Even with a hamstring injury, Danielle Fishel has been killing it on “Dancing With the Stars.” In the first two weeks, the actress hasn’t scored as high as some of her fellow contestants, but she’s made a strong showing. In her determination, she has even sought out the help of DWTS choreographer Mandy Moore to ask for tips.
If you grew up in the 90s, chances are pretty good that the coming-of-age sitcom “Boy Meets World” was a show you were familiar with. It’s also quite possible you either had a crush on Topanga, played by Fishel, or wished you could be her. It’s been three decades since Fishel first took on the role, but her time on “Dancing With the Stars” makes her feel like she’s back on set, just as she was in 1994.
Live Show Night Sparks Joy for Fishel: Performing Under Pressure
Like many sitcoms, “Boy Meets World” was filmed in front of a live studio audience. From the age of 12 to 19, Fishel became accustomed to performing her role in front of large crowds. “I’m good under pressure and I’m a performer,” the “Girl Meets World” star told People.
While she wondered if she’d feel nervous dancing in front of a live audience, that fear was squashed with her first live show.
“I haven’t been in front of the camera performing for a very long time,” she said. “I didn’t know if I was going to feel rusty or if I was going to know what to do anymore. But literally the minute the audience loads in, and I get that feeling like it’s 1994 again and there’s an audience of 250 people on the set of ‘Boy Meets World.”
When “it’s live show night, I just come alive from the inside,” she added.
Danielle Fishel is Injured but Unstoppable
Despite her injury, Fishel has no intention of giving up. She and her pro partner, Pasha Pashkov, have been posting cheeky videos demonstrating that.
On September 26, Fishel posted an Instagram video showing her wearing a leg wrap, with the bruising being very prominent. She is singing to her knee the Destiny’s Child song “Cater 2 U.”
“I promise my leg feels better than it looks,” she wrote in the caption. When a fan asked if it was caused by doing the splits, Fishel responded, “No, from a hamstring tear and a deep tissue massage.”
On September 28, Fishel and pro dancing partner Pasha Pashkov created an Instagram video. It featured them studying the sentence “We’re giving up dancing forever! After adding a period after “up,” the duo walks away, satisfied.
As Fishel turned around, kinesiology tape (KT) was visible, stretching down the back of her leg like a spider web. “Even all the KT tape can’t stop us!!!!” Pashkov wrote. Let’s hope he’s right — he and Fishel will be dancing the foxtrot to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” on September 30.
