Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Anna Trebunskaya is adding her voice to the conversation regarding judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s critique of Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.
During “Super Bowl Night,” the judge accused the dancers of engaging in an illegal lift. While Jenna questioned the comment, she handled the situation incredibly gracefully.
But afterward, her husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, left a controversial comment online that ultimately resulted in his temporary suspension.
In the aftermath of the situation, many other professional dancers are weighing in.
Anna Trebunskaya Defends the Rules of Ballroom Dance
“Dancing With the Stars” is moving forward after a difficult week. As “Dedication Night” continues, fans are eager to see the top 10 honor loved ones with their new routines.
But in the wake of the recent lift controversy, former pro Anna Trebunskaya is offering her opinion on Carrie Ann Inaba’s lift comments from “Super Bowl Night.”
“Big discussion (always have been) about what’s a lift, where to lift or not, and etc. on @dancingwiththestars #DWTS My own thoughts 💭 on the matter. #Love to all the #pros, #judges, and #viewers,” Trebunskaya captioned an Instagram post this week.
“I appreciate that you care about the dance form, style, technique that I absolutely adore and cherish, so let’s keep the conversation civil and respectful. Thanks,🕺🏻🪩💃🏻✨” the 45-year-old concluded.
In her analysis, Trebunskaya noted that the routine wasn’t a pure Samba and that Carrie Ann Inaba was right to call that out.
“What I like about Carrie Ann keeping some sort of modicum of rules, because me coming from the ballroom world, if there are no boundaries, you’re like a free-flowing atom not knowing where you’re going,” she explained. “When you have some sort of form and shape, then you can work off of it. And it’s keeping the playing field somewhat even for all the competitors.”
Anna Trebunskaya added that competitors like Guillermo Rodriguez can’t do all the moves and tricks that Harry Shum Jr. can. Though the rules may not always seem right or fair to audience members, they exist for a reason. Lifts are permitted in some styles, but not all of them, and it’s the professional dancer’s responsibility to know the rules.
“I think it’s a fine rule,” the dancer said of the “no lifts” guideline for certain styles. “I think it’s just as good as any, I think it’s good to have some sort of rules, right? Otherwise it’s… Don’t call it ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ call is something else. ‘Lifting With the Stars.'”
Carrie Ann Inaba Returned to Social Media After a Week-Long Absence
After “Super Bowl Night,” Carrie Ann Inaba took a brief hiatus from social media. She returned to Instagram just hours before “Dedication Night” kicked off, signaling that she was ready to move forward.
“Always and forever team Dancing with the Stars❤️🪩,” Inaba captioned the Instagram post.
“Dancing With the Stars” season 35 airs new episodes each Tuesday night at 8 p.m. Keep voting to secure your favorite team’s spots in the next episode.
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DWTS Alum Anna Trebunskaya Defends Carrie Ann Inaba’s Lift Comments