Free Spirit

Actress, dancer, mother, wellness warrior Jenna Dewan opens up about her public split, protective parenting and positive outlook on her new life.

- Lisa Butterworth

First things first:

Jenna Dewan smells great. I get a hint of summer florals with a white musk base note as she breezes up to The Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge. The scent, I find out, is highly exclusive. Only one bottle exists, and it was custom made at a DIY perfumery by her five-year-old daughter, Everly, who also named it Mermaid Dreams. “I was like, ‘Ah, this child kills me,’” Jenna says, beaming.

Movie star, TV host (the season two finale of her reality-competition show World of Dance airs in the US this month) and producer are now part of Jenna’s multi-hyphenated description, but dancing is still what moves her. The 37-year-old was in kindergarten when her mum enrolled her in dance classes after she noticed Jenna mimicking the moves in Jane Fonda’s Workout video. At 19, Jenna was tapped to join Janet Jackson’s All For You tour and, even now, the routines live on in her muscle memory: “I could do Rhythm Nation and If in my sleep,” she says. Dance didn’t only affect Jenna’s sense of modesty (“I’m used to little clothing,” she says with a laugh), it also shaped her entire future. If you’ve seen 2006’s Step Up, you’re familiar with the precise-yet-fluid, insane-strength requiring moves she’s known for. You’re also familiar with the crackling chemistry she had with her co-star, Channing Tatum. That chemistry sparked off-screen as well – the two married in 2009 and four years later they had their daughter. But the famous chemistry sadly dimmed enough for the couple to call it quits early this year.