Cupid has struck another couple from Dancing with the Stars. Professional dancer Britt Stewart and her Season 31 dance partner Daniel Durant are engaged.
“Ending 2023 engaged!” Britt giddily shared on her Instagram. “I’m still pinching myself.” The pair were on a hike with friends and family in Lake Arrowhead, California, on Christmas Day when Daniel went down on one knee.
“We were both emotional, overwhelmed with joy and at peace knowing that this would eventually be part of our story,” Britt told People on December 29. “It felt like magic, but at the same time, it felt right and normal.”
“Forever”
The hiking group included Britt’s mom and stepdad, Jasmin and Lonnie Speed, and Daniel’s two moms, Lori Durant and Mary Engels. When they reached the top of the mountain, everyone shared what they were most grateful for and what they looked forward to in 2024.
The last to speak, “I started talking about the year, about us meeting and everything that happens in life,” Daniel explained. “I just feel like there’s balance. She sees me. She knows my culture, my language, and understands everything about me,” admitting that he started “welling up” in the moment. He shared that he was looking forward to a future with Britt, as he took a knee and pulled out the ring.
As fans of DWTS remember, Britt and Daniel originally met in the Fall of 2022 when they were dance partners. They came in fifth overall and announced they were dating on Valentine’s Day 2023. Daniel admits their romance didn’t really take root until after they were eliminated, but apparently blossomed from there.
“I’m a really competitive person,” the CODA actor said. “I wanted to win this thing, and so I saw that in her and we trained.”
Daniel, who was born deaf, relied on his American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter to communicate with Britt in rehearsal. Though he can’t actually hear the music, he can feel the beat and relies on that to stay in step. At one point in the season, Britt and Daniel danced to absolute silence, which movingly illustrated to viewers what it’s like for him to dance.
Falling in love on the dancefloor
Over the course of the season, Britt began to pick up ASL directly from him as she taught him to dance. Taking Daniel’s interpreter out of the equation during rehearsals helped their relationship grow stronger.
Daniel realized his feelings for Britt went beyond friendship when he “couldn’t imagine not seeing” her after their time on the show was over. “I think, in that moment, we realized what we had felt for each other,” he confessed. “It was more than friends and naturally we connected and started dating after that.”
Recalling how their relationship grew, Britt added, “It’s funny, I remember us meeting. I remember us as teammates. I remember us as best friends, and then I remember us together. And now it feels like we’ve just been together for forever.”
Dancing with the Stars Season 31 is available to stream on Disney+.
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