Hannah Brown Was Terrified on DWTS Until One Taylor Swift Song Changed Everything

How do you move past heartbreak that plays out in front of millions of people on national TV? For Hannah Brown, finding herself started with rediscovering her confidence on the dance floor.

The former Bachlorette was only months past the sudden end of her engagement to Jed Wyatt when she joined Dancing With the Stars looking for a fresh start. 

“I’m crying about guys who aren’t worth crying about and then making sure that I seize the moment. I’m like, ‘This is my time. This is for me’,” she said on a panel at the DWTS Convention in Palm Springs.

“I was just this girl who got her heart broken on TV and then was going straight into this.”

But her need to heal didn’t make taking on the competition any easier. With limited dance experience, the idea of performing in front of millions felt overwhelming.

“When I found out I was going first, I had a near breakdown because, like I said, I hadn’t performed in front of a live audience. I didn’t grow up in this industry, and I was really terrified.”

Brown was so nervous she could barely remember her first dance.

“I remember hitting my pose, being like, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ I honestly blacked out. I truly don’t remember. I remember I came up, I think, and hit a pose, and I sat down, like, ‘What just happened?’ It was so surreal.”

By Week 2, however, Brown had begun to find her stride—with some unexpected help from Taylor Swift.

“In Week 2, I got a Viennese waltz, and I got to dance to “Lover” by Taylor Swift. I was so excited.”

Brown and her partner, Alan Bersten, earned the highest score from the judges in week two, their first step towards winning the Mirrorball trophy. 

But it was Swift's recognition that made the night so much more memorable. 

“Taylor Swift—this is when she would do this—did like three (Instagram) Stories of our dance. It was on my birthday, and I was like, “This is incredible.” Me and Alan were so pumped.”

But it was more than just the social media recognition that gave her the attitude she needed to win. 

“It’s a very memorable moment and made me realize what I was doing. I think everything was happening so fast for me. I’m just saying yes to things, and then it was like, “Oh, there are millions of people watching this—and Taylor Swift?”

Brown was famous before she set foot on the dance floor, but what she found on DWTS was the confidence she had lost after her Bachelorette experience. 

“I was this normal girl. A year before, I was just living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, being like, “What am I going to do with my life?”

“I’m so grateful that Dancing with the Stars gave me that experience because it really allowed me to feel so empowered—that I can do this for myself. It’s not about a relationship. It’s for me to be able to get out there and shine.”

Years later, Brown still carries that feeling with her.

“Every time I come to these events or get to come back to watch a show, I have to remind myself, “I did that.”

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