The Sisterhood of the Traveling Orange Fringe Pants (DWTS: The Next Pro 101)

Summary

Teen Beat – Episode Summary

Podcast: Teen Beat
Episode: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Orange Fringe Pants (DWTS: The Next Pro 101)
Date: July 14, 2026
Hosts: Danielle Fishel & Val Shmerkovskiy
Theme: Recapping the new “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” reality competition and exploring the ballroom dance world and its next generation of stars.

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Episode Overview

This episode marks the debut recap of “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro,” a reality competition that brings together 12 up-and-coming dancers to vie for a coveted spot as a pro on the main DWTS show. Danielle Fishel and co-host Val Shmerkovskiy (“Val”) break down the premiere episode, analyze contestants’ performances, discuss the nuances of ballroom dance, and share behind-the-scenes stories. The tone is warm, playful, and full of genuine admiration for the DWTS universe.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Meet the Hosts & Show Format

• [00:14–02:05] Danielle and Val joke about podcasting nerves and their excitement for the new show.
• Danielle praises Val’s authenticity and voice in the dance community:
  • “You are truly who you are at all times, and I love it.” — Danielle ([00:53])
• “The Next Pro” is described as “the Little League World Series for future ballroom stars” ([08:05]). Contestants compete for a spot as a DWTS pro on Season 35.
• [04:01] Judges introduced: Shirley Ballas (“founding mother” of ballroom, fierce teacher, 10x US Champion), and Mark Ballas (her son, 3x Mirrorball winner, “a ballroom legend in his own right”).

2. The Legacy of Ballroom & Its Characters

• Val emphasizes Shirley Ballas’s unique influence:
  • “She’s our founding mother... her stature is grand...sassy and classy at the same time.” — Val ([04:37])
• Mark Ballas’ longevity and partnership with Val:
  • “We’ve been doing this alongside each other for 30 years.” — Val ([06:00])

3. Inside Info: Casting & Ballroom Pathways

• The DWTS tour is where news of "The Next Pro" first spread and where Val and Danielle’s friendship deepened ([07:36]).
• Val notes it’s “nearly impossible” to land as a true DWTS contender without paying your dues:
  • “Your first season... I was trash. There’s so many other elements at play.” — Val ([09:35])
• Teaching vs. performing is highlighted as an essential skill for becoming a DWTS pro ([10:30]).

4. Contestants Breakdown & Banter

• Danielle and Val introduce each contestant and discuss their backgrounds ([13:04–19:23]).
  • Alan and Selena are most familiar to Val.
  • Briar, a TikTok star with over a million followers, is noted as especially brave for stepping out of her genre:
    • “You don’t have anything to lose putting yourself out there, ever. But it is incredibly vulnerable...” — Val ([15:27])
  • Stephanie (Ezra Sosa’s sister) is described as “one of the most qualified” for the job ([18:51]).
  • Val’s playful commentary on costumes:
    • “It literally looks like one of those trees in the park with the girlfriend, boyfriend hearts.” — Val ([27:08])
• Discussion on the small, interconnected world of pro dancers ([32:56]).

5. Judging Criteria and “X Factors”

• What Val looks for as (hypothetical) judge:
  • “It’s about your understanding of the fundamentals... technique... ballroom is built from the ground up.” ([19:40])
  • “You can’t just be all personality, you’re all feel good... There are quintessential qualities that have to be there.” ([21:15])
• Shirley expects “technical excellence and the ability to cope with extreme pressure;” Mark wants “imagination and heart” ([24:52]).
• Importance of blending hip, TikTok-ready style with traditional ballroom skills:
  • “I use that as a common ground... I’ll use familiarity to get you in, then I will feed you the excellence of ballroom dance.” — Val ([37:00])

6. Host Love for Robert Irwin

• Universal praise for new host Robert Irwin:
  • “He is an international treasure... leads with their authentic aura and enthusiasm.” — Danielle ([21:49], [23:34])
  • “When you stare him in the eyes, it feels like a hug.” — Val ([23:47])

Notable Quotes & Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• “If I would have known in middle school...my pursuit of ballroom would land me a podcast with Topanga, I would have practiced harder.” — Val ([06:43])
• On costumes being shared: “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. That’s what it feels like with these fringe pants.” — Val ([26:51])
• “Dance is a vehicle to connect...the technique is there to harness your ability to tell a story.” — Val ([25:21])
• “If you get enough reps in, then your body takes over.” (on nerves and practice) — Val ([40:05])
• “She’s got to have short-term memory. Things happen. You gotta just keep it moving.” (on on-stage mistakes) — Val ([59:51])
• “There is strength in imperfection as well.” (on Tristan’s jive) — Val ([48:55])

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Contestant Performances & Judges’ Feedback (w/ Timestamps)

Initial Pairings and Challenges ([28:13+])

• Week 1 is all about technique; boys dance jive, girls dance samba.
• Choreographer/mentor: Derek Hough. Derek’s dramatic performance with the “traveling orange fringe pants” is an instant highlight ([26:07]).
• Contestants must choreograph solo segments and dance together side-by-side.
• Immediate stakes: double elimination after first challenge.

Key Pairs and Feedback:

• Eric & Tristan (Jive) [44:00]
  • Eric: “Quality in the craft, understated, great posture.” — Val ([45:15])
  • Tristan: “Fun to watch, but lacks required quality,” but props for overcoming rehearsal nerves ([44:34], [45:56])
• AJ & Jake (Jive) [50:10]
  • AJ: “Great quality, great look, crisp, ended strong,” feels “ready.”
  • Jake: “Good, clean, versatile... but felt a little too young.” — Val ([51:38])
• Benji & Alan (Jive) [53:44]
  • Alan: “Most experience, most refined, emotionally available. Put in the work. Looks very ready for the opportunity.” — Val ([54:28])
  • Benji: “Killed it in the jive, great chemistry with Alan.” ([54:49])
• Selena & Natalie (Samba) [55:26]
  • Selena: A “superstar” with “everything else” but needs to “upload the ballroom information.” — Val ([56:06])
  • Natalie: Underrated by judges; Val thinks she was “crisp and tight and had all that energy” ([56:22])
• Briar & Stephanie (Samba) [58:54]
  • Briar: Slipped at the start but recovered. Some technical flaws; judges “go savage.” Val has admiration for her vulnerability and courage ([59:05], [60:56]).
  • Stephanie: “Killed it...Had the look, hair, and quality.” ([62:48])
• Adele & Nina (Samba) [63:41]
  • Adele: “Dances expensive.” Derek calls her a “Rolls Royce.” Mark calls her a “killer, super fierce, assassin.”
  • Nina: “Great personality, knows how to talk on camera,” Mark thought she got ahead of the music ([65:15]).

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Elimination & Standouts

• Bottom Two Women: Briar and Natalie
• Bottom Two Men: Tristan and Jake
  • “I felt like I knew…that’s what I would have picked.” — Danielle ([67:44])
• Eliminated: Jake and Briar ([67:59])
• Early Favorites: Adele (“powerhouse,” “dances expensive”), a “tie for three dudes” per Val.

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Behind the Scenes & Culture

• Mansion Living: Cast houses together “Love Island meets DWTS” ([29:55])
• Pro Dancer Fridge Rules: Val’s “fridge is communal” snack strategy ([32:01])
• Dance Community Tightness: “We all know each other,” from shared upbringing and studio ties ([32:59]).
• On Mistakes: Have “short-term memory,” “pick yourself up, keep going.” ([59:51])

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Final Reflections

• Hosts are impressed by the vulnerability and drive of contestants—even those transitioning between genres or putting themselves outside their comfort zone.
• The show is praised for making viewers care for 12 new personalities and for showcasing the stakes for aspiring pros ([68:18-69:42]).
• Danielle lauds the production for giving viewers “a snippet, a taste of who they are.”
• Val: “It’s a really well-produced show...I really got to know them...They were all very open, very vulnerable, which makes it very hard for them, but fun for us to watch.” ([68:18])
• Both are excited to continue recapping as the competition progresses and tease attending DWTS conventions for fan interactions.

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Important Timestamps by Topic

• [04:01] Shirley Ballas’s background, legend status, and influence
• [08:05] “The Next Pro” as feeder/adjacent show for DWTS majors
• [13:04 - 19:23] Contestant introductions and backstories
• [19:35 - 21:44] Val’s hypothetical judging philosophy on technique
• [23:34] Praise for Robert Irwin’s hosting style
• [24:39] Judges state their expectations for contestants
• [28:13] Derek Hough’s challenge, signature performance & orange fringe pants
• [44:00+] Play-by-play recap of performances and judges’ comments
• [55:26+] Female samba performances and the art/technique debate
• [67:59] First episode eliminations

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Summary for New Listeners

This episode is your all-access, witty, and insightful guide to the premiere of DWTS: The Next Pro. Danielle and Val bring warmth, humor, and insider expertise as they break down the show’s concept, explain ballroom culture’s quirks (shared costumes, audition nerves, pro dancer fridge wars), and introduce the next wave of dance talent. The conversations veer between technical deep-dives, community love, and the all-important question: Who will wear the Sisterhood of the Traveling Orange Fringe Pants next?

If you want to know what makes a DWTS pro, why Robert Irwin is dance TV’s new MVP, and which rookie dancers are about to break out, this episode delivers—one ballroom pun at a time.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to stepping on toes. I am professional dancer Danielle Fishel, and

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I am a professional celebrity podcaster, Balancing Schmikowski.

[Danielle Fishel]

Guys, this is our very first episode.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I just always want to. I wanted to do this.

[Danielle Fishel]

You just want to play with it. You want to play with the microphone. Listen, don't you dare. Respectfully, you want to play with the microphone.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Not anymore.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not anymore. But you did want to. You had to get it out of this.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Initially, I did, but now I can't get my microphone.

[Danielle Fishel]

Honestly, this is why I wanted to work with you. I wanted a co host that would come in and go, can I play with the microphone?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Maturity, poise, professionalism, that's what I bring.

[Danielle Fishel]

I truthfully adore you. I am so excited that you agreed to do this with me. I think you have such a. Such an important voice in this community and in this world, and you're so good at being able to explain yourself. You can stay diplomatic, but you also are always very honest, which is what people want. You're authentic through and through. I guess the shorthand is you are truly who you are at all times, and I love it.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Thank you so much.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're welcome.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You and my mom. That's it. Everybody else has something to say about that, but no, I appreciate the opportunity. Obviously, I have a lot to say about a lot of things, but dance is something that I committed my life to. So, yeah, I'm excited to speak on that. I'm excited to use my voice to also not just inform people of the things that I've experienced, but also to celebrate those that are in my community. I think that's really wonderful. That. And we'll get to what. What. What was the. The beginnings of this podcast, but stepping on toes, you know, next pro, the. The shows that are kind of growing around the idea of ballroom dance. I think that's wonderful.

[Danielle Fishel]

There's such a big spotlight on ballroom dancing. Like you said, something you've committed your life to. It almost would be a shame to have this kind of a spotlight on it and to not be a part of it, be a part of it and to celebrate it and to not help build it up. So thank you for letting me do that with you. So we are recapping the inaugural season of a brand new addition to the Dancing with the Stars universe. It's the competition reality show the Next Pro, hosted by our beloved pal, Robert Irwin. They have brought together 12 up and coming dancers to live and train together. They're going to compete in an audition process along the way. And one winner Will join the show for season 35. As your competition.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I was gonna say as my castmate, but I know.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I turned it to competition.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No, totally. Because that's what it is. You know, I could tiptoe.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Around that. But the truth is, it is still a competition and, but we'll get to that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I, I, I just want to say. Yeah. So fun. Such a great show, such a great concept. Like I said, the, the, the, the world of ballroom dance continues to grow as far as, you know, broadcasting it to the world. So it's a beautiful thing. I am so proud of our cast, the current cast of Dancing with the Stars. And having said that, there are just so many other characters in our world that I love.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I do have experience with a lot of these kids.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, I, I do know quite a few of them. And so to see these stories come to light, to see them get their spotlight, it does mean a lot to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, you're like a proud uncle.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You got chills.

[Danielle Fishel]

You literally have goosebumps.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Well, I just thought of again, I don't want to cut. Let's just get to it and I'll.

[Danielle Fishel]

Let's take one step at a time, Val. One step at a time.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

There's gonna be a lot of dance puns in this. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

At least in the first episode. We gotta get them out of our system, just like the mic, you know? So the show is judged by legendary dancer and the world's most accomplished latin instructor, a 10 time US champion whose fingerprints are all over almost every pro currently on the show, Ms. Shirley Ballas.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

Val. For those who are unaware of the Shirley Ballas lore, what should they know about her?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Well, first of all, she's, she's just a superstar educator in, in the space of ballroom dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

She, she has pedigree as a competitor and she was a superstar when she competed. But I think she really came into her lore, if you will, as a teacher, obviously, through the works of Derek Hough, famously, and Mark Ballas, obviously, and Julianne Hough. But she's been an influence on my career and like you said, had a fingerprint on so many successful dancers. Yeah, yeah. Shirley Ballas is our, you know, she's our founding mother. Yeah. I didn't want to be disrespectful to how long she's been in the game.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, it's about stature.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No, her stature is grand. And the fact that she's still doing it at a very high level. I know that Strictly sees her dance once in a While. Right. The American audience hasn't seen her perform yet, but she's a star still.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Dance floor.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And so I, I love Shirley. She's got. I. I love that she has the pedigree to speak on dance, but also she's just so sassy.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Classy at the same time and so well spoken. And she just says it how it is, which I love.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. We also have three time Mirrorball winner and Shirley Sun, a ballroom legend in his own right. Mark Ballas as the other contestant judge, someone you know very well.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yep. Yeah. We reflect on that from. From time to time, actually, especially last season when we both kind of had really strong seasons and along. Along the way, as the body started to ache, you know, we just reflected on the fact that we've been doing this alongside each other for 30 years.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Wow.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And that's. Again, look at. But, but it means a lot, you know, again, to pursue something that you're passionate about and to pursue something so niche and small and then find yourself on such a huge platform years later when you pursued it, really. Because. Because you loved it. Not because of like a financial end goal or anything like that.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, could have never predicted where it would have ended up. It's not why you got started.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Danielle. If I would have known in middle school that my New Yorker and my pursuit of ballroom dance was gonna land me a podcast with one and only time Topanga, I would have practiced harder.

[Danielle Fishel]

I can't believe you went to a podcast with Topanga versus one of the most formidable pro dancers on Dancing with the Stars. That's where I thought we were going with this.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Respectfully, to. To my employers. Yeah. Nah, definitely podcast with Topanga.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, thank you. I take that as the highest compliment. There are a ton of familiar faces who flew out to Australia, which is where this show was shot, and so we expect to see all of our favorites get involved. When did you first hear about the next pro show?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

We were on tour with Dancing with the Stars, and for those unfamiliar, we do our season and then we go on this tour around the country and we. We got a chance to do 97 shows. You were a big part of that.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was. And it was incredible.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It's interesting that was the first time I, We. I found out about the next pro. But also, that was kind of the times when we got to know each other on tour and, And. And even have the prospect of doing a showcase together. But, yeah, no, I found out on tour. I think we were just wrapping up tech and we were like A day removed from the very first show. And we had a conversation about the show happening and that we were going to be kind of some of the pros will be used to mentor some of these guys. And what that meant was that our tour is going to be reshuffled quite frequently, which is what happened. But again, it all worked out and we were just excited again that this project is happening. We. We heard of some of the names that were potentially being considered we got excited about. And so, yeah, I mean, like I said, I. There's so much unknown for this. That's why I'm excited for our audience, for our fans, because it is a. It is a different angle. I think it's a perfectly adjacent show to Dancing with the Stars. Not just because it kind of showcase. It's like not the Little League World Series, but. Yeah, but. But it's like when you watch collegiate sports and you know that these are the future pros, potentially pros in the big leagues. And so I don't want to remove myself as some sort of authority figure away from this talent. But yeah, they are fighting for the big leagues and it's fun to see. It's fun to see the different talent come up. And so we were just excited.

[Danielle Fishel]

How difficult do you think it is to come into the world of Dancing with the Stars without having a history of being on troupe and then to become a true contender in your first year? Like, how. How difficult is that?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Very, very difficult. Nearly impossible, right? Again, unless. Unless. And again, I'm only talking from. From my experience. I was one of the most decorated, competitive ballroom dancers coming into the show, and I was trash my first season. Your first season, because there's so many other elements at play and. And we'll get to those elements. But yeah, it's very challenging because a lot of it rides also on the. On the partner that you get, the celebrity partner and your compatibility.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And a lot of it is in the moment. You know, you got to pivot and especially when you meet your celebrity partner. And I think it's really hard to do when you don't have the context of going the full distance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You don't have the experience of what are my options when it comes to pivoting. And then the other thing is you got to have experience teaching.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

As well. Not just performing, not just choreographing for another pro. You got to have the experience of dissecting the information and really conveying it to another adult and, and. And being able to communicate to. To a whole plethora. Of adults, not all adults are. Are made the same and learn the same. And so these are all the different nuances that come with experience. And I don't think that's just reserved for the. The ballroom dance world. I think that's. That goes for every single profession you pursue. It's all about experience.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, absolutely. Getting those 10,000 hours before you really feel like, all right, I'm. I'm a pro in this. I'm an expert in this now.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Totally. Because then you also got to earn another 10,000 hours on TV, doing TV. Right. So this show combines both your ability to be a dance professional and you're. And you're also stepping into show business, and those are two different things. A lot of the skills are obviously transferable, but you gotta. Again, you gotta start from beginning. You gotta have the humility to do so, and you gotta learn.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. So you mentioned that you are familiar with a lot of the contestants on the show.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

How many did you know before watching this first episode? And how did you know them?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

There's only. There's only, like, two that I didn't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And. And again, there's degrees in which I've. I know them, but Alan, I've known the longest, and I feel like most. Not in an intimate way, but I'm saying, like, intimately in the sense that I. In the closest proximity. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Selena is another one, you know, But. But from a completely different angle. Selena's somebody I've seen grow up as a convention superstar. I don't want to say convention kid, because she's an extraordinary talent.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Superstar in the. In the contemporary jazz, you know, and now translating into commercial work. But, man, her. Her range is just crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But a complete rook when it comes to ballroom dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ballroom dance. Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But again, some of those things are transferable. And so we'll get into the nitty gritty of the show, and I'll talk more about those things. But, yeah, I mean, again, our show has now evolved to be, in a little bit more than just a strictly ballroom dance show, but at the core is still partnering and elements that you can't just dismiss.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. You can't just gloss over that.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah. That's why I love Shirley. I love Mark as well, and all the mentors that come in to give their feedback. But I think Shirley really, really hits on those points.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. She. Focus. She tells you right off the bat how important technique is to her. I'm gonna run through some of the contestants. All of the contestants. So for Our dear listeners, I'm sure you've watched the show by now, but we have Benji, who was a top seven finalist on season 16 of so youo Think youk Can Dance.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Okay, so this is the one that I wasn't familiar with.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, you did not know Benji. Yeah. Alan, who you mentioned, he's a ballroom instructor and a professional dancer out of San Jose. Selena. Again, the other person you mentioned, she's very cool. She was one of the dancers in the iconic Gap commercial with cat's eye to milkshake by Khalees. It was a viral sensation and now she could be the next ballroom pro. We have Natalie. Her Instagram bio reads 8 time US National Champion, 6 time UK Open, 4 time International and 4 time World Smooth champ. Which sounds. All of this is very impressive to me.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it is impressive.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's quite a bio. Mine says like if your Meemaw had TikTok or something. And then there's Eric, who's an LA based ballroom and Latin dancer who has competed and appeared on TV numerous times. Nina, a professional dancer who also owns the atelier at Vibe in Philadelphia, which is a dance clothing line that includes practice wear, competition attire, shoes and pro tanning supplies.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yes. Nina, with the ad.

[Danielle Fishel]

We love an entrepreneur pro dancer.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, listen, we're all entrepreneurs. This is all we're. It was self employed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Self employed, Exactly. We're all self employed. Keep. Keep them coming. Get. Get these trademarks going. And then Jake, no stranger to the Dancing with the Stars universe, he appeared on Dancing with the Stars juniors back in 2018, which I judged. Yes. A lot of pros started on juniors, right?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You mean as the kids?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Or the. The mentors.

[Danielle Fishel]

The mentors.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Well, yeah, no, there's a lot of our pros. Well, they were. Haley was pros, but the kids. Yeah, yeah. Haley, Riley and Jake.

[Danielle Fishel]

And Jake. Yeah. And potentially Jake over here. Then there's Briar, who is a former World of Dance competitor and a bit of a social media star. She has over a million TikTok followers already, which would really help you on a show if there was voting. But her TikTok followers can't really help her in this situation. But it is cool that she already has a following.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Super cool. And she's so sweet and I give her so much props. You know, these are the people that I really want to champion. Because you don't have anything to lose putting yourself out there ever.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, correct.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But it is incredibly vulnerable that she's putting herself out there and is working so Hard.

[Danielle Fishel]

It feels like you have a lot to lose.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

That's the.

[Danielle Fishel]

You feel like that. Even though I agree with you, the. The more risks you take, the better the rewards are. Tenfold.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, no, totally. Everything you just said, but. But I just want to champion that even more so that spirit that she is pursuing something that isn't her skill set while she has an elite skill set somewhere else. And she's putting that not aside. But she's so passionate about this goal that she set for herself. I just love the way she pursues it. And she's doing it right and she's doing it with dignity, and I really admire that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, you're right. Because it would be so much easier to just be like, oh, I don't know how to do that. But watch how great I am at this. Instead of being like, I'm going to put myself in. I'm not the top dog. I'm still gonna pursue it and I'm gonna give it my all. We have AJ A former Britain's Got Talent semifinalist who was a pro on Strictly Come Dancing, which is the British version of Dancing with the Stars. For our dear listeners who are not

[Val Shmerkovsky]

familiar, that's the original show. We were actually. Yeah, we. We bought the rights to that show and spun it off in America.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And made it better.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, I. I don't think you're. I don't think you're talking out of turn. And then we have Tristan, a dancer slash choreographer out of Atlanta. He specialize and ballroom. A combo that could come in handy on the show or at least on social media during the season. You know, having that, like, hip hop background, being able to do fun. Totally different tiktoks.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Totally. And Tristan. So Tristan's someone I know very well because Tristan has managed and taught at my Dance With Me studio in Bucket, Atlanta. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you're his boss.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I technically. Tristan took some time off for this job.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, did you get that? Did you run that by hr?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I tried to prove it.

[Danielle Fishel]

How cute is that?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It was so funny. I was on tour and, yeah, our general manager called me. He was like, do you know about a show? Tristan wants some time off because he said he made it to. He's doing a TV show. You know what's funny is I would have thought it was outrageous, like a day ago, but yesterday we got a call that there's a spin off happening. And yes, there is a show. I cannot believe he made the top 10. That's incredible. Yeah. And I was like, of course we got. He's got to go do it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, that's so great.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, no, he's. He's a really awesome young man. Again, being a teacher is not an easy craft. And at a young age especially, you know, he committed himself to being of service to others through dance, and he's built an amazing student body in Atlanta. He's done a great job running that studio. So I love Tristan. I am so happy that he gets to experience this. This isn't his forte. Once again, just like Briar, you know, he's really good at other things, but he is very committed to Marin and he wants to do a great job.

[Danielle Fishel]

We have Stephanie, who is current pro Ezra Sosa's sister. She's an incredible dancer who did appear on season 33 on Troupe and is already a bit of a dance star herself. She most recently appeared with Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So good.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Now she's again, I just. Looking at the Rocks roster, I'm like, you know, she's one of the most qualified, I think, for the job. Obviously, she already had troop experience. Yeah. But she's also excellent. Got a great look, got a great personality.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah. And Adele, a professional dancer and teacher from Los Angeles. Hello. I know. Is it me?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Is it you? No. Yes. Excuse me. Go ahead.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, don't ever excuse.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Well, I just interrupted you.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're here for the good looks and the jokes. Yes. Now, Val, if you were a judge on this show, what would you say? You know, when the. When Robert looks to you and says, val, what are you gonna be looking for? What would you say I would be? Rob.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I'm still not over last season, to be honest.

[Danielle Fishel]

You got a bone to pick with

[Val Shmerkovsky]

what am I looking for? I. What am I looking for? I mean, there's a reason why I'm not a judge on that show. I mean, first of all, I'm looking for your. You know, you. It. It's. It isn't fair sometimes. And I don't want to, you know, sound the wrong way, but, like, if you ain't got it, there's no way you're going to teach it, you know? And so, like, I'm looking for if you got it right. Right. What is that? What is that? Your understanding of the fundamentals. Right. And the fundamentals start with technique. This is a dance that is really much built from the ground up. The style, it's really about the. The connection of your feet and legs to the ground and. And all the hips and body that you see created. It's all Manufactured from your relationship to the floor to the ground. Yeah. Whether you see, again, there's different textures throughout the different styles, but all of them start with your relationship to your legs and to the floor.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And then obviously your relationship to music and all these other things. But again, that's why you hear Shirley constantly talk about the legs. Legs and feet. Legs and feet. Because there's a certain quality that you. When you watch our pros, you know, Daniela or. Or Jan or any of our pros, there's certain quality in that technique that, you know, that creates that velocity. I told you can't create that velocity if you don't have that quality in your range of motion.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

So for me, that's like. That's like big. Now, that varies. You know, you could have that quality. That doesn't have to be your biggest attribute, but it's gotta exist. It can't just be like, you're all personality, you're all feel good, that's great. But like, I'll enjoy you on another show. Like, if we're looking for the qualities for this show, there's certain, like, not. I don't want to say boring qualities, but there's certain quintessential qualities that have to be there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Have to be there. Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And so that it starts with. With technique. How sound are you with your ballroom dance technique?

[Danielle Fishel]

Shirley is thrilled to hear you say it, that's for sure. Let's jump into the show. We open with a beautiful drone shot of Australia. Robert Irwin, current Dancing with the Stars champ, is standing on what I have to assume is the highest peak of Australia. Looks like one step and he's going to fall to his death. Before we get too deep into this, I just want to say up top, Robert Irwin is an international treasure. Val, do you love him as much as I do? Even though he did technically put you in second place this season 34 of Dancing with the Stars.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, I ran into the Irwin. Yeah. No, I think he is extraordinary. Right. Like, again, he leads with his. As do all special people. They lead with just their authentic aura and just his energy and his enthusiasm for what he's doing. And typically I see that enthusiasm in regards to nature and animals, to see that enthusiasm translate into a real. And now he has the experience. A real fan of dance, ballroom dance in particular. Again, I'm just proud. I'm proud to have someone like that as special as that, you know, really champion the thing that I love so much.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. He is the perfect host for this.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And again, especially with. With those kids I think he. I just think that it's very intimidating to. To go out there and perform in front of a Shirley or a Mark or whoever else is sitting there. I like that he's a bridge that eases that. That gap.

[Danielle Fishel]

Totally. And he is so real and authentic, even though he is international celebrity. Robert Irwin. When you're face to face with him, he. He makes them feel like a peer. He doesn't, you know, he doesn't feel like international celebrity.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah. When you stare him in the eyes, it feels like a hug.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's a. Every single time I'm telling you, to know him is to love him. We get a little montage of our contestants in rapid manner with a reminder of what is on the line. We also get a quick rundown of some of the pros we are going to see stop by at some point. And once our opening credits come to a close, the contestants meet Robert. And Robert meets the contestants. He quickly informs them whatever close connection they have with Dancing with the Stars now means nothing. I guess we're looking at you, Stephanie. He then introduces our judges, Shirley and Mark Ballas. And I think it is worth noting that Mark does the little Gen Z heart symbol. He does it so fluid and so fast. He just walks out and immediately knows how to do that heart. And I had to practice this about 75 times before you got here, just in anticipation of doing it today. Do you know how to do that?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It gives me the ick. That heart.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, sorry. I just did it 75 times.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

The old school potato.

[Danielle Fishel]

You like the one that looks like a potato?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, that's more of my vibe.

[Danielle Fishel]

Potato heart.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But I'll forgive him. I'm gonna make sure you're gonna get over that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, Shirley says she is expecting technical excellence and the ability to cope with extreme pressure. Mark wants to see imagination and heart that can stun the TV audience, not just an expert, which I feel like it would be easier to stun the audience more so than to stun an expert, but.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Oh, totally.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. But I think maybe he means that emotion that you can feel. Cause sometimes I think the audience doesn't necessarily know what they're looking for.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No, but again, I mean, first of all, dance is a vehicle to connect. So he's right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Ultimately, the technique is there to support your ability.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

To tell a story, to connect, to express yourself, to. To showcase the music. When I say I want technique, I want not. Because that is a challenge. I want you to. To. To tackle is. Because without that, you're just not equipped with the tools that can give you the ability to perform on the level that you can. So it's, you know, one of my teachers said, like, technique is not there to get in your way of performance and creativity or artistry. Technique is there to enhance it and give you the tools to be able to do all those things right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Robert reveals that every week's challenge will be led by the people who know Dancing with the Stars better than anyone. And that is the pros. So for episode number one, number one, they are gonna be getting their marching orders from the one and only four time Emmy winner and a six time mirrorball champ, Derek Hough. And right off the bat, we get some of that BBC ABC Hulu Disney magic. Because Derek doesn't just walk in to the ballroom. He puts on a dramatic, impressive performance alongside a partner who is wearing some very familiar orange fringe pants. I love those fringe pants.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Everybody does.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're just the best. Are those the pants Alex wore?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Those are like. What was that movie? The Traveling Pants?

[Danielle Fishel]

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

That's what it feels like with these French pants.

[Danielle Fishel]

Honestly, all the costumes are a little Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. My costumes for a couple times in the show, just said Emma's name in the boob, and then it'd be crossed out, and then it would have someone else's name in.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It literally looks like one of those trees at the park with the. With the girlfriend. Boyfriend. Hearts. Cause I see my shirt's also Gleb crossed out. Alan crossed out. I'm like, how does this even fit me?

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. The crossout is aggressive too. It's like a. Huh? It's like, okay, I guess I don't exist in this shirt anymore. Val, how would you describe Derek when it comes to the dance floor?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Dramatic.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah. Flair for the drama.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I mean, he's excellent. You know, again, that exuberance and that flair is only. It only exists because of years of work into his foundation and mechanics and technique and, you know, the fact that he was able to choreograph a piece on a partner that was in Australia and do so in like two days. You have to tap into that toolbox to do so. So anyway, I'm not even going to champion this technique. Obviously, he knows what he's doing. He's incredible. Yeah. And I. I love that performance. And again, that's. It's very vintage Derek Hoff. And also, it's perfect for the kids to see because that is the standard.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, ultimately, obviously, you got to find your individuality but that is the standard, right? Yeah. You know, kind of the Michael Jordan of. Of our world, at least the Dancing with the Stars world. Not just in his accolades, but also in just the body of work. Because there's a lot of people that win, but it's how you win. And. And with. What kind of. Of work do you win with? And so, you know, I have incredible respect for all the work that he's produced. And he's also, you know, there's some work that he didn't win with that. Right. In my eyes, were also winning couples. So he's. He's the. He's the standard. Yeah, for sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

He gets into the first challenge, which will be all about technique, which brings a big smile to Shirley's face. So the boys are going to be paired up to dance the jive. Girls are going to be paired up to dance the samba. And Derek will also be at rehearsals giving advice, which they are advised to listen to, because at the end of the episode, they will have a dun, dun, dun, dun, double elimination.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Right off the bat.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right off the bat. I know. Which is exactly how it is. Well, I guess on Dancing with the Stars last season, everyone goes through the first week, and then the second week, two of you are gone.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

That's probably, like, an agent. Favorite nations, like, negotiation. Like, bro, no one's signing up. If they're gonna be a little. Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

If they're gonna. Everyone can say I made it to at least week two.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Exactly. Like, don't worry about who got eliminated week one.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's not important. So one guy and one girl will be going home. But before the competition heats up, they are sent off to see their new digs because, in case you forgot, they're also going to be living together. They are staying in a sprawling mansion that also has bunk beds.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

So cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Such a beautiful place. Right?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Love island meets Dancing with the Stars. That's crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's exactly what it felt like.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I loved it.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was amazing.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

They never put me up in a mansion.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, you've never been in a mansion because of Dancing with the Stars?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No. Well, I don't think so. I have to remember to go back.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean. No, you're right. The Hulu Get Real event.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's in a gorgeous mansion.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, you don't get to live there.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No, no. And it felt like it was. It was. Had really great amenities, too.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think so. Although I was a little confused by the bunk beds. I get it. They want them all together all the time. But I'm like, you have this huge. What are we doing with all the other bedrooms?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Right. No, it's a cool twist. I think it also reveals them in a. In a more. Again, just a more relaxed, laid back space, which. Which also is a great look into the process. Right. Like, so much work happens at home.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Even on our show. You know, even, like. Like, we obviously work in the studio and we rehearse and all this stuff, but we go home and we stress and torment ourselves about the creative choices all the time. So. So the fact that we get to kind of see that part with the kids, I love that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's pretty great. We just recently did the Dancing with the Stars tour together. And so although I was not on your bus, we do know what it's like to live with people in close quarters. So it did make me wonder if

[Val Shmerkovsky]

you had what their fridge looks like. That's what made me wonder.

[Danielle Fishel]

What does their fridge look like?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, I have a policy. I mean, my bunk mates got really not frustrated, but, you know, they had to address this issue with me one

[Danielle Fishel]

time about your fridge habits.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

My. My habits are like, if it's in the fridge, it's our food. Oh, you know what I mean? If it got your name on it, then you made the effort. I won't touch it. But if it doesn't have a name on it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. So, like, if somebody makes something and then puts it in a Tupperware container and puts it in the fridge, if they don't have their name on it, you're opening that up and eating it for lunch.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Well, the Tupperware kind of.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Puts the name on it for itself.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I mean, it's in the Tupperware.

[Danielle Fishel]

What did you eat that somebody was mad about?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

My munchie game is crazy. Everything.

[Danielle Fishel]

Snacks, snacks.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It's mostly snacks.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I'm not gonna touch your leftover meal.

[Danielle Fishel]

But it's the.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Unless it's wings.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Or pizza, I will microwave the pizza and eat it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you don't like cold pizza?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Not on the bus.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Not on the bus.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But anyway, yeah. Somebody had to be like, bro, I was saving that dessert. I said, no, no, no. It's fair game. You gotta watch.

[Danielle Fishel]

It feels like that came from Jenna. Jenna's a dessert person.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It came from a few people. It was like an intervention. They sat me around.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sit down, Val.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, we gotta talk soon.

[Danielle Fishel]

So it made me wonder if you had to pick someone other than your lovely wife Jenna, someone from the current cast of Dancing with the Stars. Who would you be roommates with?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Brandon.

[Danielle Fishel]

Brandon.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Cause in this episode, we find out just how small the pro dancer community is when we find out that Alan and Nina were even roommates at one point.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

You guys all know each other?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Oh, totally. Well, so Alan and Nina. Well, Alan resigns. I don't know. I. I don't know since when he's been in. In the Bay Area, but he grew up in Philly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And I. I think she's also from the South Jersey Philly area.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

So they, you know, they. And you can see it in the pictures. They've known each other since they were teenagers and kids, so. So, yeah. It is a small world. That's why I keep talking about how great it is that, you know, it's being broadcasted into the world.

[Danielle Fishel]

The dancers then get to see their rehearsal space for the first time, which is beautiful. And then the dancers are joined by Derek to break down what is expected for week one. They are split up into pairs. And these are the pairs we get. We have AJ And Jake, Briar and Stephanie, Eric and Tristan, Adele and Nina, who also appear to know each other and have some interesting history. Alan and Benji and Celeste and Natalie. And Derek jumps right into work the way only Derek can. Jumping in with the women and whisking, it was like whisk. Immediately, I thought it was so great. When it comes to the samba, what should contestants know?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You hear the word bounce a lot. So the action of maintaining that continuous bounce, and then again. But that's kind of the. The foundation, and then you build different rhythms. And I mean, it's a dance inspired by the Carnival from Brazil. So a lot of shimmies and shakes and rhythms. Again, it's all about the rhythms that you create in your body.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Colorful.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Very colorful. Fringe pants.

[Danielle Fishel]

Orange fringe pants. Perfect for the samba. For this challenge, Derek explains that each pair's performance will feature a solo section that they will choreograph on their own and a side by side section choreographed by Derek. And then over with the boys. Derek finishes out day one with the jive. What do people need to know about the jive?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, it's so funny that those are the two dances, because the jive also has a bounce like feeling to it, but completely differently and with a lot more rebound, if you will, especially in the legs and kicks and flicks and stuff like that. But again, it's a dance inspired by the rock and roll era. So you have a lot of. You have touches of the Charleston and the Lindy in there. But. But just like the music inspires it. It comes from 50s rock and roll. And so the movement is. This is the only dance that is native to America. Right. So this is the born in. In. In America, if you will, from, you know, the, The. The rhythm and blues of. Of the music that comes here. Other Latin styles, they all come from.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, we enter rehearsal day number two. The contestants are hard at work with their side by sides, but focus now on their solo pieces, which they will choreograph. A lot has been said over the past year about how much traditional, old school ballroom experience, how much of that should a pro have coming onto the show? But it also seems like attention on TikTok and keeping up with modern trends is just as, if not even more important. Exactly. Looking at you, Haley, I'm looking at every.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Everybody born after 2000 and whatever, you know, it's like. But yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So where do you. Where go going into season 35 of Dancing with the Stars? Where do you stand on that? How much do you think in your mind, if you had to break it down percentage wise, how important is it to be hip and modern and in with the kids of the TikTok? And how much of it is that old school ballroom experience?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

To me, I use that as a common ground.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, I, I would put that in.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

If it allowed for it. Obviously. I wouldn't force it. Kind of. Yeah. It would be blasphemy in the rumba, if you will. And there's other genres that. That would just not sit well with. But I use that as. As. As a common ground with. With. With eyeballs that would otherwise never watch Dancing with the Stars or. Or ballroom dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, and so, yeah, it's silly, but that is what's familiar. And so I'll use familiarity to. To get you in and then I will feed you the excellence of ballroom dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But you got to get them in there somehow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Right. Because if it's just straight up ballroom excellence, you know, you might not. You might not have the same reception, but you got to meet them in the middle. And I do so with. With that. So it's a. It's a balance and, and it's a, It's a balance and act. It's got to be authentic to you as well.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Thankfully, I'm hip.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. You're just so cool.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I'm just one of the people.

[Danielle Fishel]

You have your finger on the pulse of cool no matter how old you get. You did just turn 40.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Thanks.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's okay. I'm 45, so we're over here. Just.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I don't look that age. No, you do not listening to this.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're not a day over 30. That's true. Derek gets some one on one time with Natalie and after checking out her samba, he wants to see more wildness and moments of energy. And she admits that her weakness is flexibility. So she's nervous.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, that was a weird comment that she made because I'm not sure if she meant flexibility. So all those accolades that you read off. Yeah, very much, you know, very deserving of, of those titles.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Because you never know. Sometimes I'm the world champion of, you know, the, the middle school Orange county affair.

[Danielle Fishel]

That would be what my bio says.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah. Like these are credible trophies that she earned.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

In the discipline of smooth and ballroom. I'm not sure if, if her excellence was in the Latin genre.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

So I think that's what she was trying to say is that, you know, she's more of a master of, of the ballroom craft.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But the Latin part, yeah, it was a little charm, but I thought she nailed it. I mean, she definitely again, wasn't as expressive and, and, and, and wild as she could have been. But I, I didn't think that that was the weakest samba quality.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Of the episode, for sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, next we stop by Breyer's practice and she admits she's only been doing ballroom for two years, but she has over a million followers online. So here is that dichotomy we're talking about in the flesh. Derek sees her routine and wants her to find that heel. But overall, he is impressed with what he's seeing, especially with a hard dance like the samba. And for the guys, he's looking for some sharp kicks and flicks. And he starts off with Tristan, who flubs immediately forgetting his routine in front of King Derek. And I, it felt I was, I wanted to hide for him. Like what? That is such a nightmare feeling to have your mind just go completely blank.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I mean, that would, you know, when your mind goes blank, if you get enough reps in, then your body takes over.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And that's, that's what's so important about practice.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And so I'm not gonna say that he didn't practice enough. I don't know if that was even available to them.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Obviously he's in over his head in a lot of ways. It is a lot of pressure with Derek coming in. But yeah, I think that was just an intense amount of fear slash uncertainty of like what is the movement that I. Here's the thing about this is, like, as we build their solos, it's incredibly challenging for the male and female. And again, it's just, you know, it's also challenging for the female. But just the roles that we play when we ballroom dance. Yeah, we present our ladies. We kind of. We have to showcase in the masculine side of ballroom dance. The whole point is to the presentation of your partner as the receiver of that. You are more prone to being forward facing, if you will. Like, even when we stand side by side, the man stands in. We call the shadow position. And that's just, you know, we're side by side, but we're not actually.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, you're actually a little farther back.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I'm a half a step behind. Right. That's. That, to me, kind of really showcases what this whole thing is about, at least culturally or traditionally. And having said that, my long story short is that it's really challenging to. To build solo choreography in these dances, especially for the men, because as soon as you take away our partner, we don't know what to do.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're now. Yeah, exactly.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And so I think that was another challenge that older guys faced, obviously. But one of the reasons why Tristan was kind of like, stumped for, like, what other jive moves can I do in this moment of solo?

[Danielle Fishel]

Is there also more, a. More a bigger dichotomy between two dances other than hip hop and jive? I feel like on your own, you know, on your own, you're like, now do a jive solo. If. When. I don't know. Jive to me seems very staccato and not a whole lot of like.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, like, Michael Flatley would really translate into jive more than, like, correct. Like a crumper or something.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Totally.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, overall, Derek is not feeling too impressed with the guys. He thinks they don't understand the gravity of the solo moment. And the boys are shook by this news.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Again, he visited the boys at least. Least the. The order of which on the episode was after the girls.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And like I said, I think when it comes to solo impact, the girls just have more in their toolbox to. To use and play with traditionally than. Than the boys. And I think. Yeah, I mean, I'm not making excuses for them, but yeah, he definitely felt a different. He came out right from there where they're, you know, samba ing it up. Yeah, they got the skirts and the hair and the, you know, the energy. And then the boys were like, what do I do with my arms?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right. What do I do with my arms? So that night, the contestants, especially the boys, rehearse all through the night, right up to the big day. We see costumers and makeup artists getting them all ready while Mark, Shirley and Derek take their seats in a traditional judges table formation. And soon after, Robert welcomes them all, now in full costumes, to the battleground and reminds them one girl and one guy are going home. He wishes them luck. And the first pair up are Eric and Tristan. Eric and Tristan perform the jive to a version of Apartment by Bruno Mars. And what was your feeling on our first look at the contestants put on their dance?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Can I check my notes?

[Danielle Fishel]

Of course you can check your notes. I love a podcaster who takes notes.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I mean, I didn't want to, but I was like that.

[Danielle Fishel]

You got an email?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I got an email. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I said. I said Eric, so sound great. Look, you can tell he's. He's really got quality Tristan. Good energy, fun to watch, but looks. But lacks the quality. I think that's necessary. So, yeah, I mean, again, because there is no partner to. To create that, like, full, full body partner jive.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I think they did some partnering, but for the most part it was side by side, which again, just lends itself to direct comparison.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, and so I think, like I said, Tristan came through. He did. I think he did like a back handspring. He did some tricks, which again, always translate on our show, on any show. People love that. And it's hard and it should be.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Impressive. Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It definitely should get the cred. But again, that's. That's the cherry on top of a cake that has to look like quality ballroom dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And you just saw that in Eric. Eric to me, first, first, like, impression. I could see that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Like, I could see that on our show. I could see that with our fans. I like his energy. I like his swagger. Like he's understated. Again, I yet to see the show. Maybe he's an awful person, but hopefully not. His first impression has been like, quality in the craft and then also looks like a quality person in the room.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. I thought it was very impressive to have just seen Tristan go blank face where he was like, I don't know what I wanted to show you. And I thought what I saw was very impressive. So even if, you know, I mean, the difference between him not knowing what to do, the working all night very clearly paid off for him, in my opinion.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Totally, totally. And that's what I was gonna just piggyback and say, yeah, that looked like practice.

[Danielle Fishel]

The practice overnight.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And we also at this point then get to see that the fellow contestants and Robert are going to watch on and cheer from another room via the tv. So you're also aware that everyone's watching. And then also benefiting, being that in this situation, at least for this episode, the dancers, all the boys are dancing the jive and all the women are dancing the samba. So every piece of advice those judges are giving about what they're looking for, if you get to go last, you have the benefit of hearing that feedback. No, too late. You can't change it.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

We have a phrase in Russian. It's like. It's a very, very depressing phrase.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, I can't wait to hear it. If you don't have potatoes, you will die. Is that it?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No. It's like the smirt in the dishes is like, if you're gonna die, the death was gonna be a part of it. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Of course. Honestly. Because if you don't know the ultimate, you know, what are you doing? But you know you can't. Doesn't matter how many breaths you take. If death comes here, you could just breathe all you want, but you're dead. You're dead anyway. Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

So I love it. It's beautiful.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, it really inspired me as a young man.

[Danielle Fishel]

I feel great.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But basically what I'm trying to say is it's too late.

[Danielle Fishel]

Too late.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

At that point, if you're starting to run with these advice, then you're just gonna to complicate your own performance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, that's a good point. I. Maybe I should have learned from that. So once they are finished, Derek tells them it was a major improvement from rehearsal. And his eyes go to Tristan in the side by side. He wants to see more risk from Eric. Shirley was impressed mentioning Eric's fantastic posture. But she didn't think Tristan had enough jive in his solo. Mark says he's conflicted cause he loves the jive, but he also likes breaking the rules, which I know firsthand. Mark does have a, you know, bit of a reputation for being kind of a rule breaker, which I always love, honestly. But he thinks Tristan could have benefited from some more jive. And he also thinks Eric made may have made it look too easy.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Have you ever thought that by looking at someone like, I wish it looked more. I wish that dance looked more difficult for them?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No, I think he. He said it made it look easy. I would say sometimes things can look a little too polished. Right. Especially in the jive again with the essence of rock and roll. There's a looseness and a wildness to it that you need, and I think that's more of what the sentiment was that makes sense. Was that like. Like you were so clean and polished, but I felt nothing because this dude was not clean and polished. Just got. I think Mark even mentioned is like, yo, my eyes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Still going to Tristan.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what he said.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Because there is strength and imperfection as well. Right. So, again, I don't want to promote ignorance, but the difference between, you know, creativity and ignorance is knowing the rules and then choosing to break it, not. Not knowing them at all. And so I'm not gonna give that much credit to Tristan. I think he was breaking rules that he didn't know he was breaking. But like I said, that lack of perfection, but the energy. Yeah. Made a bigger splash for those judges than Eric's, like, perfectly nailed.

[Danielle Fishel]

That makes sense. It definitely seemed like Tristan's had more of his personality.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Well, he had.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Put more of everything in there into it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Especially after the feedback from the day before. So overall, a very positive response. Next up we have.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But again, I think both did their thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

In their own separate ways. Like I said, it's also very challenging to dance side by side, especially in the job.

[Danielle Fishel]

And kind of a perfect way then of doing the first episode where you have to eliminate one male and one female, put them side by side.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Oh, the producers are just geniuses.

[Danielle Fishel]

Geniuses. Next up, we have AJ and 22 year old Jake dancing the jive to a cover of what I Like about you.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you want to check your thoughts again on this one?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

This was Jake.

[Danielle Fishel]

Jake and AJ and AJ. Jake and AJ.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

AJ's. AJ is my favorite. Quickly, Jay. Good, clean, versatile. You can see he has other styles in his repertoire. Aj, great quality, great look, I thought. But he did a great job. It was crisp and he ended really strong. Yeah. Because again, the format, for those of you that didn't watch it is. Is one comes in, does a solo, then the other one comes out. They decided side by side, and then the second one finishes it off with the solo. That's why I said his. His finish was very strong. Again, aj, you. You could just. You could just tell.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, it's just there's certain for anybody that pursues any sort of sport or. Or some sort of. Of craft that. That includes their bodies, understands those tiny nuances that you could tell when someone has done this for a while versus not. And that doesn't mean that that's the only thing that's important. But you could just tell when someone has sound technique versus a little weaker than that. So I thought. AJ's. AJ nailed it. Jake. Jake is awesome. Again, he did Dancing with the Stars Juniors. He is authentically that. That He's a wonderful young man. Yeah. Yeah. And again, we're looking for the next young star, so I guess it all lines up. He felt a little too young.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

For me. I don't even know, again, if I'm casting for the show. You know, when I said Eric, I could see that. Yeah, Jake felt just. Yeah, he. But, yeah, he felt again, 22. But he felt like 22 going on to 18.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

There's. There's. I think Adele is 22 as well.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, so it's. It's not about.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's not about the age. Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It's just. Again, your tone. But. But he's got a bright future. Again, we're just talking about a pro for Dancing with the Stars. We're not talking about Billy Elliot on Broadway. Like, he's a star.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

We're talking about, can he be a pro? On Dancing with the Stars, Derek says,

[Danielle Fishel]

once again, this was better than their rehearsal. But he does think it lacked oomph and energy and that they danced a little below the music. Mark tells AJ there will be more pressure on him now than his prior time on Strictly. He says there are killers on the show now, like a guy named Val Shmerkovsky.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Come on, Mark. Pandering. Pandering to your boy. Yeah, but he's right. There are killers on our show. And I'm like, just. This concept is also fun because, again, we get to mentor these kids into that role. But then I just want everybody to be aware that once we get into the major leagues, like, oh, yeah, it's a different pace, and it's a different approach. And to quote Mark Ballas, we're going for the neck. Yeah. It's a competition, just like you said. So can you compete with that for ferociousness? Yeah, that. You know, he mentioned my name, but I'm gonna mention his name right back. Like, And. And. And so on down the list. Like. Like I said, you know, it's. It's a tough arena to be in, so you gotta really bring it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Shirley says that Eric was a little off when it comes to musicality, and AJ needs to take some risks. And then it's Benji and Alan who are dancing to the Weeknd's blinding lights. Alan, to me, seems like A star. I just. I thought. I thought it was great. Did you have any thoughts?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

This is Alan and Alan and Benji. Benji, yes. Yeah, No, I. Alan. I would say Alan has the most experience and the most, like, he's definitely the most refined when it comes to, like, what you're looking for. Yeah, he's very emotionally available, which is fun to watch. He's got the mechanics and all the. All that stuff, and he has experience. I mean, again, he's. He's done a lot of shows, he's performed in a lot of. Of spaces. You know, big audiences, small audiences. He's really put in the work. You know, like, this is a guy that's. That's really put in the work. Yeah, so. And it looks that way. He looks very ready for the opportunity.

[Danielle Fishel]

Mark called it the most dynamic performance so far. He loved the technique. And Shirley said she got goosebumps during the dance and wanted to dance with both of them. She loves their energy, the relevant content, using the word's highest level in her industry. And Derek was left wanting to see more, which is the most you can ask for.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we got Benji.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I want to say shout out to Benji, too. I think he killed it in the job.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, totally.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I think this is. Yeah, he really shined in the jive.

[Danielle Fishel]

I liked the song choice a lot.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, they. They were great. And. And you could see that they're like. They had great chemistry together.

[Danielle Fishel]

They.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

They probably came up with that stuff very easily in the studio. And so, like, you just saw that. I think chemistry really translates on stage and in the lens as well. Yeah, we could see that when people really feel comfortable in each other's space, whether it's man, woman, man, men, whatever the case may be, you could see when people have chemistry. Yeah, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we're into the girls, starting with Selena and Natalie and their samba to Daddy Yankees Gasolina. What did you think of the first female performance? This was Selena and Natalie.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Selena and Natalie.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Shirley called Selena a superstar. She loved the fluidity of the tricks. She does note that Natalie needs to work on her flexibility, but was impressed by them both. Derek felt like Natalie kept it a little safe and as a result, seemed stiff. And Mark agreed. He wanted more of a wildness from Natalie, especially in the belly rolls. But he calls Selena fire and says he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I disagreed with the judges on that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, I think Selena is definitely a star. Yeah, she's got it. She just now needs to upload the Ballroom information. And she's gonna be. You know, she's got everything else.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

So. And you could see that right away.

[Danielle Fishel]

And you thought camera did a great job.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I just didn't think that Natalie was that underwhelming. I mean, again, like, they made it sound like her. Her technique was kind of, you. Not. Not technique was. But. But it made it feel like it was a lackluster performance. And I didn't. I didn't think it was. I thought that she did a good job. I thought that she was crisp and tight and had all that energy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I just think, again, yeah, you. You're dancing next to that other person, and that other person found camera. You know, they found the. The.

[Danielle Fishel]

The.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

A way to connect to those judges and also to. To the people watching.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

But those are little nuanced things. Like, that's why I said I think Selena and. And in general, as we're looking for the pro, like, performing arts is very important, and it's just as important as the. The. The mechanical excellence of ballroom dance. The performing arts. And so when you talk about performing arts, a lot of us ballroom dancers that just are technical ballroom dancers, we don't have experience in the performing arts. You know, I graduated in business and took statistics and math, and like, my arts was, you know, playing the violin. It wasn't to perform. And again, I just. I just had that energy about me, but it wasn't something that I studied in school.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I learned how to run track, metaphorically speaking, as far as ballroom dance is concerned.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Same thing for anybody. You know, it's about how much tighter, quicker, sharper, stronger you can do it than the guy next to you. Not about how much more personality you could showcase or. I mean, it is. It is. It's still a performance, but not to the degree that performing arts kids learn to perform and connect. Those are real mechanics involved. And so you could see like. Like, Selena comes from a background of performing arts, whether it's jazz, theater arts, ballet, hip hop, doshi, super bowl, mma, whatever she. She's done, you know, Whereas, you see, Natalie does not come from a world of performing arts. And at the end of the day, we are in the performing arts on the backdrop of ballroom, competitive ballroom dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

So it is a nuanced kind of little, you know, partner work that we're working with here.

[Danielle Fishel]

Second up, we had Briar and Stephanie, who danced to Mi Gente. And even before the music, Shirley had a note about her starting leg pose being incorrect.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

She was savage.

[Danielle Fishel]

I can't Even imagine what she was doing watching me last season. I literally was. The first thing I thought of was, oh my gosh, I'd love to be a fly. I don't wanna be. Actually. I would hate to be a fly on the wall at her thoughts of me last season. But maybe she was right because Briar slips in the beginning move, which is a tough way to start. She does pull it together. She gets through the routine. But Val, I mean, this has happened to everyone. Walk us through what happens when a mistake happens.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Mid routine, time slows down.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

It's interstellar is the Matrix.

[Danielle Fishel]

Matrix.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You are. You leave your body, you're like, are you crazy? You fly back into your body, you pick yourself up.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You keep going. You know, I talk to my celebrity, I partners on the show. I tell them, you got to have short, short term memory. You know, things happen. We could now we have a choice to either compromise everything else that's coming after that, or we could just. Just keep it moving. Right. And we could address that maybe afterwards if we want to. But in the moment, you just can't let that jeopardize the rest of the wonderful things that you can offer. Right. And there's ways to turn it around, definitely. So, yeah, I mean, shout out to her for. For trying. Yeah, yeah. Getting up and. And going for it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Mark does mention the slip, saying everyone slips. And he was impressed with how she gets up and kept going. He didn't love Stephanie's transitions, but he liked that she was locked in. Shirley doesn't like Briar's walk or stand. Her body needs to be a technical machine and suggests going back to the drawing board. She really liked Stephanie, however, and felt like she was right there in Brazil. And Derek says with the focus being on technique, he is concerned for Breyer. How did you feel overall?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Shirley's a savage. I love it. Superstar, by the way. I love every. Yeah. Anyway, yeah, it's just she ran. It's like the worst case scenario for, you know, like, if they did the jive, she would have shined a lot brighter. Yeah, they're doing the samba. There's really not that many acrobatics that you could add to a samba that you can. To the jive or the rum. Like, I just think that that couldn't have been a more challenging.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, definitely her. The hardest dance for her, that first dance. Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Because there's a certain quality to the balance. It's. It's also the ladies are not wearing French pants.

[Danielle Fishel]

Everyone needs some French pants.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Their Fellas do wear pants. So, again, it's not. It's not an equal playing field. So this constant, like, different challenges for. For men and. And women, different challenges. So. But that's one of them. Like, her legs are out there. You're doing the bounce. Right. Because again, you could do a ballroom dance and have a beautiful dress, and she. And the flowiness, her contemporary background, the range that she has elsewhere, and she would have smashed that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Especially in a solo moment. But the samba doesn't give you those things. And so you gotta really. Anyway, so. So it was hard. And I. I agree with them. I mean, again, like, everything I said about her is true. I. I give her so much props. The courage that it takes to put yourself out there in a different style on such a big stage. You know, she. She's doing the work backstage as well. Like, I. I know she's been taking lessons and she's been really pursuing this the right way. She's not just tapping. I'm a social media star. No, she's, like, put in the work, which. I love it. She just needs to keep going. It's. It's not there yet.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. What did you think about Stephanie?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

I mean, she killed it. Stephanie was excellent. And samba couldn't have been a better.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, exactly. So to have the two of them side by side.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, it wouldn't have been better for her. You know, obviously, as far as being a Latina and representing that and having the samba is kind of your jumping point. And she has the hair, the look, and the quality. So it was like. The quality is there. That's what I'm saying. That's baseline. You know, if you can't speak the language, then you're competing in the wrong show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

So you gotta speak the language. And then now. Now start reciting some poetry.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

And so, like, I think she has that. She. She knows the language and she. She had a lot of fun and did a great job. The last kind of transition on the floor was, I agree with Mark, a little weird, but it was awesome.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it was a choice.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, it was a choice, and she did a great job executing it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, finally we have Adele and Nina performing to Shakira and Wyclef's Hips Don't Lie. Derek loved Nina's connection with the audience. And in tradition with the Ferrari nickname, he gave Daniella, he calls Adele a Rolls Royce because she dances expensive. What does that mean exactly, to dance expensive?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

What are expensive things?

[Danielle Fishel]

Rolls Royces. Nice watches.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

What are some of the common ground between High quality. High quality.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Craftsmanship.

[Danielle Fishel]

Things you can't stop thinking about. Well, that's for me.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

She said status.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, like when I see something of great quality, like thinking specifically about a car, I will keep going back to it. Like, man, that car was beautiful. Man, that drove really well. Like, I keep being brought back to the thought of it because of how nice it was.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, it's a feeling as well. Right. The craftsmanship of an expensive bag. Yes. A lot of it is branding, but. But a lot of it is. Is the quality of the work and it will last you a long time. And so again, her quality is, is that it's so obvious and it's so incredible high level that you, you could see it. And I love that you can see it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Because that's important. Because otherwise she is what justifies all of this, you know, to, to a non ballroom dancer. Like what is she talking about? Techniques. Shirley talking about the leg or the foot play. Like seeing her. Ah, this is what you.

[Danielle Fishel]

When you do all those things, this is what it'll look like.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah. And then you could see it clearly why that's substantially different quality of doing that same dance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Well, Adele gets emotional at that comment from Derek and she is very thankful for getting this opportunity. Mark thought Adele was a killer, super fierce, an assassin. He loved Nina, but he did note that, that she was ahead of the music at times. And Shirley agrees with Derek about Adele and thought they were both amazing and she actually thinks they could learn from each other with their individual strengths.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah. I think Nina is, is. Is a great personality. She knows how to talk on camera. She, like, you know, she, you. You could tell. Yeah. But she grew up in the tri state New York area, so you know, she's going to talk a lot of smack. But where Adele is a little bit more reserved, but under that hood, obviously there's a lot of energy, a lot of. She's a powerhouse. I will say, you know, the tears come from. Yes. The acknowledgment, but also the opportunity to. To be validated on a bigger stage by a different set of eyes. Because the work is done in isolation.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

For many, many years. Like what you see there is a. Is a result of many, many years of no one really validating your work outside of yourself or at least in the sense of what we're talking about in this show. Right. Huge accomplishment. That's a validation of sorts. Right. To accomplish that. So the fact that she's here on this stage and getting that type of feedback, I Think it was overwhelming for her because for ballroom dancers, again, it's such a tiny world. We rarely have this type of exposure. So with Dancing with the Stars, obviously we get to a select. Few of us get to enjoy kind of the Mount Mount Rushmore of what you can do in show business. I love that these kids are feeling a bit of that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, Adele becomes an early favorite, but for now, the judges must eliminate one male and one female. So Shirley announces the bottom two women. Briar and Natalie are in jeopardy. And then Mark reveals the two men on the chopping block. Tristan and Jake. Would you have selected those same two males, two females?

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Mm.

[Danielle Fishel]

I felt like I knew. I thought that's what I would have picked based on what we saw. Based on, I thought. But that with my very limited knowledge, that's also what I would have selected.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, me too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I feel like they got that right.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

No, totally. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And now, cued by dramatic music, it's time to make the decision. Our first two eliminated dancers were Jake and Briar. The contestants hug their fallen comrades, and Robert gives them some of his signature words of encouragement. And then they say goodbye.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, that was. I will say, I mean, it's. It's a really well produced show. Yeah, it really is revealing of. Of the people that I'm watching. Like, I really got to know all

[Danielle Fishel]

of them, especially in just one episode.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah. And I know that I have some obviously background, a lot of them, but you can speak on that. You don't know them. And. No, I. I felt like, oh, man, I. I really got to know them. And. And they also allowed themselves to open up. You could see that they were all very open, very vulnerable, which, again, makes it very hard for them, but really fun for us to watch.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know, like you said, the fact that they were all willing, it seems as though they all are very aware of this. What a big opportunity and what is at stake.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Life changing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, truly life changing. And so it makes you want to. You're rooting for all of them. You're getting to know all of them. Truly an incredible job of getting to know not only 12 dancers someone like myself is completely unfamiliar with, but even if you are unfamiliar with Shirley and Mark and then whoever the rotating judge is, you have a lot of people to service. And I felt like I got to know every single one of them. I got a snippet, a taste of who they are. So there are now 10 dancers remaining going into episode two. Do you have. If you had to pick one favorite right now, do you have a favorite after episode one.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Not a clear.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not yet. Okay. Not a clear favorite.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Definitely Adele stood out.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, yeah, this episode was her

[Val Shmerkovsky]

shining came out flying out of the guys. There's a few, so I. I don't want to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

You know, there's like a tie for three. Three dudes, to me stood out quality enough. But again, there's still so much competition left and there are different challenges. And I think for challenge number one, there were some clear favorites, but that's

[Danielle Fishel]

just challenge number one.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah. So.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, everyone, that is episode one of stepping on toes. We will be here every Tuesday recapping the next pro. Ready to find out who will be joining the Dancing with the Stars cast for season 35. And in the meanwhile, if you want to come hang out with Val and me and like 50 of our friends like Pasha Pashkov, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagos, Whitney Levitt, Jojo Siwa, Ezra Sosa, Haley Bills, the list goes on and on. You can join us at Dancing with the Stars fan convention and live show July 31st through August 2nd in Palm Springs. There are limited tickets still [e-mail] thank you guys for joining us. This was so fun. Val, thank you.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

Yeah, yeah, dance star. If you want to come and tell me how awful I am on this podcast, you could do it in person at this con.

[Danielle Fishel]

What other chance do you have to do something like that? Thank you all for listening. We'll catch you next time.

[Val Shmerkovsky]

He's dribbling the ball with everything on the line. He's driving down the pitch. He's facing price hikes and cuts past him. Carrier contracts, tries to block him. Oh, he leaves him in the dark. He's at the edge of the box. He cuts past the non stop group chat, trash talk. He clears on goal.

[Danielle Fishel]

He shoots

[Val Shmerkovsky]

unlimited data for $25 a month. Forever.

[Danielle Fishel]

Visit your local Boost Mobile store today to get unlimited data with a price that never changes. Boost mobile after 30gb, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost $25 Unlimited plan.