Daniel Durant’s mothers, Lori Durant and Mary Engels, were present at the Dancing with the Stars premiere to support their son as he performed the first dance.
The 31st season of Dancing With The Stars, which made its grand debut on Disney+ Monday night, has Daniel Durant among the celebs vying for the coveted mirror ball trophy.
In the acclaimed Sundance film “CODA,” Durant co-stars as the female lead’s older brother, a hearing adolescent whose entire family is Deaf (the title means “Children of Deaf Adults”).
Even before the film’s success at Sundance, it would have looked improbable that Durant was born to parents who battled addiction and left him on a neighbor’s porch when he was less than a year old.
Additionally, Durant had roles in two television programs and on Broadway. His attendance on the show heightened viewers’ interest in the actor, particularly in his personal life, and many of his supporters were thrilled to see him demonstrate his dancing skills.
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Who Are Daniel Durant’s Parents?
Daniel was adopted and raised by two mothers. When he was a little child, his paternal aunt Lori Durant and later her wife Mary Engels adopted him. The aunts of Durant knew sign language. Little more than that could be said by their son.
Durant’s storytelling prowess began to come into prominence after several practices. At retreats for Deaf children and their parents, Daniel would stand by the campfire and tell ghost stories, where he was able to see different signing techniques and better understand his culture.
At the Dancing with the Stars premiere, Durant’s parents, Lori Durant and Mary Engels supported him during the first dance.
The boy, according to Lori, has always had confidence in his abilities, and his parents are incredibly proud of him. Mary claimed that regardless of your physical differences or whether you are deaf, Durant transcends the labels that society assigns to people.
His dedication to helping the Deaf community is evident in the numerous seminars he teaches for deaf performers. In addition, he established the Deaf Gamers Network, where he frequently plays Rocket League, to make gaming and e-sports accessible to the Deaf.
| Years Active | 2012-Present |
| Adopted By | Lori Durant and Mary Engels |
Are Daniel Durant’s Parents Deaf?
Lori Durant, Daniel’s mother-like aunt, raised him. His biological parents, both of whom are hard of hearing, struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
When Daniel was a little child, his mother took him to a neighbor’s house before disappearing. The neighbor discovered his father and grandfather when he was 18 months old, and nine months later, his paternal aunt adopted him.
She raised him in Duluth, Minnesota. Before his aunt’s knowledge of it and her efforts to learn more, he had never met American Sign Language.
He discovered his love for acting while attending the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. Still, when he transferred to Gallaudet University, he was unhappy that he couldn’t get any roles.
He earned an associate’s degree in applied computer technology from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York, in 2011.
Later, he attended Gallaudet University, where he earned a 2014 degree. The actor joined the Deaf West Theatre in 2012 to perform in the Cyrano de Bergerac play.
Following their interest in a series of physically expressive narrative videos he posted on YouTube, Deaf West Theater in Los Angeles placed him in numerous performances. He was also cast in the ABC Family series “Switched at Birth.”
Daniel Durant Wikipedia Details
Daniel had opportunities after transferring to Minnesota Academy for the Deaf in the eighth grade as a full-fledged theater student.
Due to his deafness and the bullying he had experienced from both of his mothers, Durant felt comfortable in the Faribault school.
However, he had trouble being creative while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
The Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles became interested in his poems and performance films after they established a following on YouTube.
In the Deaf West adaptation of “Spring Awakening,” which was performed on Broadway and included hearing and Deaf performers, Durant played the unhappy adolescent Moritz. She has made that place her artistic base.
Although he presently resides in Duluth, he formerly lived in Norway and California, where he acted in theater for seven months while learning Norwegian Sign Language.
He also had recurring roles on the ABC/Freeform series “Switched at Birth” and Netflix’s “You.” Additionally, it was there that he first met Oscar-winning Deaf actor Marlee Matlin, who plays his mother in “CODA.”
Meet Daniel Durant’s Siblings
It would seem that Daniel Durant has a sister for a sibling. Regularly, he posts pictures of his niece on social media.
On social media, though, the star has posted images of his sister. In addition, the actor uploaded a picture of an adorable baby on August 13, 2014.
Similarly, he desired to connect virtually with his sister and niece using video calling. This comment shows that the Dancing with the Stars contestant has a sibling.
He spent all his formative years with her and often reflected on their experiences. In addition, he frequently posts gorgeous photos of his niece on social media.
| Full Name | Daniel N. Durant |
| Profession | Actor |
| Birth Date | December 24, 1989 |
| Age | 32 years old |
| Birth Place | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
Who Is Daniel Durant’s Girlfriend Or Partner?
Daniel Durant, an American actor and theater artist, rose to fame for portraying Matthew in an adolescent drama. He didn’t have a partner at the time, but many young females were drawn to him because of his beauty at work.
The actor appears to be the type of person who highly values privacy in his personal life. However, he seems to have had a love relationship in the past.
However, making any statements is challenging because neither Daniels nor the authorities have verified the information. Daniel, now unmarried, is expected to give her acting career all of his attention.
His two most memorable performances were as Moritz Stifel in the 2015 Broadway production of Spring Awakening and Matthew in the television series Switched at Birth. Both of these performances happened in New York.
Daniel Durant Dancing Partner
Daniel will contribute to the momentum as the third famous deaf competitor on DWTS. His CODA co-star Marlee Matlin entered the contest in 2008, and actor and model Nyle DiMarco took first place in the 22nd season.
Durant’s current partner is a professional dancer named Britt Stewart. The judges gave the duo a 27 out of 40 for their tango performance to the “Barbra Streisand” song by Duck Sauce.
Daniel and Britt danced to “King Creole” at the Elvis Presley Night live performance. Due to Daniel’s hearing impairment, Britt was seen to be concerned before the dance that he could annoy him. However, Britt was able to send signals that he could understand.
Overall, their acoustic and sign language performances received positive feedback from the judges and audience. As a result, the panelists seemed to choose the safe answer.
Carrie Ann found it challenging to carry it out without hearing the music. As a result, they received final scores of 29/40 from three judges who gave them a 7 and one who gave them an 8.
