After 22 years together, Chip and Joanna Gaines are still finding fresh ways to strengthen their relationship. The couple, known for building the Magnolia Network and becoming household names in home renovation and lifestyle content, shared how they recently turned to dance lessons to reconnect.
Speaking to People, Joanna, 47, explained that after more than two decades of marriage, they still feel like beginners sometimes. “We still feel like newbies. Anytime you unlock something new and do it together, it only strengthens your relationship,” she said.
To shake things up, Joanna hired a couple to come to their office for private dance lessons. “It was just us and them,” she said. Chip, 50, jumped in, adding, “You talk about awkward.”
Despite the discomfort at first, the experience became something they both looked forward to. “You see each other’s insecurities, you see strengths — it’s like a fresh awakening,” Joanna explained. Chip admitted that even holding hands and making eye contact felt strange at first, but after a few weeks, they found rhythm and joy in the process.
Joanna reflected on how dancing mirrored their journey together. “It’s symbolic of staying in sync as a couple. We do life well, but dancing showed us we still have room to grow. We were terrible at it — and that made it beautiful.”
The Gaineses, who are parents to five children ranging from age 7 to 20, have been open about the ups and downs of their relationship. In a previous interview, Joanna joked that it’s probably more fun to be married to Chip, admitting she used to be “a bit of a dud.” Chip teased her, saying she was “a stick in the mud,” but praised her for catching a “second wind” in recent years.
Joanna added that being with Chip has helped her embrace change more positively. “If he weren’t my partner, I’d probably still be in the corner. He’s always faced change head-on. I’m starting to become more like him, and he’s becoming more like me.”
