Although I've never considered myself a huge Dancing With the Stars fan — despite my dance background — I do consider myself a Cody Rigsby, of Peloton fame, fan. Given that our Boo has made it to the dance floor with partner Cheryl Burke (while also maintaining classes for Peloton — I bow down) I knew I needed to support him Monday nights the same way he has been there for all of us, whether that be during an intense climb or with sex advice. So, naturally, I tuned in.
Now, let me set the stage so you know where I'm coming from before I say it. Taking Cody's "XOXO, Cody" rides are my favorite form of self-care. He is entertaining, he is distracting, he is giving me everything I need during any particularly (grueling) 30 minutes of the day. He encourages us to be our best selves, he encourages us to show up, he encourages us to join him in shaking our titties. Cody is always dancing on the bike, and considering he has a dance background, I expected him to basically walk away with the Mirror Ball Trophy then and there. But reader... I was surprised.
Don't get me wrong, Cody was by no means bad — in fact, he was just as entertaining off the bike as he is on the bike. Plus, the lights, cameras, and nerves? No way could I even come close! But given what I thought I knew about his background, I was expecting him to be, I don't know, a little bit better? (And that's on me! I should only expect one thing in life, and that is fucking shit up when a Britney Spears song comes on.)
With that said, Cody has talked at length about how he is not at all trained as a ballroom dancer, so I decided to take dive deep and investigate his dance background (it's impressive!). Will we see these skills come out on the dance floor?
He Didn't Dance As A Kid
Growing up, Cody was "obsessed with musical theatre and MTV," he told The Washington Post. Although he couldn't afford to take dance classes, he would teach himself Britney Spears and *NSYNC choreography and then teach it to the girls in his class. I'm sure even then he was spreading the good word that JC is the most talented singer in *NSYNC.
His First Dance Class Was At 18
Cody took his first ever ballet class at a local community center in North Carolina his freshman year of college. Afterwards, he ended up doing an internship program at Broadway Dance Center in New York City.
He Moved to New York In 2009 To Be A Professional Dancer
Cody danced in many gay bars, a burlesque-type club called The Box, as well as performing with high-profile artists like Katy Perry and Pitbull. He also performed at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show (which I spent too long trying to find footage of) and was a dancer for — throwback to early 2020 — Natascha Bessez on Fire Island, who later starred on Listen To Your Heart, the singing Bachelor series. Peep him in the video above killing it.
He Joined Peloton 7 Years Ago, But Never Stopped Dancing
Not even taking a job as a Peloton instructor stopped Cody from dancing. In one of my favorite pre-show moments, Cody improvises a full dance to — you guessed it — his girl Dua Lipa. (And I'm sure true Boo Crew riders noticed he also danced to her for his DWTS debut.)
So this truly is a dream come true for our Peloton bestie! I can't wait to cheer him on throughout the season and I just know that by the time all is over, Cody is going to be bringing me foxtrot realness on the bike during those Tuesday rides. And if the nerves creep in again, just remember, it's not that deep, boo.
Image: ABC