Ally Brooke talks finding confidence on 'Dancing with the Stars' after years of being bullied
Ally Brooke is not only building her dancing skills on "Dancing with the Stars" -- she's also gained something else: a boost in her self-confidence.
The former Fifth Harmony singer, 26, who will compete in the semi-finals Monday night alongside her partner, pro Sasha Farber, recently shared how much of an impact the show has had on her in an interview with "Good Morning America."
"I honestly was surprised in my journey and how well I've actually done the past few weeks because I didn't come in as a trained dancer with an intense background," she told "GMA."
"I mentioned on the show that I got made fun of a lot for my dancing, so clearly, I was not the best dancer," she continued, referencing her years onstage as part of the popular girl group.
"At first I had a bumpy start in the competition, and then I started getting better ... just the transformation of the skill as each week goes on ... my body has felt so much stronger and better than ever," she said.
She says that before the show she felt insecure "every time" she hit the stage.
"I started this competition with little confidence in my dancing because when you get made fun of for something for so long, literally years, it really just completely takes a toll on your confidence. And it did on mine," she explained.
"Being in this competition, from week one to now, I was so insecure -- and now, getting the love from the judges and obviously my partner has been so unbelievable," she added.
The support she's received from viewers has encouraged her and also helped to grow more comfortable in her own skin.
"The audience, America, they have been so kind and lovely to me as far as comments and online," she shared. "People are coming up to me almost every day just saying how much they've loved my dancing, how much they've enjoyed it and how much I've inspired them, and that is such a gift that I cannot even describe."
"That is what really inspired me and motivated me and helped my confidence so much, just knowing that all my hard work is paying off and that people actually love it is beautiful," she added.
In her intense training schedule for the show, Brooke rehearses every day for at least six hours.
"Almost every week I've had a very high energy dance, and I'm doing it over and over again in rehearsals," she explained. "By the time I'm finished and I go home, I'm just totally done and so exhausted. My feet feel like jelly."
She said this work has helped her to transform her body and she's lost about 10 pounds since she started working on the show.
"I feel my body getting so much stronger, my endurance is better, and I'm always wanting to push myself and having so much fun doing it," she said, adding it's also nice getting to hone in on a craft other than singing for once.
"It's amazing, for the first time, to just focus purely on dancing," she said. "I don't have to worry about singing and I'm really falling in love with it... I can't wait to carry on all of this that I'm learning into my my music and career after the show."
Although she's focusing most of her efforts on competing in "DWTS," she's still found time to pursue other projects. She recently released a single, "Higher," with Norwegian DJ Matoma and will also be featured in ABC's "The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration."
"Dancing With the Stars" airs Mondays at 8|7c on ABC.
Disney is the parent company of ABC and ABC News.
