“I used to be scared of my muscles because I thought that I wasn’t graceful enough. But not anymore.” — Amber Glenn
Those words come from a skater who spent years being told her body was a problem to manage. Amber Glenn, 27, has said that as a younger skater she was told to “tone it down” or cover her muscles because they were seen as too masculine or not graceful enough. She now sees her strength as an advantage.
That shift showed on Dancing with the Stars during the November 2 Disney Night, when Glenn took a turn leading partner Pasha Pashkov in a Hercules-themed quickstep. Both dancers played Hercules, a character Glenn said she’d identified with growing up, performing to “A Star Is Born.”
Pashkov built changes of leader into the choreography, giving Glenn moments to take charge. Their performance earned 34 out of 40 and kept them in the competition. Guest judge Cynthia Erivo praised the joy and strength they brought to it, and Carrie Ann Inaba singled out Glenn’s leading. Bruno Tonioli pointed out a small misstep.
Before the season, Glenn described learning ballroom as becoming a beginner again after a lifetime of skating. Waltz and foxtrot felt closer to the flow she knew on the ice, and she said dancing was helping her feel more connected to her body. She’s continued skating while competing on the show and has spoken about the physical toll of dancing in heels after training in custom skating boots.
Glenn has won 3 consecutive U.S. national titles, from 2024 through 2026, and gold in the 2026 Olympic team event. The muscles she was once asked to hide are the ones that let her lead, and her turn in front of Pashkov is where that reversal became something you could watch.