The Dancing With the Stars Live! Tour brought the glitz and glam of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars TV show to Fox Theatre on Friday, Feb. 21. Fans of all ages filled the ornate lobby, dressed in bright colors and sparkles, emphasizing the original charm of the historic theatre.
Dancing With the Stars is a reality TV show available to watch on Disney+, and it recently aired its 33rd season. In the show, eleven professional dancers are paired with a celebrity to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy. Each week, the dancers prepare and teach a partner dance to their celebrity partner, and the teams perform at the end of the week at the Dancing With the Stars recording studio in Los Angeles. The three judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, rate each dance, and spectators at home vote for their favorite pair. At the end of each episode, one team is eliminated.
The TV show quickly attracted a mass following after its first season in 2005. However, because live viewing of the show was restricted, many spectators were not able to attend. In 2007, the franchise decided to bring the excitement of the show to its fans by creating a nationwide tour across the United States. Some of the celebrities featured in the show’s past season make appearances throughout the tour.
This year, actress Chandler Kinney, American Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher and TV personality and winner of the 33rd Mirrorball, Joey Graziadei, will make appearances on select dates. Stephen Nederoscik co-hosts the tour with professional dancer Emma Slater.
The show started shortly after 7:30 p.m., as Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Alan Bersten jumped out on stage. The crowd erupted with excitement and continued to roar as the rest of the professional Dancing With the Stars cast emerged. The dancers began a group dance to “Rush” by Troye Sivan and soaked up the spotlight without their celebrity counterparts until special guest Chandler Kinney was brought out on stage.
As a finale for the first number, American Olympic gymnast Stephen Nederoscik ran out on stage in a gilded suit. The crowd once again erupted in a frenzy of emotions. Dance partners Nederoscik and pro dancer Rylee Arnold began dancing in the bubbly, cheerful style that their fans fell in love with throughout the last season.
The show was full of fun and exhilarating dances, and many of the pro dancers shared their talents with the crowd. This was professional dancer Ezra Sosa’s first tour, so he was introduced to the crowd and given the opportunity to shine in a trio alongside Brandon Armstrong and Alan Bersten to the song “Vogue” by Madonna. The show lasted around two hours, packed with group and partner dancers of various ballroom-style dances.
The tour serves as a place for dancers and fans to connect in a way that is not possible during the regular Dancing With the Stars season. Professional dancers and celebrities have shared their love of touring because it gives them a place to dance without the pressure of being eliminated. The show was jam-packed with talented dances and exhilarating moments, giving Atlanta fans plenty of excitement, laughter and shared memories.