Dancing with the Stars Fans Celebrate Ilona’s Emotional Dedication to Her Rugby Team

In the fifth episode of Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars, titled “Dedication Night,”the celebrity participants along with their professional partners delivered heartfelt performances dedicated to pivotal figures in their lives. One standout contestant was Ilona Maher, a talented American Rugby Union player.

Ilona Maher and her dance partner Alan Bersten presented an emotionally charged routine to “My Way”by Yseult, dedicating their performance to her seven rugby teammates, whom she affectionately refers to as her “sisters”and her “rocks.”Their impressive dance secured them a score of 32 out of 40.

Fans of Dancing with the Stars took to social media to express their admiration for Ilona’s performance. One enthusiastic viewer commented on X:

“@ilona_maher YOU DID IT! !!!!!!!!!!! YOU FREAKING DID IT! !!!!! OMG THIS WAS YOUR BEST DANCE! !!! I WAS CRYING SO HARD. THAT WAS AMAZING! !!! WHAT A BREAKTHROUGH! !!! @ilona_maher @Dance10Alan SO PROUD OF YOU BOTH! !!!!”

“#Ilona danced beautifully! Every move was mesmerizing and her grace and style on the dance floor were simply stunning. Can’t wait to review her forum screen alongside her dance partner,”a fan wrote.

“ILONA DESERVED A 9 TONIGHT MAYBE EVEN A 10, SORRY NOT SORRY,”another tweet stated.

Many viewers expressed how the performance moved them to tears:

“Crying all over again watching Ilona Maher cry because she messed up a dance last week! America, protect Ilona Maher at all costs! Vote to keep this bada** real woman!”wrote a user.

“EXCUSE ME MISS ILONA I AM IN TEARS, BEAUTIFUL,”another fan commented.

“I love these two! Ilona Maher has my heart, FOREVER! It nearly broke me to see her and Alan crying together during that rehearsal,”noted a viewer.

Fans further voiced their emotions regarding Ilona’s journey:

“Ilona’s teammate crying is so real because I also cry when I’m just so proud of someone I love,”someone wrote.

“ALAN AND ILONA CRYING WHEN THEY’RE THE COMEDY DUO I WILL FIGHT WHOEVER HURT YOU,”a fan tweeted.

Details on Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten’s Performance in Season 33 Episode 5 of Dancing with the Stars

During the “Dedication Night”of Season 33, Ilona Maher and her dance partner Alan Bersten performed a Rumba to “My Way”by Yseult.

Prior to her performance, viewers were shown rehearsal footage where Ilona candidly discussed her struggles with self-doubt following disappointing scores the previous week.

“I felt like, I guess, a failure in a way for disappointing you,”she confided in Alan.

Alan reassured her that she was placing too much stress on herself and encouraged her to channel her feelings into her upcoming routine dedicated to her teammates, whom she lovingly called her “sisters”and “rocks.”

The judges responded positively to her performance; Carrie Ann noted it was her “most delicate”showing to date, while Derek praised her control. Guest judge Mark Ballas encouraged her to utilize her arm movements more, and Bruno labeled her performance as a redemption arc.

Ultimately, Ilona received 8s across the board, resulting in a collective score of 32 out of 40, placing her among five pairs who received the same score. Other couples achieving this score included Chandler Kinney with Brandon Armstrong, Brooks Nader with Gleb Savchenko, Phaedra Parks with Val Chmerkovskiy, and Jenn Tran with Sasha Farber.

The highest scores of the night were claimed by Danny Amendola and Witney Carson, as well as Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, each earning a notable 36. Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold followed closely with a score of 33, while Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach landed at the bottom, scoring 29.

Fans showered Ilona with compliments online, highlighting how her performance touched their hearts.

Don’t miss the next episode of Dancing with the Stars, airing on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, on ABC.

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