Amber Glenn is trading her figure skates for dancing shoes.
The Olympic gold medalist is joining Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, bringing her theatrical performance style from the ice to the ballroom. Glenn will compete alongside professional partner Pasha Pashkov when the new season of DWTS premieres Sept. 15 and 16.
@littlemissskatergirl And when she wins the Olympics…#figureskating #iceskating #amberglenn #likeaprayermadonna #usnationals
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Longtime skating fans got a taste of the larger-than-life performance style Glenn will bring to the ballroom at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January. Glenn delivered one of the most memorable performances of her career, skating to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”
Wearing a dark red outfit reminiscent of the color Madonna wore in the legendary 1989 music video for the song, Glenn delivered a routine that felt bigger than a skating program. From the opening seconds, Glenn attacked the choreography, landing a stunning triple Axel before powering through her triple flip-triple toe combination. She also earned Level 4s on her spins and step sequence, finishing with a score of 83.05.
Glenn’s score was historic, setting a U.S. Championships women’s short-program record, the highest score ever recorded by a U.S. woman at the national championships at the time.
Related: Figure Skating Legend, Known as the Sport’s Ultimate Performer, Shares the Ice With a Perfect Partner
Amber Glenn’s “Like a Prayer” Performance Was a Standout
Beyond the numbers, Amber Glenn’s “Like a Prayer” performance stands out because she fully embraced Madonna’s dramatic 1989 anthem, matching its intensity with powerful skating, sharp choreography and the kind of theatricality that sent viewers straight back to 1989.
That’s the kind of theatricality fans can expect from Amber Glenn when she steps into the ballroom for Dancing With the Stars.
Amber Glenn’s talent on the ice is undeniable, but it’s her ability to completely immerse herself in a character that makes her a natural for Dancing With the Stars, where contestants are judged not just on their technique but also on their performance, musicality and ability to tell a story through movement.
But Glenn’s greatest strength has always been her ability to make the performance feel like more than a collection of jumps, spins and technical elements.
Her “Like a Prayer” program was particularly effective because she didn’t simply skate to the music. She performed it.
Amber Glenn Has Already Been Inspired by Dancing With the Stars
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Amber Glenn is a longtime fan of the show and has watched other Olympians, including Meryl Davis, compete on Dancing With the Stars.
She’s already chased Olympic gold, and now, instead of chasing another medal on the ice, she’ll put on her dancing shoes and take on an entirely different kind of athletic challenge.
If her “Like a Prayer” performance this January is any indication of what’s to come on the dance floor, Amber Glenn just may be adding Mirrorball Trophy winner to her résumé.
Regardless of the outcome, it’s going to be fun to watch Amber Glenn compete this season on Dancing With the Stars.
Related: Olympic Skating Legend, 62, Who Created Magic at the 1988 Winter Games, Can Still Make the Ice Sing
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