Concert Review: DWTS Live on Tour 2026 @ The Met

Live from WXVU, it’s a blog post about the Dancing with the Stars: Live on Tour 2026! (See what I did there?) Anyway…

I was six when I first watched DWTS, sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, my mom leaning against the couch behind me, the first time I stayed up past my bedtime. I did not understand the judges’ comments about “staying in frame” or “improving on footwork,” but I was captivated by the dancers’ stories. When our favorites advanced into the next week, my mom and I cheered as if we were in the ballroom audience. Tuesdays became my favorite night, the one evening I continued to stay up past my bedtime and spend uninterrupted time with my mom, creating endless memories that have stayed with me forever.

Walking into The Met Philadelphia for DWTS Live felt like stepping back into those childhood memories, only bigger and brighter. Little girls spun in glittering dresses, glowing like mirrorballs. College students filmed their favorite dancers. Parents took selfies with cardboard cutouts of celebrity contestants like Alix Earle, Robert Irwin, Dylan Efron, and Andy Richter. Grandparents leaned in with knowing smiles, while couples on dates waited hand in hand for the lights to dim. The crowd proved that DWTS and DWTS Live are truly meant for everyone.

Danielle Fishel, best known for her role as “Topanga” in 90s Sitcom Boy Meets World, was the celebrity dancer and co-host with pro Emma Slater. Together, they brought warm, welcoming energy to the stage. Most impressive was Danielle’s transformation; despite her lack of prior dance experience, she performed with the poise and skill of a seasoned dancer, seamlessly blending with the pros and exuding confidence. Her genuine love and appreciation for her partner, Pasha Pashkov, from the past DWTS season, shone through in her engaging hosting. 

Before we dive into the performances that stayed with me since that night, there are many moments throughout the show that deserve great recognition, so here are my honorable mentions! I absolutely adored Ezra Sosa’s facial expressions in his jazz number to Frank Sinatra’s “Me and My Shadow.” His commitment to the character had the entire theater laughing. Brittney Stewart delivered Chic’s “Le Freak” with razor-sharp musicality that made it impossible to glance away from her for a second. The married couples dancing to RAYE’s “Where Is My Husband” was a very clever touch to those who understand the relationship dynamics between the pros! The chemistry in Alan Bersten and Emma Slater’s duet to Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” was beautifully captivating; anyone in that moment could feel the love through their movement. I also really appreciated how the dancers, especially the hosts, interacted with the audience. Between numbers, they took time to joke, wave, and play off the crowd’s reactions. If you have watched the show for years, the references land like inside jokes, but if you have not, they still feel warm and welcoming.

At one point, the pros moved through the audience, picking someone at random to join them onstage for an interactive skit called T.E.A. (Technique Enforcement Agency). You could see them reading the room, choosing someone surprised yet willing, and ensuring the person they chose felt at ease. As the participant was ushered onto the stage, their nervousness quickly turned to excitement. The participant became a true guest star, taking a crash course in the ballroom: the pros surrounded them and unleashed a rapid-fire stream of terminology, more theatrical word-vomit than actual instruction, delivered with intense seriousness.  At the end, the new “graduate” proudly showed off all the “skills” just learned, performing a dramatic solo while the audience and pros erupted in cheers. It was a joyful, humorous moment, an ordinary audience member transformed from spectator to performer, perfectly capturing the show’s heart: dance is not just to watch, but something anyone can step into, even if only for a few unforgettable minutes.

Certain dances stay with you long after the final note. These three are the ones I can not stop thinking about:

3. Daniella Karagach and Valentine Chmerkovskiy’s Samba to “Drop it like it’s Hot,” by Snoop Dog.

My favorite dance style to watch is Samba; it is high-energy and infectious, with the music always making the crowd want to dance. Everything is happening all at once: the hips are moving, the legs and arms are flying, the feet are flicking. Most of the time, there isn’t much of a story to interpret; it is just fueled by incredible rhythm and uncontainable joy, and of course, I love seeing the samba rolls – my mom and I used to jokingly practice them in our living room whenever a routine incorporated them. So, naturally, I absolutely loved this partnership and duet.

Dani has easily become my favorite female pro in the six seasons she has been on the show. She is so fierce as she dances, and in the span of a blink, she has done ten turns, and suddenly, she is in the air, striking some insane pose in a lift. She is truly unstoppable and absolutely earns the Ferrari nickname. Val, a long time fan favorite, always brings an undeniable stage presence, commanding the floor with confidence and charisma from the very first beat. From the first note to the final pose, this dance was a nonstop explosion of strength and talent, performed in a way that looks powerful yet easy, with the dancers never even breaking a sweat. I can not stop replaying moments of this dance in my head, a thrilling performance, every detail perfectly nailed!

2. Hailey Bills and Brandon Armstrong’s Viennese waltz to “We Can’t Be Friends” by Ariana Grande.

This duet was a hauntingly tender routine that had me entranced by the very first movement. It was technically beautiful: the dancers glided across the stage with seamless rise and falls, each turn melting into the next, looking completely effortless from an audience’s point of view. Beyond the technicality of the dance, this performance made me feel emotions like no other; it was emotionally devastating in the softest, most restrained way. The staging told a story; the lights stayed dim, casting a soft spotlight on the two dancers.

The moment that truly stayed with me came during the chorus. On the line “We can’t be friends,” they stopped moving completely and stared into each other’s eyes. In that moment, you could see every emotion on the dancers’ faces: the sadness, the frustration, the reluctant understanding. Even for someone unfamiliar with this song, their expressions fully encapsulated the message of this line: two people who loved each other, but understood that love alone is not enough to make their relationship work. Then, shortly comes the line, “But I’d like to just pretend.” They move back into frame, controlled and tight, desperate to fake its elegance this time. This movement feels like an attempt to preserve the relationship that is slipping away before the choreography softens again. Hailey executes a slow, breathtaking kick while remaining in frame. Everything just feels perfect, as if two people are trying to freeze time in a version of their relationship where everything still works. This dance was simply mesmerizing, each movement a perfect balance of vulnerability and control.

1. Valentine Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson’s  duet to “Wild Is the Wind” by Cat Power.

The last beautifully mesmerizing performance I would like to mention is a duet by the lovely married couple. I am not sure of the style of dance; it felt like a mix of viennese waltz, rumba, and contemporary – the three dance styles that truly reply on passion, intention, and emotion. A camera followed them as they moved across the stage, the footage projected in black and white onto the massive screen so that even the audience members in the very back could catch and follow every microexpression and subtle movement. The close-ups made each movement hit harder, just showcasing raw, unfiltered emotion: longing and pain, but also love and comfort. At one point, the camera stopped following them and instead sat still at the back of the stage, making Jenna and Val look like haunting, distant silhouettes on the big screen. 

In my opinion, this dance captures the cycle of grief so beautifully and painfully. On the very first line, “let me fly away with you,” Val stares intensely into the camera, as if he is on the verge of accepting that the person he loves is gone. Then, on the word “you,” his focus shifts directly to Jenna. He never looks at the camera again after that moment. It feels like a deliberate artistic choice. The camera represents reality, the world outside of memory. When he turns away from it and toward her, he chooses longing over acceptance; he chooses to live in memory.

Throughout the rest of the dance, he spends his time reaching for Jenna, and every time they get too close, she slips away. There is even an almost-kiss before they are pulled into the next movement. He does not want to let her go. It feels as if he is trying to rewrite what cannot be changed, so they continue to share one last dance. Smoke surrounds the bottom of the screen, and their white costumes feel ghostly against it. At the end of the dance, the same line repeats. Jenna pulls him down to sit beside her, and they rest their heads on each other’s shoulders. Val’s expression softens into acceptance once more, quiet and almost peaceful, before the big screen fades to black. The moment feels intentionally unfinished, leaving us to wonder whether he will move forward into life as it is or remain in the memory of what once was.

The dance was simply beautiful, and I found myself, toward the end, tearing up without even realizing it. It was the kind of performance where I could not bring myself to pull out my phone to record – I do not think anyone did. For those few minutes, the entire room seemed suspended in their story, and when the dance ended, I almost had to snap myself back to reality. I will never forget that performance. 

That’s what I think DWTS and DWTS Live does so beautifully: it reminds us all that dance is one of the most universal languages we have, with the strength to share all these messages without words, yet also leaves us with different feelings and interpretations of what these feelings mean. Because of its versatility and emotional reach, this show spans generations. DWTS Live makes something that once lived inside a television screen, and makes it real, a moment for people to see the talent of these incredible dancers, up close, and in a way that feels immediate and unforgettable. Sitting in my seat, I thought about the six-year-old me on the living room floor, and in the theater, I felt that same wide-eyed wonder I once did staring at the television screen.

This show has lasted over 20 years for a reason. These performances remind everyone, whether six or sixty, of the beauty in movement and vulnerability, telling a story without saying a word. Thank you to the Dancing with the Stars cast for an evening of intention and passion, and thank you to Live Nation for letting me relive those cherished childhood memories. It was truly an unforgettable night!