Dancing into the future

Dancing into the future

 

Tyra Banks makes her next move on a path to even greater success.

At a moment of great change and upheaval, one thing is constant: Tyra Banks keeps achieving. She has been named executive producer and host of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

Said Banks: “I am excited about hosting and executive producing — getting in there, live TV, you never know what happens on live TV. I like breaking those doors down, so that we don’t have any more firsts. But it’s nice to be first, so that you can open that door and let so many other people in after you … so I’m excited.”

Banks said she expects to see some “smizing” on the dance floors during the upcoming season of “DWTS.”

“I think there’s something like a whip and smize … we need to see who is going to be able to whip and smize on DWTS,” she said with a laugh.

Known internationally as one of the world’s top supermodels, Banks has done it all — from creating and executive producing “America’s Next Top Model,” which has been on the airwaves for 24 seasons, to hosting her own Emmy-winning talk show and starring the movie “Coyote Ugly.” In 2012, Banks completed an extensive program at Harvard Business School and has since shared her expertise of personal branding as a visiting professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

When Banks was asked during a recent “Good Morning America” appearance to give fans a sneak peek of what to expect from DWTS’ upcoming season, she teased that it will be “next level.”

She explained that the producers are “still keeping the stuff that we know and America loves,” but warned fans “you need to get ready because it’s going to be different.”

While Banks’ new role as host is groundbreaking for “DWTS,” this won’t be the first time that Banks has broken barriers.

Earlier in Banks’ career, she was the first female model to grace the cover of GQ and the first black model to be featured on the cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalogue and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue — which featured her for two consecutive years in 1996 and 1997.

Las Vegas Black Image Magazine salutes Tyra Banks for creating her own path to success.