Maher lifted her partner Alan Bersten and performed the traditional lift from the film.
Ilona Maher is having the time of her life.
The Olympic bronze medalist had the opportunity to meet the famous Dirty Dancing While making a salsa with Dancing with the stars Professional partner Alan Bersten. Maher and Bersten danced to the 1987 classic “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.
But everyone who has seen Dirty Dancing — and probably even many who didn’t — know that this particular song is accompanied by an impressive swing that Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) try to get right throughout the film.
Related: Olympian Ilona Maher wants to show that female athletes are “so much more than their sport” on Dancing with the stars
ABC
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten on “Dancing With the Stars”
Not to be outdone, Bersten and Maher introduced three lifts into their salsa routine. Bersten first lifted Maher into a somersault, which she then repeated and lifted him up, something fans online had been demanding since the song selection was announced.
Related: DWTS Judge Derek Hough and his wife Hayley Erbert imagine “little dancing children”
But Bersten decided that no one should back Ilona into a corner, and he gave her a moment to shine by leading her to the film’s iconic overhead lift. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised the sequence after her dance, noting that it was part of Maher’s journey that reframed the discussion about femininity.
ABC
Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher on “Dancing With the Stars”
Maher admitted that engaging in such a move was quite a challenge. “I never really get lifted, so it’s hard for me,” she said. “It was a lot of trust that I put in him to get lifted. It was scary, but fun.”
The couple received a respectable score of 21 from the judges for their routine, bringing their total score for the two weeks to 39.
Related topics: Every song and every dance on Dancing with the stars Season 33
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Dancing with the stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
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