ABC’s Dancing With the Stars returned with its two-hour premiere Tuesday night, and one of the most iconic moments was a celebratory chest-bumping.
Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, 28, was one of this season’s new entrants. The 5-foot-10 athlete was paired with DWTS pro Alan Bersten this season.
They performed the cha cha together in their first dance of the season, which earned a score of 18.
Each judge – Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli – gave them a 6 for their first dance, leading to a celebration.
The dancers were so excited with their scores that they performed a now-iconic chest-thumping routine, which quickly became a trending topic on social media.
ABC’s Dancing With the Stars returned with its two-hour premiere Tuesday night, and one of the most iconic moments was a celebratory chest bump.
The dancers were so excited with their scores that they performed a now-iconic chest-thumping routine, which quickly became a trending topic on social media.
Maher was part of the U.S. rugby team that won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and was also a cover model for Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue.
She became a social media darling during the Games for promoting body positivity, and now she’s taking her talents to the ballroom in a bid to win the Mirrorball Trophy.
During her pre-dance performance, Maher said, “I’m used to running as fast as I can and punching someone in the face with my arm. While that helped me get my Olympic medal, I don’t usually let my wild competitive side out, because it’s like a bear on a chain inside me.”
“But I have a feeling Dancing With the Stars might unleash that,” she added before meeting her partner Alan Bersten.
“I’ve always liked having coaches who are tough on me. And he seems to be the right person to do that,” she said in a confessional.
When Alan asked her why she wanted to do the show, Maher, who weighs 200 pounds, said, “Well, I’m a very big, muscular woman, but I also feel very beautiful and feminine.”
She added: “I mean, you know, I grew up not feeling very comfortable, so now I want to make it easier for young girls to love their bodies.”
Alan said in confession that Ilona will have to “show finesse, rather than just all her strength,” as footage of their rehearsal was shown.
She added: “But I feel like Dancing With the Stars could unleash that,” before meeting her partner Alan Bersten.
Alan said in a confession that Ilona will have to “show finesse, rather than just all her strength,” as they showed footage of their rehearsal.
Each judge – Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli – gave them a 6 for their first dance, leading to a celebration.
All three judges were very impressed. Inaba told Ilona: “I love everything you do. And I know you were nervous about the way you stepped onto the dance floor. I know you were nervous. On that first move, you were a little bit ahead of yourself, but just like in rugby, you just go with the flow, don’t you?”
Hough said: ‘First of all, Ilona, I love watching you on this stage. You look good, my love. You really look good. You really look good. For me, knowing you from the outside, you’re so charismatic, you’re so funny, you have so much energy, I wanted to see that a little bit more in the dancing.’
She added: “I could feel a little bit of the nerves, the shyness, but you come from a sport that is all about impact, right? You can have impact in dance as well. Go out and dance with confidence, with all the confidence you have, and we want to see that on the dance floor. But really for a first dance, great job.”
Tonioli added: “Yes, dear, they are absolutely right. As a cha-cha-cha, it was very correct. But I tell you to go further. You are great, you are beautiful, let it all be bare and show them. Don’t be afraid! Never be afraid!”