Daniel Durant's dancing shoes are coming with him.
The CODA star will compete in the Dancing With the Stars semi-finals Nov. 14, but however things shake out, his newfound love of dance is here to stay.
"Dancing with the Stars has changed my life," Durant exclusively told E! News. "I found something new about myself. I become happy when I dance. I'm happier now than I've ever been before. Dancing is like therapy to me. You express yourself and you move your body and you forget about the day. Now that I can dance and I know some rules and some ballroom stuff, it's always going to be in me."
The 32-year-old Durant said he's "going to continue dancing and taking lessons," but it's more than just a hobby—Durant has hopes to incorporate his new skillset into his future creative endeavors.
"If a TV show or a movie or Broadway comes calling, and they want me to dance and act," he said, "I would love to do that. That'd be great."
Throughout the competition, Durant, who is only the third deaf performer in DWTS history, has received support from his CODA co-stars Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur—they even sat ballroom-side in week two—which he said has made all the difference in the world.
"I'm so thankful to them for working hard and breaking down doors for me so my generation can be successful," he said. "There's big, huge respect for them. After I got on Dancing with the Stars, they both texted me congratulations. Every week they blow me up. They're so supportive. I'm thankful to have them in my life."
Dancing With the Stars streams live Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Disney+.