Our favorite DWTS pro dancers know how to keep the ballroom-magic going even after the season ends. Dancing With The Stars LIVE 2023 has just wrapped after over 50 fun-filled shows!
Dancing With The Stars LIVE is truly an amazing experience – especially if you are a hard-core fan of the television show. The tour kicked off January 6 at MGM National Harbor in Washington DC, hit every major city and concluded March 12 in Las Vegas.
The cast of this year’s tour included many DWTS Pros – Britt Stewart, Alan Bersten, Emma Slater, Gleb Savchenko, Brandon Armstrong, and Sasha Farber. They were also joined by DWTS Troupe Members Alexis Warr and Kateryna Klishyna.
This year’s tour also included celebrity guests – who were recent contestants on Season 31 – that performed on select dates. The special guests included The Bachelorette star Gabby Windey, deaf actor Daniel Durrant, Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino, and Tik Tok personalities Charli D’Amelio and Heidi D’Amelio.
The show was broken into two acts and ran for about an hour and a half. The set design included multiple staircases that connected to an elevated platform. Each routine flawlessly flowed into the next, the costumes were stunning and plentiful as each dancer’s ensemble changed with each number. The music selection included many audience and pop culture favorites from artists including Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith, Cardi B, and more! Additionally, fans could recognize that some of the songs used on tour were just previously used by couples on Season 31.
The night began with the voice of the iconic DWTS announcer, Alan Dedicoat, saying, “And now, live, it’s Dancing With The Stars!” On cue, the DWTS pros came down the stairs to the DWTS theme song and began their first dance of the night to ‘Shut Up and Dance’ by WALK THE MOON.
I had the privilege of attending the Jan 10 performance at The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at the LIU Post campus. The night, and full tour, was co-hosted by Emma Slater and Gabby Windey – Season 31’s runner-up. The two hosts were perfect with their comical and entertaining bit. The duo had a skit where Gabby explained she was making her own Mirrorball Trophy, which Emma encouraged her by saying, “You are the number one, first, most-favorite, second place!”
Adding to the fun, Gabby explained that she ran into someone “that you know and love” when she was backstage. Within seconds, everyone’s favorite DWTS Season 31 underdog Vinny Guadagnino ran down the stairs as the crowd cheered. Vinny made jokes about never receiving a ‘10’ on the show. Emma then asks Vinny if he could dance a Viennese Waltz for the crowd, which he then explains, “I’ll do it later. I’ll come back.”
In a later skit, Emma explained to the audience and asked them to repeat back that the five Latin dances include Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble and the Jive. She then explained that the standard dances included the Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and the Quickstep. To show the differences between these dances, the DWTS troupe participated in a mock Latin dance competition.
To end the first act, the entire DWTS troupe danced to Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love,’ concluding with strobe lights and a blackout.
The second act begins with the female dancers dressed in sparkling gowns and the men in top hats as they danced to Michael Bublé’s ‘L.O.V.E.’ This opening was also a nod to Season 31’s Michael Bublé Night. Comically, the dance included Vinny swaying back and forth as the other couples gracefully danced around him.
In what could be called the best skit of the night, Emma presented A Week in the Life of a DWTS Pro, giving the audience a peek at the DWTS experience from the perspective of a pro-dancer. In the middle of this bit, Gabby recreated her Halloween-week Argentine Tango to ‘Shivers’ with Alan Bersten. The skit even ended with a hilarious recreation of the weekly DWTS eliminations.
Vinny finally fulfilled his promise to the crowd and began his Viennese Waltz to the song he danced to on Season 31’s Prom Night. He quickly ”gave up” on the waltz, and began his iconic Jazz routine with Alexis Warr to ‘Levels’ by Avicii. Complete with his quintessential move, the fist pump, perfected on his many seasons on The Jersey Shore.
The finale began with ‘Everybody Dance’ by Chic. All of the dancers came out for one final dance that included lots of sparkles and streamers. The cast then took a bow, including Gabby and Vinny of course, to ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’ by P!nk. As Emma closed the show, she reminded the crowd to “Keep dancing!”
It was so amazing getting to see the magic of DWTS live – and in person! Season 32 won’t premiere until September, however the show is already creating some early excitement. On March 20, DWTS announced that Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro will be co-hosting the weekly competition. The announcement comes on the heels of Tyra Banks announcing on March 17 that she would be stepping down from her hosting duties. Tyra hosted DWTS for three seasons, after she replaced Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews in 2020.
Now we excitedly wait for the fall!