Ariana Greenblatt: On taking ‘‘Dancing with the Stars: Juniors’’ by storm and her uplifting aspirations to change the world

Ariana Greenblatt charmed everyone with her performance as Young Gamora in Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War, an experience she recalls as surreal. ‘‘It was such a dream come true.’’ Now she is back, at only 11 years old, moving her way into hearts as the one to watch on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors. Each week, she and her partner Artyon Celestine take centre stage with enough zest to win the show. The excitement translates in her expressions, though nerves always emerge, and she describes him as crazy but encouraging. ‘‘He really picks me up back on my feet and helps me get through it,’’ she says. The dream team, including mentor Brandon Armstrong, is full of promise and Greenblatt has taken onboard the piece of advice former co-star Zoe Saldana once gave her. ‘‘Go out there and have fun.’’ It’s applicable to every moment, her most notable routine especially, which involves a whole lot of jazz and the highest score yet, the first ten of the season. ‘‘It’s probably my favorite dance and I learnt it within two hours,’’ she reveals. That must be a superpower.

Offstage, Greenblatt is just as eagerly active, too. ‘‘I wake up every morning and want to help those in need, researching and finding out what I can do.’’ She feels most inspired when making a difference, one animal rescue at a time. ‘‘If it was up to me, I would adopt gorillas in my house,’’ she admits. As she balances everything in her life, ‘‘working hard in school and Dancing with the Stars.’’ The aspirations she has are uplifting. She uses her platform to influence others to do better and kindness exudes her in a way that resembles light. ‘‘When I’m grown up, maybe I can change the world,’’ she states.