Billy Porter has a sign name, and he got it from Daniel Durant.
Tamron Hall sat down with Daniel and Britt in a wide-ranging and emotional interview. Discussing having been adopted by his biological aunt at 18-months old, Daniel pointed to the decision of The Moms to ensure they all learned sign language with providing him the foundation he needed for his current success. Reiterating that 80% of hearing parents with Deaf children do not learn ASL, Daniel noted that it is ASL that allows him to have a direct connection with his moms.
The Moms surprised Daniel with a recorded message in ASL – with voiceover in English (in their own voices). The obvious love between Daniel and his moms touched everyone watching.
Also appearing as a guest on the Tamron Hall show was Billy Porter (they were interviewed in separate segments). The cosmos bring Daniel and Billy together on occasion, and Daniel has suggested a sign name to capture a frequent movement of Porter’s. In a clip of the moment that Daniel explained the meaning behind the sign name, Billy gets it right away — “I do that all the time when I talk.”
The first black female professional dancer on DWTS, Britt joined the interview and confirmed the natural and strong connection between she and Daniel. She praised Daniel’s “internal metronome” and innate talent. Daniel gave credit to Britt’s coaching, which she described as a balance of encouragement and discipline.
As the pair returns to the next week of competition for a 90s themed episode, Britt’s focus is on the details and footwork required of each dance style. The weekly challenge to learn these requirements is part of the enjoyment of Daniel’s work with Britt on Dancing With The Stars.
Hall noted Daniel’s embrace of his representation of Deaf people while on the show. It’s also not lost on him that viewers and fans are also learning about the abundant love between Daniel and his two moms.
"Who wouldn't want more moms?"
See the interviews above, and return to the DWTS Hub for weekly recaps, news feeds, and one-click voting during the live stream of the competition.
Danny McDougall, PhD, CSC — “Dr. Danny” — owns and manages TerpTheatre. Since 1986, he has interpreted in hundreds of plays, musicals and other performances on stage – most in the shadowed style. He teaches and lectures on the theory and practice of theatre interpreting. Danny is the chair of Sign Language Studies at Madonna University, and holds a PhD in Translation and Interpretation from Heriot-Watt University – where his dissertation explored the relationship between space and meaning during interpreted theatre performances.