In a TikTok titled “Life Update,” Dance Moms alum Zackery Torres excitedly shared with fans a very important announcement just days before the 2021 Pride Month was set to start.
In the video, Torres started with a brief introduction about who she is and then went on to drop the news: She’s transitioning!
@lennon_torres_ LIFE UPDATE! #fyp #foryou #dancemoms #viral #update #clasof2021 ♬ Levitating – Dua Lipa
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To those who didn’t know, Torres explained a bit about what that meant. “That means I’m transgender if you didn’t know. My pronouns are they/she, which means that they or she are totally fine,” she said. She then added that they just hopped in on the app to tell everyone she would post more, and she was excited about it.
Fittingly enough, she chose Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” as her background music.
Before She Became She
The transgender dancer was first known for their stint on Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition (AUDC), joining Cathy Stein and her Candy Apple dance crew (CADC) as part of the all-boy team. She was a lyrical/jazz dancer from Phoenix, Arizona, and she finished 9th in the show.
After her successful appearance on AUDC, she appeared as a guest dancer for the CADC on Dance Moms in seasons three, four, and seven. She was the first from the show to join the Lifetime’s reality TV series.
Then, years later, the dancer candidly opened up about her experience while filming and how it impacted her and her coming out as transgender and non-binary.
In an article published by Page Six in June 2021, Torres said she was bullied into dancing a certain way. She didn’t give any details about what really transpired and only said that people had the system to blame. She also believed it was something everyone needed to be aware of and continue speaking out about.
A year before that, the dancer shed some light on some behind-the-scenes with the USC student newspaper, The Daily Trojan. She shared that going on national TV, she started seeing all of the expectations her teachers, including popular dance teachers and choreographers, had for her as a male dancer back then.
She said that they would comment things like she was too feminine and she had to dance like a man, and those things really got to her.
She then continued, saying everyone would talk about how inclusive the art communities were, but she honestly didn’t feel it. That is because she didn’t see it on an everyday scale.
Professor Bruce McCormick also gave his perspective on the dancer’s transition. He told The Daily Trojan that Torres embracing her gender identity was a beautiful thing to witness. She has allowed herself to be vulnerable with fellow students and faculty and pushed the conversation forward to educate everyone around them.
As An Ally
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In an Instagram post on Transgender Day of Remembrance in November 2020, Torres penned that allyship was a life practice and not a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. work shift. He was also grateful to have people be there with him through the years, and it was their unwavering support that kept her feeling empowered to advocate.
Additionally, she could only hope to demonstrate allyship to other communities who needed her the way people had allied with her. “With that being said… let’s get to work!”
Check out Dance Moms alum Zackery Torres’ Instagram to catch up on her adventures and advocacies.