Each year, “Dancing With the Stars” fans look forward to the ever-emotional “Dedication Night.” This year, host Alfonso Ribeiro joined his “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” co-star, Tatyana Ali, to pay homage to someone who touched their lives.
The late James Avery played their father on the beloved sitcom from 1990 to 1996. Avery passed away in 2013 at 68, but his legacy lives on.
Alfonso Ribeiro opened up to Nikole Behrens from EntertainmentNow and discussed what sharing the stage with Tatyana Ali on “Dedication Night” truly meant to him.
Alfonso Ribeiro Gave an Emphatic ‘Yes’ to the Request
On “Dedication Night,” actress Tatyana Ali and her partner, Jan Ravnik, performed the Viennese waltz to “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am” by Nancy Wilson. James Avery loved jazz and she felt it was the perfect way to honor him. Inviting Alfonso Ribeiro to dance with her was the absolute pinnacle of the piece.
“Obviously, the moment she asked, it was an automatic ‘yes,'” Ribeiro told us, noting the show also asked him to perform.
However, he also emphasized how important it was for him not to favor one contestant over another. The host told us he spoke with several of the other contestants to ask for their approval. Of course, everyone immediately agreed and wanted to see Alfonso Ribeiro share a dance with his onscreen sister.
“This to me was bigger than just Tatyana. It was James Avery also. James played a massive role in my life,” Ribeiro continued, adding that Avery played his father on three different sitcoms.
“He played an incredible role. It was an automatic, ‘absolutely yes,'” the host remembered. “To be able to share that stage with Tatyana was beautiful. Jan did a great job of choreographing a beautiful routine and allowing me to feel part of the creative process.”
Alfonso Ribeiro Did Everything in His Power to Honor His ‘Fresh Prince’ Family
Though Alfonso Ribeiro is an accomplished dancer, he admitted that he never attempted the Viennese waltz during his own season. However, he was eager to step up to the challenge.
“I was more nervous about [performing with Tatyana] than I probably was my entire season,” he explained to us, sharing that he was concerned about hurting his friend’s performance.
“I’m not nervous for me. I know I’m going go out there and do me, and whatever happens, it is what it is,” the father of four added. “I’m the only one affected by this. But this week was doing it for Tatyana, doing it for James, and really caring that I showed up in the best way possible for both of them.”
Online, many fans shared that it was their favorite routine of the evening and a perfect tribute to James Avery.
The ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Host Gets in the Holiday Spirit
This holiday season, Alfonso Ribeiro is teaming up with Pedigree and Walmart to promote an exciting opportunity for pet owners.
There will be pop-up portrait studios at select Walmart locations, designed to give pet owners the perfect treat for the holiday season.
Next week, “Dancing With the Stars” moves up to Monday night due to Tuesday night election coverage. The theme for the evening is “Disney Night.” After the double elimination on “Horror Movie Night,” there are only eight couples left in the competition.
Tune in at 8 p.m. on Monday, November 2, to see the remaining contestants perform to hit Disney classics.
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Alfonso Ribeiro Felt Honored to Dance With Tatyana Ali on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ (Exclusive)