[cis male and he/him] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [PIERCE NEWMAN]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [MICHAEL EVANS BEHLING]. You must be the [TWENY-EIGHT] year old [PROFESSIONAL DANCER]. Word is you’re [UPLIFTING] but can also be a bit [COMPETITIVE] and your favorite song is [BLESSED - DANIEL CEASER]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [CRYSTAL COVE CONDOS]. I’m sure you’ll love it!
S T A T I S T I C S
Full Name: Pierce Jude Newman • Nicknames: PJ, Ace, Pier, P • Birthday: August 17, 1997 • Birthplace: Tuscon, Arizona • Hometown: Tuscon, Arizona • Gender: Cis male • Pronouns: He/Him • Orientation: Heterosexual • Marital Status: Single • Languages: Spanish & French (Fluent), English (Native) • Religion: Christian • Occupation: Professional Dancer with DWTS • Time in Town: Since Winter 2022
M I S C E L L A N E O U S
Positive Traits: Charismatic, Gentle-Hearted, Creative Neutral Traits: Emotional, Protective, Honest to a Fault Negative Traits: Perfectionist, Competitive, Envious
Aesthetics: Gravity-Defying Lifts • Extra-long Bear Hugs • Sunday Morning Phone Calls to His Mom • Humming Under His Breath • Quick-Witted Charm • Stretching in the Doorways • Quiet Emotional Intelligence • Weekend Brunches, No Excuses • Bruised Ribs, Tender Ankles, and Taped Fingers • Wind-Tousled Hair • Practicing Choreo at 2AM • Bold Suits with Deep Colors • Headphones Around His Neck • Journaling On Bad Days • Walking His Dog at 6 AM with Coffee in Hand • Ocean-Cooled Nights • Birthday Cards Stocked in a Shoe Box • Backyard BBQs • Laughter that Fills the Room • Fresh Line-Ups
Headcanons:
Loves old-school R&B, Afrobeats, & neo-soul music.
Pre-show ritual: a little prayer, deep breath, and two taps on his feet.
Gives great advice to his friends and barely takes any of his own.
A major plant dad. Somehow has learned to have a green thumb over the years.
Is a fantastic cook, especially Louisiana style cuisine. Learned from his aunts.
Has a rescued dalmatian named Troy who he takes to the beach every morning.
B I O G R A P H Y
Pierce came into the world saturated in love by his mother, Emily Newman, in sun-soaked Arizona. His father passed away months before he was born. Nonetheless, Pierce grew up surrounded by the warmth of his father’s memories and extended family. His mother, a professional dancer before he was born, quickly pivoted to teaching to provide stability for their home.
Music and dance had always been in their home. Since he was a toddler, Pierce’s mom encouraged his love for dance. He would make up his own dance routines in their kitchen while she cooked, rewatching clips of her ballroom competition years. By age six, Pierce began competing in ballroom events.
His childhood soon became a pattern of early mornings, long road trips, late-night practices, and hand-made costumes managed by his grandmother. Week after week, he won competitions, earned high praises from judges, and by ten, he was a national star in the dance circuit. Pierce knew he was talented, and he wanted to go beyond the successes of his mother, hoping to prove that she didn’t have to give up her former career for nothing.
His teenage years only amplified in the ballroom circuits. Dominating every competition, he won a handful of titles over the years. Then there was the constant travel across the country to participate in intensives, workshops, and even offers to appear as a guest instructor. In the midst of all the success, there was underlying pressure Pierce silently dealt with imposter syndrome.
At eighteen, Pierce decided to give his mind and body a break from the world of dance and took the funds he earned from the start of sponsorships to travel throughout North and South America. A full calendar year immersed in other cultures had inspired him and also revealed to him the beauty of life and relationships. Making connections in this manner made him more delighted than anything else in quite some time.
He spent the following year working on his technique, posting several videos of himself dancing on the Internet that went viral. Reached out by producers of Dancing With the Stars, he auditioned and ended up joining the cast at twenty. He quickly became known as the charismatic, go-lucky one, always one to lift the mood at practices and live shows, to the point that people wanted more of him.
Pierce was content to have the opportunity to be on the show, so he simply worked for a coveted position. Not long thereafter, at 22, he earned the spot of becoming a cast member and pro dancer on DWTS. It was quite the year for him, as his mom also found herself smitten with this man she met in Arizona. It didn’t take all that long, but suddenly Pierce found himself having a stepdad and stepsister. His family expanded overnight, and there was even more love and fun to go around than ever before.
After a couple of years in downtown LA, Pierce traded the chaos for the slower-paced ocean town just a skip away from the studios. Snatching himself a condo, he quickly became fond of Aurora Bay. It’s a great reprieve outside of the realm of his job, and here he’s just a dude with a dog who loves the oceanside. He’s still not used to the little world of stardom, but as long as he keeps getting to dance, he’ll do it for an audience of one or a thousand and one.
C O N N E C T I O N S
Step-sister (0/1): @thegillyxliang
Dance/Industry Friends (0/5)
Current Love Interest (0/1)
Fellow Dog Parents (0/3)
Others: neighbors, schoolmates, fellow readers, foodies, adventure buddies, creatives and collaborators.
