Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Dancing with the Stars' Louis Van Amstel on Kate Gosselin and his sexuality
Extended for the Online Edition of Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis
2010-04-28

This article shared 17287 times since Wed Apr 28, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Talk about pressure: Each week, millions of people watch Louis Van Amstel quickstep, waltz and perform other moves with celebrity partner Niecy Nash on television's number-one show, Dancing with the Stars. ( Yes—thanks in part to its intriguing cast, the show has even topped American Idol. ) Windy City Times caught up with Van Amstel last week when he stopped in Chicago ( for half a day ) to rehearse with Nash, who was filming an episode of her show, Clean House, here. The dancer/choreographer ( who was born in the Netherlands but is now a U.S. citizen ) was friendly and very candid as he discussed everything from growing up to Kelly Osbourne, who was his partner last season.

Windy City Times: How often do people come up to you?

Louis Van Amstel: Well, now, it's [ happening ] more and more. But what I like is that, unlike some people who have screaming fans, it's different with me; I get into a conversation, whether it's about something I said or something else. I enjoy that.

WCT: Last night [ when Kate Gosselin was booted ] was very emotional. How rough was it for you, regarding Kate and yourself?

LVA: For Niecy and me, it was actually very nice because we were the second couple being saved. It's nice to know 10 minutes into the show because you can walk around light as a feather. Niecy was so excited; I had to say "Calm down. Some people don't know [ their results ] yet." She said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." You're happy being saved but you're not happy because you grow close to each other and someone has to go home.

WCT: You're like a family, of sorts.

LVA: Yes—this season, more than ever. The ratings are so high, and we all support each other.

In terms of Kate, if you look at dance performance, it was right that she went home—and she probably should have gone home before [ April 20 ] . Having said that, she has shown to us the real Kate, and that's why it became a little more emotional; you saw all of her insecurities—it wasn't arrogance. That's why it's such a beautiful show.

WCT: What's a typical rehearsal day like with Niecy—or is there such a thing as a typical rehearsal day?

LVA: With Niecy Nash, there is no typical day. But if we're not traveling, we [ practice ] about five hours a day. However, a typical day still isn't a typical day; last week she had to fly here to Chicago on her own, and we didn't rehearse. That means we have to pick up the slack the day before and the day after. And she does The Insider. She gets up at 4 a.m. every day.

But those five hours are intense—not intense like dramatic but intense like, "We are working." We're mostly laughing; that woman is so quick with her ad-libbing. Also, I know what she's like so I know what to say to set her off.

WCT: I have to mention that very intense [ slow ] waltz you and Niecy did [ April 5 ] . The theme of marriage equality was something you could relate to. Could you talk about what the dance meant to you?

LVA: Originially, I had the idea for interracial marriage because she's Black and I'm white. It's such a love song—and marriage equality became the storyline. That previous Friday, I said I wanted to have some names for our characters and, on Twitter, told me about Mildred and Richard Loving [ an interracial couple who couldn't marry under Virginia law, and who took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court ] . I got a whole history lesson from hundreds of people. I figured that this was going to have a bigger impact than we both anticipated.

Niecy and I then talked on Saturday. She started crying, saying, "I can't imagine not marrying my boyfriend." Then it got to me, and I said, "I don't have to imagine. I can't, yet, so you have to help me with my fight." I don't know where the words came from, but it became a bigger issue. And, in the end, I realized that it started with interracial marriage but that it also goes to same-sex marriage.

I'm very proud of ABC for not censoring anything; they were so supportive. [ The network ] can't take a stance; but, to allow me to make that statement and to show how powerful dance can be...

We were a little worried about the Johnny Weir syndrome—with people thinking we were provoking. [ Regarding feedback, ] one person said on Twitter that he wished me good luck. There was a [ highly religious ] Christian woman who e-mailed me and said, "I don't understand [ same-sex marriage ] , I don't approve of it and I even voted against it, but the dance was so classy that I realized that it should be your choice, not mine." I then realized that we must have opened some people's minds and started more conversations. Conversations can cause some people to think, and that's how you bring about change.

I've always stood for equality. As a kid, I was raised color-blind. I'm not religious, but I'm very spiritual.

Last week, it was not putting a number on weight. We're fighting obesity in this country the wrong way. We're giving pills; no, no, no—it's frustration and depression. Why are people depressed? Because the media has put pressure on people.

So it's not just gay rights. There are many issues—and I'm so happy to be part of Dancing with the Stars to get my messages across.

WCT: Do you remember the first person you came out to?

LVA: Well, my mom. When it comes to issues of parents not accepting [ an LGBT kid ] , I don't know what that's like because I had—and still have—the best mother on this planet.

When I was 15, we were driving and she wanted to make sure that if I ever felt different from anyone else, that I could talk to her. At that point I didn't know what she meant. Another thing is that I've changed dramatically over the past five years.

The next thing I knew, I was experimenting. I was already experimenting with sex—playing doctor. I was open and I was like, "Let's try." When I was 17 I went on a trip to Germany and fell in love with a guy. I never said anything but somehow my mom saw it. She asked, "If you feel you're falling in love with a boy..." "Well, if you know why do you ask me?" "Well, I'd like to hear it out of your mouth." "Now you know. That's it."

WCT: You said that you've changed a lot in the last five years. How?

LVA: I have a lot of friends who the regular world would call bisexual, gay or lesbian; you have straight people and, now, [ metrosexuals ] . I talked with a "bisexual" friend and asked, "How do you see yourself?" He said, "Louis, I don't see myself as anything. I love the person I'm with." I said, "How freeing that must be, that you don't have to choose." The more I thought about it, the more I thought about how people label themselves and put themselves in a box. All your life you try to stay out of the box and say, "Accept me for who I am"—but we don't accept ourselves because we say, "I am this" or "I am that." I started looking at myself from the inside, and I became happier as a person because I didn't label myself.

I'm not denying who I am. I still have boyfriends, and I even had a date with a girl ... there was a girl I fell in love with, although in my heart I'm pretty sure I'll end up with a man. But, in the end, it's not about labels—it's about being who you are from the inside. Let's not put ourselves in a box.

WCT: Going back to Dancing, I must ask about Kelly Osbourne. What was it like dancing with her? [ Note: Van Amstel and Osbourne placed third last season out of 16 teams. ] Also, I imagine you two still stay in contact.

LVA: Absolutely. She was going to come last week but she ended up co-hosting The View so she had to fly to New York.

When I first saw her, I thought, "What am I going to do?" She had no dance training; she didn't even know how to stand up straight. She was totally insecure and there was no feminine streak inside of her. Then, going into rehearsals, I threw elements at her to see her reactions—and I saw musicality in her. Then I realized that she has killer legs. Slowly but surely, I used examples—and every word in the dictionary. Then the snowball started rolling and it didn't stop. Now, she's 42 pounds lighter and she's very happy.

Actually, because of her, I've become more visible. If there's one person who stands up for what she believes in, it's Kelly Osbourne. For all the things she got in trouble with, it wasn't because she was angry; she was standing up for her friends. When I saw that, I said, "She has a heart of gold. That's one special family. Don't fuck with the Osbournes." I know that Kelly would be the first person to stand up for me.

For the Osbournes to come up to me after Dancing with the Stars and say, "Louis, you did what we tried to do for 25 years"—you can imagine how choked-up I got. I had to walk away. They're so appreciative.

WCT: My last question is a very general one: What does dance mean to you?

LVA: For many years, growing up with alcohol abuse [ in the family ] , dance was therapy; I couldn't talk with anyone. Thank God I had ADD [ attention deficit disorder ] and my mom put me in sports—swimming, skiing and dancing—to let go of all these feelings.

I said it last week in that rumba with Niecy. When I heard about what she's gone through in her life, I thought that I had to make it about her brother. I had to show America a different side of Niecy but I also had to get her to celebrate his life. I guess that's why I do what I do.

I'm also very competitive, and you can be world champion. But I also like being creative and opening doors. I want to get the message across that being different is good.


This article shared 17287 times since Wed Apr 28, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

RuPaul finds 'Hidden Meanings' in new memoir 2024-03-18
- RuPaul Andre Charles made a rare Chicago appearance for a book tour on March 12 at The Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. Presented by National Public Radio station WBEZ 91.5 FM, the talk coincided with ...


Gay News

Oprah, Niecy Nash-Betts honored at GLAAD Media Awards 2024-03-15
- Oprah Winfrey and Niecy Nash-Betts were honored at the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards that took place in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton on March 14. Winfrey received the Vanguard Award, introduced by iconic Chicago ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

SAG Awards honor Streisand, few LGBTQ+ actors 2024-02-25
- Queer entertainers made their mark—although not a major one—at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, held Feb. 24 in Los Angeles. The event was live-streamed on Netflix for the first time. Indigenous and Two-Spirit actor ...


Gay News

THEATER Dot-Marie Jones talks Goodman production, 'Glee,' 'Bros' 2024-02-12
- Running through Feb. 18 at the the Goodman Theatre, the production Highway Patrol works with a script conceived entirely from Emmy-winning actor Dana Delany's (TV's China Beach) digital archive of hundreds of tweets and direct messages ...


Gay News

GLAAD finds missed chances for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Super Bowl ads 2024-02-12
--From a press release - Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 — GLAAD is reacting to a lack of LGBTQ storytelling in ads that aired duringSuper Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 and is reminding brands, corporations and advertising agencies why including the LGBTQ ...


Gay News

SAVOR 'The Bear,' new pizza lounge, Chicago Black Restaurant Week 2024-02-11
- "Bear" necessities: The third season of the Chicago-set series The Bear will debut in June, per Variety. FX chairman John Landgraf made the announcement during the network's presentation at the Television Critics Association's winter 2024 press ...


Gay News

Quantum Leap reboot springs into LGBTQ+ representation 2024-02-09
- Through the magic of television, Quantum Leap is once again jumping into the past to bounce back into the future—and in a recent episode, "The Family Trasure," non-binary artist and performer Wilder Yuri and writer Shakina ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Raven-Symone, women's sports, Wayne Brady, Jinkx Monsoon, British Vogue 2024-02-09
- In celebration of Black History Month, the LA LGBT Center announced that lesbian entertainer Raven-Symone will be presented with the Center's Bayard Rustin Award at its new event, Highly Favored, per a press release. She joins ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Tom Holland, Bowen Yang, Pet Shop Boys, Mariah Carey 2024-02-02
- In the wake of Nigel Lythgoe exiting So You Think You Can Dance, queer personality JoJo Siwa is returning to the series, per Deadline. Siwa, who was a judge on season 17 of the Fox show, will replace Lythgoe, who left ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Sundance items, Green Day, 'Wednesday,' Queerties, 'The Wiz' 2024-01-26
- At the Sundance Film Festival, Jodie Foster told Variety that the $1.4-billion success of Barbie helps confirm that Hollywood no longer views women directors as too much of a risk. She said, "With a big success ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS






Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.