Earlier than this season of “Dancing With the Stars,” ballroom professional Witney Carson didn’t know who Danny Amendola was.
“I remember calling my brother and saying, ‘Yeah, I have some football player, his name is Danny Amen-something?’ And he was just like, ‘Are you serious, Witney?’” she informed HuffPost in a current interview. “They were all just losing their minds.”
One factor she did learn about getting paired with the onetime New England Patriots large receiver on the truth dance competitors present: It helps to have an athlete.
“They have a great track record on the show,” Carson stated of the athletes who’ve competed for the mirrorball trophy. “Their commitment and work ethic is so great. And that’s true to Danny. He’s very, very committed, he works extremely hard.”
Eric McCandless through Getty Photos
Amendola, a two-time Tremendous Bowl champ, isn’t the one athlete who’s made it far this season. Reaching the semifinals with him are gymnast Steven Nedoroscik and rugby participant Ilona Maher, together with actor Chandler Kinney and former “Bachelor” Joey Graziadei.
The soccer participant and Carson had a robust sufficient exhibiting out of the gate this season, scoring 20 out of 30 with a tango to “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey and touchdown in the midst of the leaderboard.
Carson stated it took a while to suss out Amendola’s dancing strengths.
“I really wanted to push how athletic he was” within the third week, she stated, when the pair danced a energetic jive to “Danger Zone” in a “Top Gun” homage and Amendola emerged as a severe contender.
The thrill across the pair solely grew louder the next week, after they delivered a transferring modern efficiency to “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors. The dance featured a raise the place Amendola pulled Carson up from the bottom by one leg, which went viral after followers on social media tried to re-create it.
Carson pointed to each dances as a turning level within the season when “people were actually able to really be wowed by [Amendola], with his strength and his storytelling.”
Now in her 14th season with one mirrorball below her belt, Carson is able to sort out any problem on the present — however she admitted the “instant dances” final week, the place every couple discovered the music and dance model they must do reside, made her “so nervous.”
Eric McCandless through Getty Photos
For Carson, not understanding the music forward of time was the toughest half.
“I didn’t know when it was going to end, where it was starting, all the musical cues that I’m so used to … I was having a very stressful week, and I think all the pros could agree with that,” she stated, including that she was “very proud” of all of the superstar contestants for getting via the dances.
Amendola, Carson stated, is “always very positive” relating to making ready for brand spanking new parts on the present.
We Want Your Help
Already contributed? Log in to cover these messages.
“It’s like, accept the challenge, love the challenge, and demolish it and go for it,” she stated. “And that’s how he approaches every situation.”
And the challenges will maintain coming: Heading into semifinals week, Carson and Amendola are making ready a Viennese waltz and a salsa in hopes of an opportunity to vie for the mirrorball trophy.
“Going into the semifinals, it’s a little bit more pressure for me as the choreographer, just to keep providing wow factors for everybody,” she stated. “I’m taking on the challenge like Danny kind of has instilled in my brain at this point and just really going for it because we really don’t have any other option. It’s really come down to the wire. Everybody’s very, very good. Anybody could go to the finale, anybody could win it, I think, at this point.”
“Dancing With the Stars” airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
