Fans of Dancing With The Stars were disappointed when we heard there would be no spring season in 2019, for the first time in the show’s history. This left a long gap in between seasons when we couldn’t see some of the world’s best ballroom dancers. But the DWTS Live: A Night To Remember tour gleefully fills that void.
As the ABC hit TV show has gone on, the professional dancers have started to become even more popular than the celebrities they partner with. There recently have been some controversial celebs who not everyone is happy to see succeed (see: Bobby Bones winning season 27 or Tonya Harding becoming a season 26 finalist). Meanwhile, the talent and personalities of the professionals who return year after year have shined through, and now they’re as popular as some of the “stars” who are imported. This makes seeing superstar dancers like Val Chmerkovskiy and Witney Carson in person an exciting opportunity.
The dancing these professionals offer is sensational, even better than what we see on the show because now it’s two pros together instead of one pro and an amateur. There’s some excellent choreography from the show’s unsung hero Mandy Moore, and thrilling execution by favorites like Sasha Farber and Jenna Johnson with up-and-coming stars like Hayley Erbert and Alan Bersten.
Each Dancing With The Stars tour features a celebrity guest from the most recent season. This year the tour split up the celebrities, with most of the dates going to ‘Grocery Joe’ Amabile. Grocery Joe became a viral sensation after being eliminated on the first night of The Bachelorette and went on to Bachelor In Paradise and a tie for 5th place on DWTS. While he’s a very appealing person, nobody could claim he’s a particularly talented dancer. So, unlike when Laurie Hernandez or Jordan Fisher danced up a storm when they were featured on tour, Grocery Joe acts primary as the emcee. With his charming personality, he becomes the cherry on top of a thrilling evening of dance.