While the dedication night for “Dancing with the Stars” was filled with love and positivity, there were some not-so-joyful moments for some of the pros.
Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov’s jibe on the Oct. 14 episode was full of “Boy Meets World” nostalgia, but judge Carrie Ann Inaba wasn’t impressed.
“I love throwbacks, but I have to say this: Some of your dances feel like you’re watching the same dance over and over again,” she said, drawing loud boos from the audience. “Try to have a little more variety when it comes to dynamics. This is also your responsibility, Pasha.”
Fischel was vocal about wanting any feedback from the judges, but Pashkov wasn’t thrilled about the comments.
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“I wasn’t happy. I always get defensive. To me, that comment felt unfair, especially because she said the dances were similar. But the fact of the matter is, this week we had the quickstep and we had the jive. Those two dances are very, very similar,” he explained to Variety after the routine. “If we had a dramatically different dance and they felt the same way, I think it would be understandable. But given the dance we did, I just didn’t think it meant anything to me. In my heart, I’m overprotective because I know how hard Danielle is trying. I don’t think she deserves that comment.”
Fischel added that he understood both Inaba’s comments and Pashkov’s statements. She also said that the dance in the series premiere was a tango, which is usually a more serious style.
“My Tango was the story of me overcoming breast cancer. It was also the first episode of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ where people were reintroduced to me. There was no way I was going to let the first week go by without smiling and expressing how I was feeling,” Fishel said. “So I did the tango with a smile, and then I did the cha-cha with a smile, and then I did the quickstep with a smile, and tonight I did the jive with a smile. She’s not wrong… All I know is that next week, that’s the perfect setup for our Argentine tango.”
Elaine Hendricks, Alan Bersten, Lisa Ann Walter
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Pashkov wasn’t the only professional dancer to surprise the judges on dedication night. Alan Bersten was visibly upset when he and partner Elaine Hendricks scored 29 out of 40 points in the foxtrot. When the cameras stopped rolling, he angrily walked out of the skybox and returned, reassuring Hendrix that she had done a great job.
“I think Elaine definitely nailed it. I’m so proud of her. This is a tough competition and I want her to know she’s doing a good job,” he told Variety. “I was shocked (at 7 seconds). I see Elaine working so hard every day, but there are no votes. You just get immediate feedback from the judges, and I respect the judges. I thought she did a great job.”
“Dancing with the Stars” airs on Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+ and streams on Hulu the next day.
