Emmys: Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik talk about ‘DWTS’ and more
U.S. Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik talk to USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa at the Emmys about life after the Paris Games.
Olympic rugby medalist Ilona Maher had the best time last night performing a “Dirty Dancing”-inspired number on “Dancing with the Stars.”
The Burlington native danced in the show’s second round of competition after there were no eliminations in the premiere last week.
This week, the stars each performed a song from a popular Hollywood film at the show’s Oscars ceremony.
Maher and her professional partner Alan Bersten danced salsa to a hit from “Dirty Dancing.”
“Salsa is a fun, energetic, playful dance,” said Bersten. “It’s the perfect dance for Ilona to show her personality and confidence.”
This is how she did it:
What song did Ilona Maher dance to on “DWTS” on Oscar night?
Ilona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten danced a salsa to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes on “Dancing with the Stars” last night for the Oscars.
Inspired by the song’s original “Dirty Dancing” number, Maher and Bersten performed the film’s iconic lift with their own twist.
Instead of Bersten just lifting Maher like Johnny lifted Baby in the film’s famous scene, the rugby star’s dance also included a second lift in which Maher held Bersten up.
“Everyone on the internet was saying they wanted me to lift Alan, and I think he was like, ‘Let’s do it,'” Maher said after the dance.
Lifts are common in rugby, but Maher said she doesn’t usually get lifted in the sport, so entrusting the exercise to Bersten was “tough but very fun.” Judges praised the duo’s creativity.
“Not only was this a moment that people will be talking about for years to come, but you’re shifting the conversation, you’re shifting the conversation about what femininity is,” Carrie Ann Inaba said.
How did Ilona Maher do on “DWTS” last night?
Ilona Maher achieved 21/30 points for her salsa on “Dancing with the Stars” last night. All judges gave her seven out of ten points.
With her results from the first week, Maher’s total score for the evening was 39/60. Overall, she finished seventh among the other couples.
Who was eliminated from “DWTS” last night?
Last night’s episode of “Dancing with the Stars” ended with a double elimination: former imposter Anna Delvey and actress Tori Spelling were sent home.
The elimination was decided by a combination of the jury’s ratings in the first two weeks and the audience vote.
How to stream “DWTS” or watch it live
“Dancing with the Stars” airs live on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday nights. The show is also available for streaming on Hulu the next day.
There will be no new episode next week, so two episodes will air the following week: Monday, October 7th at 8:00 p.m. EST and Tuesday, October 8th at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Who is Ilona Maher?
Ilona Maher is a professional rugby sevens player and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist from Burlington, Vermont. She also competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
She is known for her online advocacy of body positivity and empowerment, having amassed more than six million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
The 28-year-old is a graduate of Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, where she played rugby and studied nursing.
