Xochitl Gomez & Val Chmerkovskiy Prepare for DWTS Disney Night

What's up guys? Leslie Robbins here for Young Hollywood, coming to you from inside Lime Grove Studios. We are once again going behind the scenes at Dancing with the Stars. This time with Sochi and Val. Sochi and Val, season 32, Dancing with the Stars, in the rehearsal space. Yeah. It's happening, it's happening. You can smell it. Oh my gosh. Things are happening in here. The sweat was flying. Bro, what? The sweat was flying. Oh my gosh. Real sweat is happening here. Well, the sweat was happening. I walked in on you guys practicing your routine coming up for next week. Let's just talk about that for a second. Disney next week, you're doing a little Coco number. Walk me through how you feel, first of all.

Oh. Well, let's just talk about the style of dance we're doing. We're doing the paso doble, which I'd like to say is literally that's the one. It's like Val, it's that, it's Val in the form of dance. What I'm most excited about being part of the show is just knowing actually how to dance. I go to so many events and parties and I just like, I don't really know what to do, but I know that I love dancing and I have a lot of fun. So I think actually knowing what I'm doing and having some good moves to pull out on the dance floor that will be helpful.

Yeah. Because paso doble is is a is a really, I mean, there's a lot of pride in this dance, there's a lot of

Yeah, have you seen the arrogance, bro? Have you seen the way you walk into a door? Like, like when you walk like that in door, is the way you walk. I gotta see this. Like you walk like that.

I walk like that. Yeah.

Wait, I need I need this in the mic. Wait, so he walks in like that. Yeah, that's how we walk. Really? What, like what? Wait, let's do it. Okay. Very good. Hey, I'm walking. Uh.

Well, well listen, in order to dance the way you do, you need that kind of arrogance and confidence. Correct? And that's what you're trying to pass on. The dance is very, um, very dynamic. Yeah, it really is. So I I appreciate the compliment. All jokes aside. I I think it's going to compliment her her I you know, there's a big change uh in this performance from everything we've done this season and kind of like the energy that she showcased. So I'm excited to show that side of Sochi.

The second I step on a dance floor, I feel so excited. There's something about, um, I don't know, just the picture of it. I constantly think about how I want to see someone on the dance floor and most of the time there's no one really out there, not at the very beginning. So I try to kind of kick start it off cuz I'm like, there should be people dancing, there should be people moving and laughing. And so I usually kick it off so that other people can join in cuz I think that's really special.

Okay, so break down, you get the call. Because getting on Dancing with the Stars, people want it, they wait for it and they like wait seasons after season. Talk about the call, the email, who called you, who'd you call next? Break it down. Well, who let in your DM? Oh, exact well, yeah, that's right.

My agent did. Yeah, okay. Um, but she was like floating the idea out there and I was like, oh, I don't know. Like, I don't know if I'm ready for that, like this is the right time. And then, uh, you know, I started looking more into it and then I was like, I know, like day, it didn't, or it didn't. And then I was like, wait, they're all. Oh man. And so I was like, okay, I'll do it. And I was just like, I was like, fingers crossed, please let it be Val, please let it be Val. And then I walk in the door. Val was there. And I'm like,

And I was in the wrong room, but she was. Oh my gosh. She committed, you know, she she was excited. She had the this down. Yeah. She has to tell my other celebrity partner that This is real. Breaking news. Who was who was it? No, no, no. She says this to the guy, oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh, when I first met Val, I was so nervous. Um, I I don't I don't know why I was so nervous. He wasn't what was making me nervous, I don't know. I think it was just the fact that I was meeting somebody that I'm going to be dancing with for so long. Is what made me nervous. Um, honestly, I think I'm excited. Uh, he's so far he's been a really good teacher, coach and friend. I walked in, I was so excited, but I was so nervous. Like I don't know why, but I had like built up some kind of like I don't know. I'm not a nervous person, but I was so nervous. I like forgot my own age. I was like, I'm 16. I like just turned 18. Wait, what? I'm like, I'm 17.

Well, this was yeah, this was in the opening package. It was in the opening package. Live television. Um, but yeah, I mean, it it's a nerve-wracking experience. First of all, you don't get a second chance to do Dancing with the Stars, right? No, no. So, so it is important to think about whether it's the right time. But then at the same time, you don't want to squander the the gift that, you know, an invite to a season like this entails. So I'm I'm glad she said yes. I'm glad that she championed my name as her potential teacher and partner and I'm I'm like I said, I'm really grateful that I get a chance to do the season with her.

That was actually really. Oh. Why is that such a surprise? Is it because of my walk in? No, you I know like No, you walked in with less arrogance than she said. Yeah. But I'm sure when cameras aren't here, you're like Yeah. Yeah. So walk me through a day in the life of being a dancer now. The fact that the show is live is something that makes my heart kind of go like flutter. But I did do musical theater. I did 22 full-length musicals growing up from the age of five till like 12. So I have that experience. But I think dancing, like, like this on Dancing with the Stars is just a little more you know, probably good. I mean, does your nutrition change, your exercise routine change?

Well, part of the fact that when I got the call to do it, I was like, okay, well we all know that it's like four hours of training and then you're dancing every single day. So I was like, I got to do a bunch of activities for four hours. So I did like Pilates, I did barre, I did cycling. I did as much as I could because I knew that I would have to be like doing a bunch of activities. Which I'm very grateful for. I did do Zumba. That helps. Anything helps. Anything else. I like did Zumba like almost every other day.

That's actually a really good point. You need your stamina for all of those hours and how do you build that? That's a Zumba. Zumba. So we have the exercise routine down. Are you still doing four hours of that and four hours of dance or the dancing is just enough?

Girl, this What's happening with the dance should show you. I mean, the dancer Killer. Oh, this is Oh, I thought you were showing me her body. I'm like, yeah. No, no, no. I'm Oh, it's the wounds of. Yeah. The arrogant wounds. They're the speaking of right of passage, right? Oh my gosh. Wait, can we talk about your Is this

Yeah, so I'm injured. Yeah, I have a bruised rib. It's pretty bad. But it's getting better, but it was uh, it was definitely from our salsa routine. That ending lift. Yes. Was it bad? But Luckily I had foxtrot and I wore a corset. It really helped.

Yeah. And and it's very very common injury when you're doing ballroom dance because most of the framing happens on this side. Right? So a lot of the movement is right to left. Yeah. So

A lot of his arm. That arrogant arm. No, I'm just kidding. So Disney, talk about a Disney moment you have personally that that just always comes to mind.

My Disney moments I think are ahead of me because I now have a newborn that I'm excited to introduce to the world of Disney. So I, you know, again, I I was born from the other side of the world. I grew up in New York and yes, of course I knew Disney but I never got a chance to go to Disneyland until I was on the show and I got a chance to film something on Disney. So my story is more this this is a full circle moment that I get to bring my son now to the Disneyland and have him enjoy Disneyland.

That's a beautiful story and that's so cute. When I was with you, young Hollywood has been here before with you, with Normani and Laurie Hernandez that you brought up. We did some dancing. You didn't have a kid, you didn't have a wife. You were, you know, you were just out there dancing. Just living life. Just living life. You're just doing it. But you're here. We've We've all read the book. We know. But here we are now again and each time Young Hollywood has been with you, you've uh, put me on the dance floor showing me some moves. Are you ready to tackle this again?

Well, yeah, of course, and I expect a lot of chemistry, a lot of experience between us. This is the third time we're doing it.

Well, she's joining us too. Yeah, she's going to be guiding us through the whole thing. Well, we've got the footwear, we've got the color coordination. I think we're ready to go. Let's do it. Um, I'm not there yet. Okay.