'm just really excited for what we have planned.