She’s dazzled TV audiences of millions with her unbelievable dance skills literally her entire adult life. In fact, it’s easy to think of Witney Carson as America’s little sister, but it’s time to face the facts – our little girl is all grown up.
A young dance prodigy since the age of 3, Witney has graced us with her high-energy presence for over a decade – first as a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance Before earning her spot as a fan-favorite pro (and Mirrorball winner with Alfonso Ribeiro) on Dancing with the Stars. Now a wife, mother of two gorgeous children, and entrepreneur, Witney has evolved from a small wonder to a fully-blossomed success story.
With so much going on in her life, NEW YOU was thrilled to spend the day with Witney chatting about facing her fears while dancing for millions, launching her Active Earth organic skincare line while balancing her family and career with self-care.
NY: You started dancing at the age of three. At what point did you or your parents know that this would be such a big part of your life?
WC: I think my parents really didn’t know what would come from that until I was all the way in high school. I even applied for college because I feel like to make it on a dancing show, like Dancing with the Stars, you’re in the top 1%. There’s hardly a chance. So obviously that was my dream, but we really didn’t know how realistic that would be for me.
So I had applied to college, I had my classes already, so that was kind of our plan until I auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance. The night before, my mom was like, “you know what? I think you should do this. I think you should go and just try and see what happens and try to make your dreams happen”. I did, and then it led me here, so I’m so grateful and blessed that was the decision we made.
NY: Is it safe to say you’re the best dancer out of your whole entire family?
WC: It’s probably safe to say I’m the best dancer in the family, although my little brother, he can bring it. So every Thanksgiving and Christmas we have a little bit of a dance off and I think people like to watch him a little bit more than me.
NY: How did your early childhood and upbringing prepare you for the dedication and work ethic you need to thrive in the dance world?
WC: So I grew up with great parents. Great examples. They were both entrepreneurs. I remember my mom and dad both creating products and creating their businesses in our little tiny basement, and I watched them create businesses and I watched them have an amazing work ethic to build into these incredible companies. I grew up with them working really hard. They didn’t come from a lot of money. They had to put their time and effort into it, so I had a great example of work ethic and that translated to how I work. I just turned 30 and I still am learning and growing.
NY: Your first major TV exposure was season nine of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance when you were only 18 years old. How challenging was the transition between your previous training versus learning to dance for cameras and audiences around the world?
WC: I had a lot of training since I was three years old. I had been in front of audiences, I’d competed, I’d performed, I had that comradery already with my teammates, but nothing can prepare you for a show like So You Think You Can Dance. It is very rigorous, it’s very competitive. You’re on television, it’s live, so anything can go wrong. I definitely felt like a fish out of water for a little bit and it wasn’t until probably the second or last week where I was like,” okay, I maybe could do this”. It was very, very hard, but I was lucky to have so many amazing people around me to support me and to help me through that.
NY: Were you nervous? I mean, there’s so much pressure knowing that millions of people are watching you. What was the mindset going through that?
WC: It was very nerve-wracking every time we went live, but I am used to performing, so went back into that mindset of performing and competing and I just turned it on and it’s kind of like do or die.
NY: Talk about that performance mindset. What does that entail? What’s the inner monologue around that?
WC: The performance mindset is practice makes perfect. I think you never really get comfortable. I’ve had this really long dance career, but I still get nervous before I go out and perform. And I think it’s just a mindset of, “okay, let’s go, let’s focus in.” You really just have to not think about all of the people that you’re performing for. You’re doing it because you love it, you’re doing it to make people happy. You can’t put so much pressure on yourself to make it perfect because art is not perfect. Art is to make people feel something. You get into that mindset of, “okay, I’m here to bring joy, I’m here to bring happiness. I’m not here to make it look perfect.”
NY: You’ve been on Dancing with the Stars and worked alongside many of the same pros for 10 years now. Describe the bond that you share with your peers on the show after being a part of this amazing team for the last decade.
WC: I started when I was 18 years old on the show. They’ve seen me and been through lots of different stages in my life. I was a baby when I started. I got engaged while I was on the show. I got married, I had two beautiful babies and so they’ve been through a lot with me. They’re like my second family.
NY: When you were a rookie on Dancing with the Stars after being a student for so many years, were you immediately comfortable with being a teacher for your celebrity partners?
WC: When I first started my first season on Dancing with the Stars, I was not comfortable at all. I think I definitely faked it till I made it for sure. I just had to pretend like I knew what I was doing. I was not used to teaching people, I was used to just focusing on myself. I was very selfish and I loved performing, but I had not really taught anybody. This was a whole new realm for me, and Dancing with the Stars is a beast of a show. There were so many ins and outs to it that I had to figure out and the pros who have been there for a really long time helped me a lot. It was a big learning curve for me.
NY: I know your parents are so proud of you and you are also a parent to two beautiful children. During your time on Dancing with the Stars, what was your secret to physically, mentally and emotionally working your way back into dancing condition after giving birth?
WC: After giving birth, that pressure of getting into shape to dance again is a lot. I think mentally and physically it’s very stressful, and not only are you trying to take care of a new baby and your family and be a good wife, but on top of that you have this pressure to look so good and fit and bounce back. For me, that wasn’t good for my mentality, so I had to flip the script and I had to really make sure that I was getting healthy from the inside out, making sure that I took time for myself and not what others expected me to look like.
NY: Dancing competitively on television is one of the most physically demanding things you can do while still being expected to maintain a gorgeous TV ready look. What’s the process like for you before every show?
WC: The makeup and glam process before every show is so much fun. The glam and the hair team are just incredible. They do so many incredible things, especially on Halloween night and stuff where they get to kind of play and create, they’re so amazing. The process really is an all-day extravaganza. We are in hair and makeup from 6:00 AM until we go live at 5:00 PM. It’s a big long process, but that’s what makes the show so amazing… the glitz and the glam and the showmanship of the show. They’re incredible.
NY: You’ve danced and hosted Catch 21 with Alfonso Ribeiro, a genuine veteran of the entertainment world. What have you learned from him along the way?
WC: Alfonso is one of my closest people in my life. We call him Uncle Al. He is just our mentor. He’s a great, great friend. I was partnered with him during my second season of Dancing with the Stars and he taught me a lot about the business. He’s been in the business himself for years and years, so he has a lot of knowledge and I really lean on him for many things. I can’t even begin to tell you how many things he’s helped me with, but he’s just been an amazing mentor and friend.
NY: Maintenance of your body is so important for dancers looking to avoid injuries, especially after years of wear and tear. What are some strategies you’ve learned over the years for your overall health?
WC: I think any athlete can agree with me that the cool down and the stretching process and warming up process is very important to your physical health. It’s just really, really important to take care of your body. And I think a lot of the times we don’t spend the time to do that, but it’s just so important.
I try to stretch every day. I should be better at stretching, but I need to step it up a little bit. Taking care of yourself is really important.
NY: Between family life and your growing career on and off the dance floor, you’re juggling a lot. What’s your secret to maintaining the perfect balance for you?
WC: I definitely don’t have a perfect balance in my life. I am juggling a lot. I have a family, I’m a mom, I have a career. I have a new skincare line that I’ve just launched and so it’s a lot, but I think really my secret is having an amazing support system back at home. My husband and my parents are looking after the kids right now so that I can come and do this and I can go and shine and do what I love to do and they’re back home holding down the fort. They’re just incredible people and I would not be where I am without them.
NY: You mentioned your organic skincare line, Active Earth. What inspired you to create this amazing brand?
WC: I have a history of eczema and also of skin cancer. I was looking for clean products that actually work, so I came up with this brand. It’s all organic – good, clean ingredients that are good for you, but that actually help your skin. I’m really, really proud of it. We’ve created an amazing formula that I think will change people’s perspectives on clean beauty.
NY: How did you come up with the name Active Earth?
WC: Active Earth is incredible because obviously you have the earth, which is the natural part, but then you have the active, so that makes it actually work. So it’s not only just natural, but it’s actually working for your body for good.
NY: NEW YOU is the voice of health and beauty. Do you have a specific beauty or health routine that you follow to help you look, feel and perform at your best?
WC: I’m a firm believer that beauty comes from within. I feel like we have so much that we’re doing, whether you’re a mom or a dad or just a working person, you have to take time for yourself and to work on you from the inside out, so that’s what I try to do!
Photography: Fadil Berisha
Styling: Danielle and Alix
Hair: Ted Gibson
Makeup: Emma Willis
