# Keo Motsepe
**Keo Motsepe** (Keoikantse "Keo" Motsepe, born 1989) is a South African dancer and choreographer from Pretoria, best known as a professional on the American television series *Dancing with the Stars*, on which he was the show's first black professional dancer.[1](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQEOYN_Sp0) Before television he reigned for eight straight years as the South African Latin Dance Champion and was the first South African dancer to join the Burn the Floor world tour.[3](https://thelegacyproject.co.za/keo-motsepe-professional-dancer/) • [4](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Keo_Motsepe)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Keoikantse "Keo" Motsepe, born 1989 in Pretoria, South Africa[1](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/) |
| Training | Formally trained in Latin American, ballroom, and contemporary styles; began dancing at age five[1](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/) |
| Competitive record | Eight straight years as South African Latin Dance Champion; with Otlile Mabuse, by one account South Africa's undefeated Latin American Dance Champions from 2004 to 2014[3](https://thelegacyproject.co.za/keo-motsepe-professional-dancer/) • [1](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/) |
| Burn the Floor | First South African to join the world tour, in 2012, as a principal dancer[4](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Keo_Motsepe) |
| Dancing with the Stars | Professional dancer from season 19 (2014); the show's first black professional; best result was the season 27 finals with Evanna Lynch[5](https://time.com/3379751/dwts-val-chmerkovskiy-janel-parrish/) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQEOYN_Sp0) • [6](https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/09/89/64/04902/10-12-2018.pdf) |
| Other television | Television debut on Strictly Come Dancing South Africa, 2013[7](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/keo-motsepe.html) |
## Early life and competitive career
Motsepe was born in Pretoria and raised in nearby [Johannesburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/johannesburg), where his love of dancing began at the age of five.[4](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Keo_Motsepe) He has said he started dancing after his best friend suggested they try it for fun.[1](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/) His father did not support his love of ballroom dancing and wanted his son to pursue a career as a soccer player.[8](https://bellomag.com/project/keo-motsepe/)
**Competitive success.** He entered the competitive amateur dance scene at eleven, representing South Africa in international Latin ballroom competitions, and reigned for eight straight years as the South African Latin Dance Champion.[3](https://thelegacyproject.co.za/keo-motsepe-professional-dancer/) With his longtime partner and friend Otlile (Oti) Mabuse he was, by one account, part of South Africa's undefeated Latin American Dance Champions from 2004 to 2014; the pair represented South Africa in major international competitions from 2003 and competed at the World Latin Championships in New York in 2010.[1](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/) International Dance Sport records list the couple, entered as Keoikantse Motsepe and Otile Mabuse for South Africa, among the entries at World Dance Sport events, and a 2009 German Dance Sport Association result sheet places the pair 22nd to 23rd in a World Games Latin event.[9](https://cdnb.worlddancesport.org/legacy-docs/magazine/WDSM_3.pdf) • [10](https://www.tanzsport.de/files/tanzsport/ergebnisse/2009/wg_lat.pdf)
## Burn the Floor and early television
Motsepe achieved a historic first in 2012 when he became the first dancer from South Africa to take part in the Burn the Floor world tour, performing as a principal dancer.[4](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Keo_Motsepe) • [3](https://thelegacyproject.co.za/keo-motsepe-professional-dancer/) His television debut followed on Strictly Come Dancing South Africa in 2013.[7](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/keo-motsepe.html)
## Dancing with the Stars
Motsepe joined the American *Dancing with the Stars* as a new professional in season 19, which premiered in 2014; TIME introduced him among the season's three new pros, and he was the show's first black professional dancer.[5](https://time.com/3379751/dwts-val-chmerkovskiy-janel-parrish/) • [11](https://time.com/3388337/dancing-with-the-stars-watch-week-1-results/) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQEOYN_Sp0) His celebrity partners and results included:
- **Season 19 (2014)**: Olympic track hurdler [Lolo Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/lolo-jones).[1](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/)
- **Season 20 (2015)**: model and actress [Charlotte McKinney](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-mckinney), announced in the season's cast lineup; during Latin night, McKinney described herself as a "visual learner" and their rumba drew a critical response from the judges.[12](https://time.com/3720176/dancing-with-the-stars-cast/) • [13](https://time.com/3764617/dancing-with-the-stars-dwts-latin-night-salsa-derek-hough-chris-souls-bachelor-charlotte-mckinney/)
- **Season 21 (2015)**: singer [Chaka Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/chaka-khan), who danced her cha cha to her own song "I Feel For You" and scored 13 out of 30 in week one.[14](https://time.com/4034276/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-2/)
- **Season 27 (2018)**: actress Evanna Lynch, his best result on the show; the pair reached the finals, and their Viennese waltz to the Harry Potter film theme was described in press coverage as breathtaking.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQEOYN_Sp0) • [6](https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/09/89/64/04902/10-12-2018.pdf)
He has not won the Mirrorball Trophy.[15](https://thecinemaholic.com/keo-motsepe/)
## Significance
Motsepe's career marked several firsts for South African dancers internationally: the first South African on the Burn the Floor world tour in 2012 and the first South African, and first black, professional dancer on *Dancing with the Stars* in 2014.[4](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Keo_Motsepe) • [3](https://thelegacyproject.co.za/keo-motsepe-professional-dancer/) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQEOYN_Sp0) He has described dancing as a means of personal development, recalling that his teacher told him he had "become a man," which validated his original intention of becoming a better person through dancing.[16](https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/day-in-the-life/view/Keo-Motsepe)
## References
1. [Keo Mostepe Bio, Hollywood Life](https://hollywoodlife.com/celeb/keo-motsepe/)
2. [Keo Motsepe (Dancer) Lifestyle, Biography, Lifestyle 4U, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZQEOYN_Sp0)
3. [Keo Motsepe, Professional Dancer, The Legacy Project](https://thelegacyproject.co.za/keo-motsepe-professional-dancer/)
4. [Keo Motsepe, Dancing with the Stars Wiki](https://dancingwiththestars.fandom.com/wiki/Keo_Motsepe)
5. [Dancing with the Stars' Val Chmerkovskiy: "I've Never Been This Excited For a Season Before", TIME](https://time.com/3379751/dwts-val-chmerkovskiy-janel-parrish/)
6. [The Barbados Advocate, 10-12-2018](https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/09/89/64/04902/10-12-2018.pdf)
7. [Keo Motsepe, Age, Bio, Family, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/keo-motsepe.html)
8. [Keo Motsepe, BELLO Mag](https://bellomag.com/project/keo-motsepe/)
9. [World Dance Sport Magazine, WDSM 3](https://cdnb.worlddancesport.org/legacy-docs/magazine/WDSM_3.pdf)
10. [Dance Sports results, World Games 2009 Latin, Tanzsport Deutschland](https://www.tanzsport.de/files/tanzsport/ergebnisse/2009/wg_lat.pdf)
11. [Dancing With the Stars Watch: Week 1 Results, TIME](https://time.com/3388337/dancing-with-the-stars-watch-week-1-results/)
12. [Michael Sam, Patti LaBelle, Suzanne Somers Join Dancing With the Stars, TIME](https://time.com/3720176/dancing-with-the-stars-cast/)
13. [Dancing With the Stars Watch: Plenty of Salsa and Cheese on Latin Night, TIME](https://time.com/3764617/dancing-with-the-stars-dwts-latin-night-salsa-derek-hough-chris-souls-bachelor-charlotte-mckinney/)
14. [Dancing with the Stars Watch: 13 Almost Celebrities, 3 Judges and 1 Gary Busey, TIME](https://time.com/4034276/dancing-with-the-stars-recap-2/)
15. [Keo Motsepe, DWTS: Wife, Kids, Nationality, Dancing Partners, Performances, The Cinemaholic](https://thecinemaholic.com/keo-motsepe/)
16. [Meet Keo Motsepe of "Dancing with the Stars", The Dance Enthusiast](https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/features/day-in-the-life/view/Keo-Motsepe)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Dance and ballet › Dance forms beyond ballet › Vernacular, tap, and jazz stage dance*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license