Episode 2: One-Hit Wonders Night Breakdown

Summary

Dancing with the Stars Official Podcast
Episode 2: One-Hit Wonders Night Breakdown
Host: Joey Graziadei
Date: September 25, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode takes listeners behind the glitz and drama of "One-Hit Wonders Night" on Dancing with the Stars week two. Host Joey Graziadei guides an intimate and lively breakdown of the night’s eliminations, shares personal and contestant stories from backstage, and reveals exactly what it takes to keep TV’s biggest dance floor running. The show features interviews with Season 32 finalist Allison Hannigan, the unsung backstage heroes of the production team, and eliminated contestants Baron Davis and Britt Stewart, all woven together with warmth, humor, and candid reflections.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Allison Hannigan Returns to the Ballroom

Timestamps: [00:38]-[14:22]

• Homecoming: Allison Hannigan shares the emotional impact of returning to the DWTS family.

  • "It's so lovely. I love it so much. I definitely have envy. I wish I were in the shape I was in at the end of that season... but I do miss it." — Allison Hannigan [01:47]

• Personal Growth: Talks about joining the show for her daughter and the unexpected emotional journey.

  • "It’s changed my life." — Allison Hannigan [02:14]

• Advice from Dancers: Shares a memory where Brit Stewart taught her how to hold her shoulders properly, transforming her movement.

  • "She put her hand on the bottom of my shoulder blade... now put your energy there. That changed everything." — Allison Hannigan [03:35]

• Backstage Stories: Vivid recount of the infamous “balloon drop” debacle from a previous season, spotlighting the stage crew’s quick thinking.

  • "You can see the commercial countdown... one little lone balloon. And then somebody just kind of dove in, and Alfonso, just smooth as a cucumber, was like, nothing just happened. I am super professional." — Allison Hannigan [04:59]

• Memorable Moments & Goals:

  • Disney Night, Halloween Night, and especially Taylor Swift Night were Allison’s target events.
  • "I have to make it to Taylor Swift night. That is my one goal." — Allison Hannigan [05:54]
  • The added pressure upon reaching Taylor Swift night:
    "Wait, I just wanted to get here. I didn’t know I’d actually have to do it. And what if she’s watching?" [07:11]
  • Confirmation Taylor Swift did watch the performance.
    "She watched with her dancers." [07:19]

• Elimination Anxiety:

  • Shares the stress of being in the bottom two and her ritual of preemptively thanking her dance partner, Sasha.
    "Every week, I would just... say my... Sasha, this has been such a great experience. Thank you so much. And he was like, shut up. Stop it." — Allison Hannigan [08:33]

• Performance Standouts and Reactions (rapid-fire word association):

  • Danielle & Pasha: "Fantastic" [11:51]
  • Lauren & Brandon: "Amazing" [11:56]
  • Corey & Jenna: "Naughty" (for “Baby Got Back”) [12:01]
  • Jen & Jan: "Swifty" [12:07]
  • Baron & Britt: "Inspiring" [12:16]
  • Hilaria & Gleb: "Insane" [12:26]
  • Dylan & Daniela: "Hips" [12:36]
  • Scott & Riley: "Joyous" [12:46]

• Predictions for the Season: Allison favors Robert with Whitney and Mark with Whitney as likely finalists.

  • "I definitely think Robert will be in the finale... Whitney and Mark... he's just such an incredible coach." — Allison Hannigan [13:10]

• Withdrawal and Support:

  • Joking about forming a “support group” for former contestants experiencing post-show withdrawal.
  • "I feel like there should be a support club, like, afterwards." — Allison Hannigan [13:56]

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2. Spotlight: Stage Management & The Magic Behind the Scenes

Timestamps: [15:25]-[20:44]

• Guests: Roger Melvin (Head Stage Manager), Shaka Stewart, Jen Marquette

• Role of Stage Managers:

  • "We’re the director’s eyes, ears, arms, feet on the stage... we’re executing vision. We’re executing timing, we’re executing positions, set moves, timing." — Roger Melvin [15:56]

• Set Change Intensity:

  • "We build houses in three-minute commercials... You want us to do it in 45 (seconds), we’ll go show speed." — Shaka Stewart [16:45]
  • Sharing the most ambitious quick build: constructing a 3-walled house with a danceable stoop in less than three minutes. "Once it hits, boom. We just went in and one wall goes up, another wall goes up, stoop comes in... Here we go." — Shaka Stewart [17:30]

• Backstage Quick-Change Chaos:

  • "We've done quick changes in about a minute 30... after an opening number, they're sweating and they're shaking." — Jen Marquette [18:41]
  • Sometimes, costumes are sewn shut; stars have only 90 seconds for bathroom breaks or fixes. "Sometimes, you know, they're sewn into their outfits, and sometimes they have to use the bathroom and you're like, you have a minute 30..." — Britt Stewart [19:06]

• Close Calls:

  • Story of Shangela’s quick-change near-disaster with a “tearaway cape”:
    "We come back and our team has their hands on. They're trying to make it happen, but I can tell they're not going to make it." — Roger Melvin [19:40]

• Unsung Heroes:

  • Joey emphasizes the immense, often unseen effort of the crew:
    "You are the unsung heroes of the show and it was great to talk to you." — Joey Graziadei [20:30]

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3. Eliminated Contestants: Baron Davis & Britt Stewart Reflect

Timestamps: [21:07]-[27:55]

• Mindset and Motivation:

  • Baron Davis entered the competition less as a contest against others, more as a journey to challenge himself. "It was more so a competition with myself... if I could accomplish the moves, accomplish the steps..." — Baron Davis [21:51]
  • Did not expect to advance, wanted to have fun, challenge himself, and bring joy.

• Personal Transformation:

  • "This dancing brought it out of me. Like, Brit brought it out. She brought a lot of positive juju into my world." — Baron Davis [22:15]
  • Emphasizes gratitude for the experience, despite disappointment at early elimination. "I'm super disappointed that we didn't have the opportunity or more so everybody else didn't have the opportunity to actually see, like, what realness is, you know?" — Baron Davis [22:59]

• Britt Stewart’s Perspective:

  • "You should be incredibly proud of yourself... I knew that this would be beyond what Dancing with the Stars would be. I knew that we would really find that alignment with each other." — Britt Stewart [23:54]

• Takeaways for Life & Coaching:

  • Baron reflects on how DWTS taught him new approaches to coaching, leadership, and personal growth. "The whole process of, like, how you coach me is going to make me a much better coach... I've never thought about coaching and leading, you know, with that type of care, attention, patience, but diligence, right? So I learned a lot from this show, man." — Baron Davis [25:14]

• Future Plans & Inspiration:

  • Baron, inspired by Britt and his DWTS experience, announces plans to write a dance movie ("Eastside Story") with Britt as choreographer. "She inspired me to write a movie, a dance movie. She's gonna do the choreography. All y'all gonna be in it. It's called Eastside Story. I'm writing it. I swear." — Baron Davis [26:26]

• Humor & Banter:

  • Light-hearted discussion about possible participation in the finale, joking about "baguette rolls" instead of body rolls after six weeks off the dance floor. "It ain't gonna be a body roll. It's gonna be a baguette roll." — Baron Davis [27:48]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I just stood there like, oh no, Alfonso, you screwed that son up. And I was waiting for him to correct me, and then I... But he did. He did preface it, like, you wanted to make it to Taylor night." — Allison Hannigan [06:35]
• "We build houses in three-minute commercials." — Shaka Stewart [16:45]
• "How you coach me is going to make me a much better coach... I learned a lot from this show." — Baron Davis [25:14]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:38 — Opening and Allison Hannigan joins
• 02:14 — Allison’s reasons for doing DWTS and its meaning
• 04:00 — Balloon drop crisis story
• 05:54 — Chasing the dream: Taylor Swift Night
• 07:43 — Elimination stress and family pressure
• 11:49 — One-word reactions to key dances
• 13:10 — Allison’s finale and winner predictions
• 15:25 — Stage managers reveal their behind-the-scenes magic
• 18:41 — Quick-changes and costume chaos explained
• 19:40 — On-air costume near-misses
• 21:51 — Baron Davis & Britt Stewart: reflections after elimination
• 25:14 — How DWTS changed Baron’s approach to coaching and life
• 26:26 — “Eastside Story”: Baron's new movie inspired by DWTS

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Episode Tone & Style

The tone throughout is affectionate, candid, and celebratory, with lots of warmth, good humor, and vulnerability from guests. Moments of comedic banter intermingle with emotional insight, making the episode feel like an open conversation between friends and family.

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Wrap-Up

This episode celebrates the resilience and camaraderie of the DWTS community—on stage and off. Allison Hannigan’s heartfelt vision for post-show support, backstage tales from the crew, and the newly inspired creative dreams of Baron Davis and Britt Stewart create a sparkling, touching, and entertaining hour for any Dancing with the Stars fan, offering backstage access to the hard work, passion, and family that make each episode happen.

Transcript

[Allison Holker]

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[Allison Holker]

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[Joey Grosde]

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[Joey Grosde]

Welcome to the Dance with the Stars official podcast. I'm your host, Joey Grosde, and I'm bringing you all the exclusives from behind the Ballroom, literally in my podcast studio that is right behind the ballroom. And it is week two one hit wonders night. As you know, sadly, Baron and Britt and Corey and Jenna were eliminated from the competition tonight. Corey has already decided to hang up his dance shoes and he's heading home. But Baron and Britt will be joining me for a chat later on, so stick around for that. And since we're going to be having some conversations here tonight that are going to be a little bit more emotional, I want to make this place feel at home. Avon brought emotional support. Mirror ball pillows going to go over there.

[Allison Holker]

Oh, thank you. Nice to have him too.

[Joey Grosde]

We'll get to you in a second. We also do all have some personal pictures here. Just we want to make this place feel like home and I think we're set. You already heard from my guests already. First, we have a special guest joining me here to chat about all things eliminations and of course, her favorite Taylor Swift. It's season 32 finalist Allison Hanigan.

[Allison Holker]

Hi.

[Joey Grosde]

How we doing tonight? It's nice, right? Make you feel at home. A little comfy. It's a new addition to this.

[Allison Holker]

Closest I got to a Maribal.

[Joey Grosde]

Oh, well, I want to get into tonight. How did you feel tonight getting back in the ballroom? What is it like to be back with the family? Dancing with the Stars?

[Allison Holker]

So lovely. I love it so much. I, I, you know, I definitely have envy. I wish I were in the shape I was in at the end of that season, but. And that I continued on dancing because I do miss it. But I'm also just like, oh, I don't know how I did it. It was so hard.

[Joey Grosde]

It's a long process. But what did it mean for you to be on the show? I loved your story. I did watch. I think it was amazing. I want you to be able to share more what it meant for you.

[Allison Holker]

To be on it I mean, it was incredible. I did it. My youngest daughter would have disowned me had I not. So really, that was kind of why I had to say yes. And then it was just such a profound experience, like, for me, not only physically, but emotionally. I just had no idea the journey that I would go on, and it was. It's changed my life.

[Joey Grosde]

I want to talk more about, like, what one of your most memorable parts of the show was something that you just. You think back on.

[Allison Holker]

Oh, I mean, it's just a beautiful montage, really. I just. The. The family. I know it's so. Everybody says it's such a family, but it really is, and just such a community. And I'm so touched by, like, all the female dancers helping me, and, like, you know, and just. I think I got some of the best advice from the dancers tonight while I was watching, and they would, like. They said to Danielle, oh, your shoulders. Which I. You know, of course. But I was talking to Brit in the makeup room because she and I were next to each other a lot, and so I was like, how do you do the shoulder thing? And she's like, well, where are your shoulders? I'm like, here. She's like, no, they're not here. They're here. And she, like, you know, put her hand on the bottom of my shoulder blade scapula.

[Joey Grosde]

And got you to kind of hold it back a little bit.

[Allison Holker]

And she was like, now put your energy there. And that changed everything.

[Joey Grosde]

Was there anything about the operation of the show that was really surprising to you?

[Allison Holker]

Yes, just. What. You know, I've been in this business for 150 years, and, like, to be part of such an incredible crew, cast and crew, but so during the Disney Night Harry's Toy Story performance, they had balloons and a balloon drop.

[Joey Grosde]

Okay.

[Allison Holker]

And so they set the balloons up quite a few dances before the. I mean, maybe even before. Who knows? The balloons were already up there. And during a commercial break, half of the balloons started dropping, and it was like, oh, no, no. And so all these crew members just came out, started popping them. Then the voice overhead said, save the balloons. So then they started sweeping them into the audience, and you can see the commercial countdown. And it's just like, I was in the skybox, and it was amazing to watch all these people just working together so smooth and quick. And then it was like the audience started counting, like, 10, 9, 8. And there's still, like, 50 balloons, and they're scrambling, scrambling, scrambling. And then it was like, one, and there's, like, one little Lone balloon. And then somebody just kind of dove in, and Alphonso, just smooth as cucumber, was like, nothing just happened. I am super professional.

[Joey Grosde]

That's amazing.

[Allison Holker]

It was incredible to watch. And then during the next commercial, they realized they had enough balloons up there, so they just started stabbing them and, like, popping them. And my daughter was in the audience, and she was in the front, and she was like, I thought I was gonna lose a toe, but she didn't.

[Joey Grosde]

I love that. And for people that don't know the voice above or the voice of God, that would be our stage manager, Roger. He is unbelievable. If you've been to a lot live show, you've seen it. We are going to be talking to him later on, and I. I think it's amazing what the stage crew does. All of them. Oh, I love that. I want to also ask. We'll move on to tonight in a little bit, but was there, like, a goal in this competition for you?

[Allison Holker]

Yes. For me, it was like, well, Halloween night, I definitely want to. And then Disney night. You got it. I mean, how do you not want to be on Disney night? But then when you get the list of songs, I saw that there was a Taylor Swift night.

[Joey Grosde]

That's big.

[Allison Holker]

And that for me, I was like, I have to make it to Taylor Swift night. That is my one goal. And then I realized, or Sasha informed me that it was going to be the semifinals, and I was like, oh, no. So it seemed lofty, but I did. And I remember, like, the night the. The week before, you know, Taylor night, Dina had them call my name first. And I really thought Alfonso messed up. I thought he was supposed to say Ariana, and he accidentally said, like, he saw the A and he just. Because I was like, I had never been called first.

[Joey Grosde]

You're like, there's no way.

[Allison Holker]

And I'm always in the bottom too. So, like. So I just stood there like, oh, no, Alfonzo, you screwed that son up. And I was waiting for him to correct me, and then I. But he did. He did preface it, like, you wanted to make it to Taylor night. And so I was like, wait, that is me. So I. But I couldn't believe it. It was like, I need it to.

[Joey Grosde]

Well, that's obviously, as you said, it's a lofty goal, but I bet you that really pushed you through the competition to have that, that you really wanted to get to it because it's just such an icon for you. And I feel like that's amazing that you actually got to that feat. What a goal.

[Allison Holker]

Although that was the night I freaked out the most.

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah. That's a lot of pressure.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah. Because I was like, wait. I just wanted to get here. I didn't know I'd actually have to do it. And what if she's watching?

[Joey Grosde]

Did you ever find out if she did watch?

[Allison Holker]

I did find out. She watched with her dancers.

[Joey Grosde]

Well, now you know that she got to see you dance. That's so special.

[Allison Holker]

I don't know. I mean, I'm sure it wasn't live, but. Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

The fact that she got to see it, though, that's amazing.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah. Now I don't remember what I danced.

[Joey Grosde]

But, hey, she saw it. That's all that matters. Well, you talked a little bit earlier about eliminations and how the fact that you were in the bottom two, as you said, a lot. I'm gonna set the stage a little bit. We're gonna kind of bring you back to that.

[Allison Holker]

Oh, God. I'm gonna need both of these.

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah, Take both the balls. We need to be ready here. Okay. So lights dim down. You hear the music start. What's going through your head when that elimination comes up?

[Allison Holker]

Well, you know, I basically start saying goodbye to Sasha and thanking him, and, yeah, every week. He was. In the beginning, he was so desperate for me to say my line from American Pie, and I was like, sasha, I'm not. Let's just dance. Can you just teach me how to dance? So he was. He was obnoxious about it. I think the first week I did say it while we were up there, he's like, that one doesn't count because I whispered it.

[Joey Grosde]

What line from American Pie are you talking about?

[Allison Holker]

Oh, have you not seen it? No. There's the line. Sasha will tell you.

[Joey Grosde]

Okay.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

All right. Good enough.

[Allison Holker]

But no, every week, I would just, like, say my. I'm like, sasha, this has been such a great experience. Thank you so much. And he was like, shut up. Stop it.

[Joey Grosde]

He didn't like it.

[Allison Holker]

No. He's like, don't jinx us. The worst was when my family was in the audience, and then I was like. I would look over at them, and they were just terrified. They said that was the absolute worst part. My husband was just sick to his stomach.

[Joey Grosde]

Do you remember what week that was or when that wasn't a competition?

[Allison Holker]

I mean, I think it was pretty much any week they were there. I feel like. I mean, I could be. No, I wasn't in the bottom every single week, but I would say the majority. I'm sure I was.

[Joey Grosde]

Was there anything you guys would do to prepare for that too. Besides, obviously going through your mantra of saying how much I appreciate, appreciate it. Was there any like, usual routine or something you would do before?

[Allison Holker]

No, I think my routine was try to laugh it off by saying goodbye to him.

[Joey Grosde]

That's fair.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

Let me hear your thoughts. First and foremost, who were you excited to see tonight and. And how it went?

[Allison Holker]

I, I mean, I was excited to see everyone because it's so different watching it live and, and. But there's just so many fantastic dancers. I am so glad I'm not on this season.

[Joey Grosde]

I feel the same way.

[Allison Holker]

Yikes. But I just, I love everybody. I mean, I am so rooting for Andy. I was, I screamed when he got called safe. I was so happy because I feel like I can relate, you know, to being the underdog and like, you know, I just. And he's hilarious.

[Joey Grosde]

He's just a sweetheart. I think he's got that infectious energy. I love seeing his socials online too already. Just like how him and Emma are just like really embracing the partnership.

[Allison Holker]

She's so good with him.

[Joey Grosde]

Oh, my gosh, they're amazing. Was there anyone that you were surprised by tonight? Someone that you didn't know about or then when you saw you were really moved by?

[Allison Holker]

Well, I mean, I thought Jordan just knocked it out of the park and I'm so happy for Ezra.

[Joey Grosde]

It was amazing.

[Allison Holker]

Just like, oh, that was incredible.

[Joey Grosde]

What a bump up from last week. I thought the performance was amazing last week, but there was a different notch tonight out of that.

[Allison Holker]

Absolutely. I couldn't believe. I mean, I couldn't believe this is their second dance.

[Joey Grosde]

I know.

[Allison Holker]

I can't wait to see what they. What they continue to do. Alex, I was really surprised. Like, I mean, obviously I knew she could dance from last week, but to just see her get into that move, the starting position.

[Joey Grosde]

Do you like the break dancing move?

[Allison Holker]

Really great angle. But I was also like, I've got my 13 year old. I'm like, okay. No, it's fine. You know those leotards are sealed in.

[Joey Grosde]

They're locked and loaded.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah, they are. I mean, everybody, everyone is so incredible. And how do you know it was great? Like Alan and Elaine. Just get on your feet and shake your pom pom.

[Joey Grosde]

It's amazing.

[Allison Holker]

Definitely.

[Joey Grosde]

I want to go through some of the names of people we maybe didn't talk about. Okay.

[Allison Holker]

Yes.

[Joey Grosde]

And the theme of tonight was one hit wonder. The goal for the judge tonight, if anyone missed at home, was the third person was supposed to say one word. I think Bruno Said four every time. So we're going to. We're going to do better. We're going to try to do one word. I'm going to name some people, and I just want you to give one word of how you felt about the performance tonight. All right, Danielle and Pasha. Oh, that can't be your word.

[Allison Holker]

Shoot.

[Joey Grosde]

That can't be either.

[Allison Holker]

Fantastic.

[Joey Grosde]

Love that. How about Lauren and Brandon?

[Allison Holker]

Amazing.

[Joey Grosde]

It's hard what they're doing, isn't it?

[Allison Holker]

It is.

[Joey Grosde]

How about Corey and Jenna?

[Allison Holker]

Naughty.

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah, That's a good word for that one. Baby got back.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

How about Jen and Jan?

[Allison Holker]

Swifty.

[Joey Grosde]

Swifty. I like that.

[Allison Holker]

He can do no wrong in my book.

[Joey Grosde]

I love it.

[Allison Holker]

But she's amazing and so adorable.

[Joey Grosde]

All right, another one for you here. Baron and Britt.

[Allison Holker]

Oh, I mean, that makes me sad because I know the results, but my word for them would be inspiring.

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah. How about Hilaria and Gleb?

[Allison Holker]

Insane. Yeah, Insane.

[Joey Grosde]

Insane's a good one. That's a new one.

[Allison Holker]

I did text Dina right after her dance, and I said, that's kind of how I danced. Right, right.

[Joey Grosde]

Same thing. How about Dylan and Daniela?

[Allison Holker]

Oh, I just. I love him. I adore her.

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah. I think the word I'm thinking is hips.

[Allison Holker]

Hips.

[Joey Grosde]

He was moving those hips.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

Are we good with that one?

[Allison Holker]

Let's go. Hips.

[Joey Grosde]

Hips sounds great for the win. And then last but not least, you got Scott and Riley, who ended up tonight joyous.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

I love Scott.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

He's got such a good energy about him.

[Allison Holker]

And I adore Riley.

[Joey Grosde]

Well, I last thing for you here. I want to hear your prediction. I know it's only week two. I know you can give me multiple names. You can give me one. But what would your prediction be for who you think might finish this thing out?

[Allison Holker]

I mean, I definitely think Robert will be in the finale. Last week I was like, well, he's gonna win for sure. I don't know. I mean, Whitney. Whitney and Mark. Like, he's just such an incredible coach.

[Joey Grosde]

No, I agree. So right now he's Robert and Whitney, and then also you have Whitney and Mark. I know it's confusing because there's two Whitneys.

[Allison Holker]

Oh, shoot.

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah, you're on it. So. And you're also agreeing with. You're agreeing with the judges. Those are the top of the leaderboard right now. After the first two weeks, those are the two highest scores. Well, I thought you did incredible, and it is so good to see you back in the ballroom tonight. And I appreciate you talking with me about this season, eliminations and all that fun.

[Allison Holker]

Well, and you did so well. I mean, you were just incredible to watch last year.

[Joey Grosde]

Thank you.

[Allison Holker]

I such a joy.

[Joey Grosde]

All right, well, let's dance again soon. Why don't we do that?

[Allison Holker]

Yeah. I feel like there should be a support club, like, afterwards.

[Joey Grosde]

We both need it.

[Allison Holker]

Yeah. And even if it's just like, like maybe we could try to get a pro to come in and just do, like, line dancing or something.

[Joey Grosde]

All right, you heard it first. We're starting a support group. Anyone else that needs help from being. Having withdrawal, from being off a dance with the stars? Alice and I are starting it today. Come join us.

[Allison Holker]

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[Joey Grosde]

So these next guests are the real magicians behind the camera. And if you've ever been to a live taping of Dancing with the Stars, you've seen them in action. I think you guys don't actually understand how hard their jobs actually are, though. Please help me welcome head stage manager Roger Melvin and fellow stage managers Shaka Stewart and Jen Marquette. Guys, I am so excited to have you in here today. I'm honestly in awe of what you do every week. No one really understands it. So I'm gonna actually start with you, Roger. I want to know, can you explain to me what exactly you guys do from week to week?

[Roger Melvin]

All right, we're the director's eyes, ears, arms, feet on the stage. So our director, unlike a film where the director is on set with you or with the actors or with the talent, our director's in the booth and we're executing vision. We're executing timing. We're executing positions, set moves, timing, Jen. Handling all things talent in terms of wardrobe positions where they're supposed to be. So we're a pretty tight team to maybe really put the show on that.

[Joey Grosde]

You see until you see a live show, you're like, wow, there's so much that's going on behind the scenes. Yeah, Shaka, I'm gonna come to you because you do a lot with the set changes. And I want to know how quick are they and if you have anything to kind of explain on, like how crazy can actually get in those times quicker every year. Yes, yes.

[Shaka Stewart]

It seems like we lose time every year, make these things happen every year. You know, we build houses in three minute commercials. You know, we bring in cars, two, three, four cars, you know, in, you know, two minute, you know, in packages at a minute, 50 seconds, you know, we gauge things on, oh, we've done this before and you know, in a minute 10, so you want us to do it in 45, you know, we'll go show speed and, you know, we'll speed it up a little bit. So. It's incredible.

[Joey Grosde]

It's amazing. I've seen it in person. And what you guys do in that short amount of time, it is amazing every week. And I think people don't understand how much it changes week to week. Like an idea comes about and you guys have to figure out how to do it. That's the most impressive part. Cause it, it changes every single week. So what was the most ambitious setup that you ever did?

[Shaka Stewart]

You know, we were doing it was Danny and Iman and we were doing a like movie night, I think Grease special. And we had to build a house with a porch in like 2, 2 minutes, 45 seconds. It was something like that. With the stoop. With the stoop that had to be sturdy enough for them to actually dance on and sit on the stuff. So it was like three sided house that you had to build in less than three minutes. And the crew, I mean, once it hits, boom. We just went in and one wall goes up, another wall goes up, stoop comes in. Then you gotta put sandbags. You gotta make it sturdy, you gotta make it safe. And then next thing you know, it's like 10, nine, clear. Here we go.

[Baron Davis]

Whoa.

[Shaka Stewart]

Wherever it's at, it's at. Don't worry about the hay bale parade.

[Joey Grosde]

Easy. Yeah, safe's a big part. You gotta have someone out there ready to make.

[Shaka Stewart]

Very ambitious building a house in three minutes.

[Joey Grosde]

Understandable. I didn't know that was possible till today. So there we go. That's good to know. Jen, you've been on the show for 17 years.

[Shaka Stewart]

Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

It's amazing. And you do a lot with the costume, the hair and makeup changes. Can you talk a little bit about how crazy that can be and the time you have and how people really don't see how that works?

[Britt Stewart]

It's wild. I mean, we've done quick changes in about a minute 30, and after an opening number, they're sweating and they're shaking. They still get anxious. To this day, it doesn't matter how long they've been a pro or they still get anxious. So dealing with all that energy in a minute 30 is so intense, it's crazy. Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

Can you talk about how sometimes the girls are, like, actually sewn in and if something has to change, like, how does that go sometimes?

[Britt Stewart]

Well, yeah, sometimes, you know, they're sewn into their outfits, and sometimes they have to use the bathroom and you're like, you have a minute 30 to use the bathroom. And they'll just like, okay, I'll get up. I'll be quick, I'll be quick. It's so intense.

[Allison Holker]

It's.

[Britt Stewart]

It's insane.

[Roger Melvin]

Just the concept of sewn into an outfit. Like, it's not zippers here.

[Joey Grosde]

No, no. It was new to me when I was first on the show. They're like, so we're gonna sew that in. I'm like, what would I have to pee? It's like, yeah, you'll figure that out. We'll come back. No, it's like, this is new. I don't want to think about that. Or you have to go voting.

[Britt Stewart]

It's like you have to make a decision. Am I going to be on time? Am I gonna. Yeah.

[Joey Grosde]

So have you ever had a close call?

[Roger Melvin]

Yes, a few, but one that comes to mind. We had Shangela on the show, and we're coming back into her performance from the package, and there was a. I think it was a quick pull away, like a tearaway cape. So our team is hustling to try to get the cape on. There's pulley systems. There's a. I think we had a snoot, which is basically like an apparatus that pulls fabric up into the air and off of an individual, but it has to be hooked on in a specific way. And we're coming back and our team has their hands on. They're trying to make it happen, but I can tell they're not going to make it. And so we come back and you can see our team final touch, pulling back. Gear flies away. And thankfully, on the cut, you don't see much. That was a pretty close call.

[Joey Grosde]

We spoke about a lot. It is amazing what you guys do, how you do in such a short period of time. But you are the unsung heroes of the show and it was great to talk to you. I hope people at home appreciate how amazing you guys are and I just appreciate your time and it's good to see you guys again. Thank you, guys.

[Roger Melvin]

Thank you, man.

[Joey Grosde]

I appreciate it.

[Allison Holker]

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[Joey Grosde]

It's pro savings days at Lowe's. Get up to 35% off select major appliances and save an additional $1,000 when you buy four select LG major appliances. Plus get a free Dewalt 20 volt max 5amp hour battery when you buy a select Dewalt 20 volt max tool. Get the job done for less at Lowe's. We help you Save valid through 926. Selection varies by location while supplies last. See associate@lowe's.com for more details and qualifying items. Baron and Britt, thank you for being here. I know tonight didn't go the way that you hoped, but I really do appreciate you coming in here in the studio talking to us today. How was the competition for you?

[Baron Davis]

It wasn't. I mean, I didn't really realize it was a competition until they start judging. It was more so a competition with myself. If I could accomplish the moves, accomplish the steps, if I can, you know, get an A plus, a B or something, a good grade for my coach. That was the first mission. I think once you get to the ballroom, you know, it's tv, it's live tv. So, you know, I understand entertainment. So that was not necessarily, like, what I was in it for. I was in it to, like, have fun, learn from a great coach and partner, and then, like, go out there and, like, what I would deem to be, like, embarrass. Like, if I was watching myself at home, I'd be embarrassed for me. Right. So I've overcome something. Yeah. And I think that, you know, like, I'm not afraid to, like, perform. I'm not afraid to, you know, just kind of put myself out there and, like, show that I can be fun and happy at the same time. Like, and this dancing brought it out of me. Like, Brit brought it out. She brought a lot of, like, positive juju into my world. So I'm just extremely thankful. But I'm super disappointed that we didn't have the opportunity or more so everybody else didn't have the opportunity to actually see, like, what realness. Realness is, you know?

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah, I understand that. I get the disappointment. I. I think you did accomplish that to be able to show how much fun you're having. It showed on that first week one dance, man. When you're out there, sometimes you watch these dances, and they could be, like, technically beautiful, and there's all this. But you need to feel something when you're dancing. You were having so much fun out there, and I think that gets lost sometimes in the competition, how important that is. Yeah. And I have to say, dude, samba's not easy for week two. You need to take a lot of credit. The fact that you guys attacked that and did that. She can speak more on it. I. You can, Brit. But that's a hard dance to do on week two. And I thought you guys did amazing tonight with that.

[Britt Stewart]

I agree. Baron, I. I want you to walk away from this experience feeling incredibly proud of what you were able to accomplish. Like, I'm right in alignment with you that I do believe that our journey was cut, too. It was cut short, but, you know, it is the reality of what we are doing here. But you should be incredibly proud of yourself. And I knew during our first meet, he walked in, he was nervous, but the one thing that you wanted to get out of this experience was to learn something new. And he said that he's a kind of person that always wants to expand, always wants to stretch himself. And right then, I. I knew that this would be beyond what Dancing with the Stars would be. I knew that we would really find that alignment with each other. And so, yes, you know, our journey here is finished. But I feel like I have a.

[Baron Davis]

Feeling I have a brother who's just beginning.

[Joey Grosde]

Yeah, I was going to ask that for you because coming from the professional background of being a basketball player doing professional sports, I think it is so interesting to see the work that the professional dancers put in, because it's different. It is a sport.

[Baron Davis]

Yeah, man. It's like you. You respect people who are elite in their craft. You respect people who love what they do, who pour into what they do, and then also a sponge. Right. So I'm, like, just a witness to the conversations. And, you know, they're. They're doing choreography together, and, like. Like, listening to the pros talk to the pros is a whole nother thing. And then having them take the time, a lot of time, to, like, the whole process of, like, how you coach me is going to make me a much better coach, you know, in basketball and, like, as I'm coaching kids, because now it's like, oh, I've never thought about coaching and leading, you know, with that type of care, attention, patience, but diligence, right? So I learned a lot from this show, man. And I mean, this lady is dynamic. So that's it. I ain't got nothing else to say.

[Britt Stewart]

Thanks, pd.

[Joey Grosde]

Hey, man, I appreciate you coming in here and talking to us and yeah, like I said, I really appreciate it. And we loved watching you guys dance. So I appreciate you coming in here, man.

[Allison Holker]

Thank you.

[Baron Davis]

We got more stuff to do, though. Yeah, I'm writing a movie. I'm writing a movie. She inspired me to write a movie, a dance movie. She's gonna do the choreography. All y' all gonna be in it. It's called Eastside Story. I'm writing it. I swear.

[Joey Grosde]

I love it.

[Baron Davis]

West side Story, but with some culture, some flavor. Thank you.

[Joey Grosde]

We'll look at it for you.

[Baron Davis]

It's because of her. I just sat in my house and was like, hey, man, I should write a movie. But she's very inspiring and I think this whole community and, you know, this show is an amazing experience. So shout out to the show. Salute to the show. All the talent, all the pros. Britt, still no more owner.

[Joey Grosde]

I know Coach Darrell's proud of you. We're proud of you. We're excited to see you back here for the finale again. We appreciate your time, man.

[Baron Davis]

Thank you. Do I have to dance during the finale?

[Joey Grosde]

Brit, I'm done.

[Allison Holker]

Tbg.

[Britt Stewart]

Tbg. We'll have a conversation about that later.

[Joey Grosde]

There will be some movement in the finale.

[Britt Stewart]

Yes, yes, we'll do that. We'll do that.

[Joey Grosde]

Whatever feels good. Do I have to?

[Britt Stewart]

We'll do that. We'll talk about it.

[Baron Davis]

Do I have to dance in the finale?

[Britt Stewart]

We'll talk about it. It might just be a two step.

[Baron Davis]

It's like six weeks of me not dancing.

[Joey Grosde]

The good news is there's gonna be no judging and you're just gonna be able to do what you wanna do.

[Baron Davis]

You're gonna be like, oh, this dude was never here.

[Joey Grosde]

No, no.

[Britt Stewart]

What about the body roll?

[Joey Grosde]

Catch me.

[Britt Stewart]

You can do a body roll.

[Baron Davis]

You can do a body roll. Six weeks from now, you'll still be.

[Allison Holker]

Able to do a body roll.

[Baron Davis]

It ain't gonna be a body roll. It's gonna be a baguette roll.

[Britt Stewart]

Each week leading up, I'm gonna come over and we're gon together to make.

[Joey Grosde]

Sure, I think this was big that we found out that this is going to happen at the finale. You have time.

[Baron Davis]

I lost a lot of weight.

[Joey Grosde]

The get roll I like. I'm going to remember that one. And that's a wrap for One Hit Wonders night. You can watch Dancing with the Stars every Tuesday live on ABC and Disney plus or the next day on Hulu. And don't forget, this is where you can catch all the exclusive behind the scenes action right here with us on the Dance with the Stars official podcast every Thursday on Disney and Hulu and wherever you get your podcasts. This has been a BBC DC Studios production for ABC and Disney plus.