‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros Dream Up Their Own Dedication Night Dances
Alan Bersten, Witney Carson, Daniella Karagach, Jan Ravnik and Ezra Sosa share their favorite moments of season 34 with The Hollywood Reporter, and which future themed episode they’re most excited for.
Tuesday night in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom is certain to be a heart-tugger, as each celebrity will pay tribute to an influential person in their life with a specially choreographed dance. It’s no secret that shining light on the show’s star-studded cast is the top priority of the series, but it’s time to shift a bit of that spotlight onto the professional dancers.
Week after week, the slate of pros spend countless hours choreographing new dances, teaching and training their partners in different ballroom styles and making sure that their celebrity feels supported in their journey on the competitive reality show.
While Dedication Night will see the celebrities pay tribute to someone special in their life, The Hollywood Reporter caught up with some of the dancers who make up Dancing With the Stars to see, if given the chance, who they’d devote their own heartfelt dance to.
Dedication Night also marks the midway point in season 34’s competition, and the interest in Dancing With the Stars is nowhere near slowing down. Below, five of the Dancing With the Stars pros dream up their own personal Dedication Night dances, reflect on their favorite moments of the competition thus far and which future themed episode they’re most looking forward to.
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Alan Bersten
Image Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles If I had the opportunity to choreograph my own Dedication Night dance, I’d dedicate my dance to “My brother. He has been my inspiration my entire life, I’ve always looked up to him, and he was my dance teacher growing up.”
The song I’d want to dance to on my own Dedication Night would be “I don’t know what song I’d want to dance to. To me, just getting a chance to dance with him would be amazing.”
My favorite moment of the season so far has been “Disney Night. Elaine Hendrix did such a great job with the quickstep, and her leaving everything on the stage makes me so proud. She is inspiring so many people.”
The next theme night I’m looking forward to the most is “Wicked Night. But I think I’m even more excited for the 20th year celebration. This show is so phenomenal and deserves to be celebrated!”
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Witney Carson
Image Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles If I had the opportunity to choreograph my own Dedication Night dance, I’d dedicate my dance to “My husband. He’s been truly the rock in our family. He’s my best friend and partner in everything I do. He’s so grounded, intelligent, selfless and cares deeply about our family. He’s the reason why I’m able to shine and share my talents with the world.”
The song I’d want to dance to on my own Dedication Night would be “‘Thank You’ by Ethan Hodges. Our wedding day was the best day of my life! The start of our future together. It was the start of making our forever family and starting our life together. Endlessly grateful.”
My favorite moment of the season so far has been “That very first dance Robert Irwin and I performed. There was so much anticipation with him being on the show, given his sister, Bindi, winning her season. It felt so good to come out with a bang and really start this very special journey together!”
The next theme night I’m looking forward to the most is “Halloween! I love a good dark and spooky dance routine. Those are always so fun to choreograph and to really get into character. The stories, the overall feeling of the night is always so entertaining and exciting!”
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Daniella Karagach
Image Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles If I had the opportunity to choreograph my own Dedication Night dance, I’d dedicate my dance to “My mom. She raised me on her own and took a chance on my dreams, watching every step of my dance journey come to life.”
The song I’d want to dance to on my own Dedication Night would be “‘I Hope You Dance.’ It’s my mom’s song to me.”
My favorite moment of the season so far has been “Watching Dylan Efron’s confidence as a performer grow.”
The next theme night I’m looking forward to the most is “If I get there … the freestyle.”
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Jan Ravnik
Image Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles My favorite moment of the season so far has been “Hard to choose because I’m new, and every day brings something unexpected. I’m constantly learning how the show runs, and each experience feels fresh and exciting. One thing is certain — this show is truly something special.”
The next theme night I’m looking forward to the most is “The finale because it’s freestyle. Jen Affleck and I have already talked about it, and there are so many ideas! We can mix different styles, and there are no rules, which makes it really fun. But I’m also super excited for the Halloween episode, especially because of the song choice and the style we’re doing.”
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Ezra Sosa
Image Credit: Disney/Andrew Eccles If I had the opportunity to choreograph my own Dedication Night dance, I’d dedicate my dance to “My mom. She’s been the glue of our family ever since we were kids. No matter what we were going through or how hard things got, she held us together. Even in the moments when life didn’t feel normal, she made it feel that way for us. Her strength, resilience and love are the reason my family stands as strong as it does today.”
The song I’d want to dance to on my own Dedication Night would be “‘For All We Know’ by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. It’s one my mom and I have always loved listening to together, and every time I hear it, I remember telling her that one day I’d choreograph the most beautiful routine in her honor.”
My favorite moment of the season so far has been “Choreographing my Dedication Night with Jordan Chiles and her dad. Working with the two of them brought something into dance that I didn’t even know was possible. This is the first time I’ve created a real emotional connection in a piece. Normally, I’m portraying the idea of a father figure, but this time, I got to witness a real story unfolding right in front of me.
“For me, this routine isn’t just about Jordan and her father. It’s also about acknowledging the father-daughter bond and how it reflects something I’ve been missing in my own life. In many ways, creating and performing this piece has helped me heal a part of myself by celebrating the love and stability I didn’t grow up with. So when people watch our Dedication Night dance, they’re not just seeing her story, they’re seeing how powerful those relationships can be.”
The next theme night I’m looking forward to the most “Was originally Halloween, but now I’m really looking forward to Wicked Night. I’m a huge Wicked fan, and with our song and style, it’s going to be a real technical challenge — but it’s a challenge I’m excited to take on. And I have to say, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night is also going to be a very special one.”
