Britt Stewart


Britt Benae Stewart Durant is an American professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Best known for her appearances on the reality competition program Dancing with the Stars, she is the first African American woman to be cast on the series as a pro.

Early life

Britt Benae Durant was born on September 21, 1989, in Aurora, Colorado, and lived in Seattle, Washington for some time after her birth. Both of her parents worked in business and were unfamiliar with dance, but they enrolled her in classes when she was three after a stranger at an outdoor music festival noticed her moving to the music. Stewart's training began with ballet and tap at a local school in Seattle. After her family moved back to Colorado, she continued training at the Artistic Fusion Dance Academy, a competition studio.
Despite her extensive dance education, Stewart originally aspired to become a pediatric surgeon. She studied modern and cultural dance styles at the Denver School of the Arts, where she graduated in 2007. She then attended Loyola Marymount University as a double major in dance and science, but she suspended her studies halfway through her second semester.

Career

Stewart appeared in Kenny Ortega's trilogy of High School Musical films as a principal dancer. She later performed in Fame, No Strings Attached, and Teen Beach Movie. On television, Stewart booked shows such as American Idol, Bunheads, A Capitol Fourth, Dancing Fools, Gilmore Girls, Glee, Grey's Anatomy, and The Voice. She toured and performed with several musicians, including Janet Jackson, Rihanna, Annie Lennox, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Florence and the Machine, Demi Lovato, and Nick Jonas.

2016–present: ''Dancing with the Stars''

Producers from the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars watched Stewart perform as she was rehearsing for The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60 and asked her to audition for their troupe. Six months later, she made her series debut on season 22 without any formal training in ballroom dance. Stewart became a full-time troupe member the following season, and remained in that role until the troupe was cut for season 28. On August 18, 2020, she was named the first Black female pro in Dancing with the Stars history.
For season 29, Stewart was partnered with Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir. They reached the semi-finals and were eliminated on November 16, 2020, in a double elimination alongside Skai Jackson and Alan Bersten. Weir and Stewart finished in sixth place.
For season 30, Stewart was partnered with film and television actor Martin Kove. They were the first couple eliminated from the competition, finishing in fifteenth place on September 27, 2021; Stewart's lowest placement to date.
For season 31, Stewart was partnered with deaf film and television actor Daniel Durant. They reached the semi-finals and were eliminated on November 14, 2022, in a double elimination alongside Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater. Durant and Stewart finished in fifth place; Stewart's highest placement to date.
For season 32, Stewart was partnered with NFL running back Adrian Peterson. His casting was panned by audience viewers due to his history of legal issues, which includes arrests for child abuse and domestic violence. Peterson and Stewart were ultimately eliminated on October 17, 2023, during the fourth week of competition, finishing in eleventh place.
For season 33, Stewart was partnered with film and television actor Eric Roberts. They were eliminated during the third week of competition on October 8, 2024, in a double elimination alongside Reginald VelJohnson and Emma Slater. Both couples finished in tenth place.
For season 34, Stewart was partnered with NBA point guard Baron Davis. They were eliminated during the second week of competition on September 23, 2025, in a double elimination alongside Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson. Both couples finished in thirteenth place.
SeasonPartnerPlaceAverage
29Johnny Weir6th25.4
30Martin Kove15th14.0*
31Daniel Durant5th25.4*
32Adrian Peterson11th19.9
33Eric Roberts10th16.0
34Baron Davis13th16.5*

  • Scores out of 40 are adjusted to be out of 30.*

    Season 29

Celebrity partner: Johnny Weir
;Notes

Season 30

Celebrity partner: Martin Kove
;Notes

Season 31

Celebrity partner: Daniel Durant
;Notes

Season 32

Celebrity partner: Adrian Peterson
;Notes

Season 33

Celebrity partner: Eric Roberts
;Notes

Season 34

Celebrity partner: Baron Davis
;Notes

Personal life

Stewart is severely allergic to shrimp and gluten. From 2018 to 2020, she dated actor Reid Fenlaw. Stewart entered a romantic relationship with her Dancing with the Stars partner Daniel Durant in November 2022, shortly after his stint on the competition series ended. As Durant has been deaf since birth, she made the decision to learn American Sign Language to communicate with him. They got engaged on Christmas Eve 2023 during a hike in Lake Arrowhead, California.
Stewart and Durant were married on August 23, 2025, in Santa Margarita, California. A number of their friends from the entertainment industry attended the ceremony; Johnny Weir, Stewart's first Dancing with the Stars partner, served as one of her bridesmaids.