The “Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 premiere is officially underway. And the first eight celebrity contestants have finally had their chance to step into the ballroom. Among these men was Paralympic athlete Ezra Frech, who took on his first “DWTS” performance alongside pro partner Daniella Karagach.
Frech already knows a thing or two about competing on a big stage. He competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and went on to win two gold medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. Now, he is taking on a completely different kind of competition. And fans got to see exactly how he and Karagach approached the challenge.
He even took to Instagram ahead of the premiere to share how meaningful the opportunity was for him, writing:
“Feeling so much gratitude heading into tonight. Means the world to get to represent the disabled community on such a powerful stage.”
And honestly, this was a performance that showed just how much thought went into their routine.
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach Take on the Tango
Frech and Karagach took on the tango during Night One of the “DWTS” Season 35 premiere, dancing to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.”
Before they even made it to the ballroom, though, viewers got a look at the work that went into making the routine possible. Karagach had to adjust the choreography to accommodate Frech’s left-leg prosthetic and limited left hand.
Let’s be real, that is a pretty significant adjustment when you’re preparing for a ballroom competition. But the pair didn’t shy away from those differences. Instead, they considered them in the choreography and figured out how to make the tango work for Frech.
Yep, it was different from what viewers might typically expect to see on the “DWTS” dance floor, but that was part of what made the performance stand out.
Once Frech and Karagach finished their tango, the judges had plenty to say about what they had just seen.
- Carrie Ann Inaba praised the pair for dancing like a unit and matching their lines well. She said, “This is what’s so special about our show…” Inaba gave them a 7/10.
- Derek Hough appeared to get emotional while watching the performance and praised Frech’s frame. He also told the athlete, “You can do it all.” Hough gave the pair a 6/10.
- Bruno Tonioli was impressed by Frech’s focus and control, but he was particularly impressed by the way Frech presented himself during the routine. “So focused, so in control, but what really impressed me, you really looked like a leading man,” Tonioli said. He awarded them a 7/10.
That left Frech and Karagach with a 20/30 from the judges.
DisneyEzra Frech Explains Why They Leaned Into His Disability
After the performance, Julianne Hough asked Frech about Tonioli’s comments about leading with his left side. That gave the athlete an opportunity to explain more about the choices he and Karagach made when putting their routine together.
“We wanted to lean into the disability as much as possible,” he said, before thanking his partner, Daniella. And that comment really put the performance into perspective.
Rather than attempting to make Frech dance exactly like every other celebrity contestant, the choreography was designed around him. His prosthetic and limited left-hand mobility weren’t something they needed to work around and hide from the audience. They became part of figuring out how Frech could take on the ballroom.
It seems like that was a big part of what the judges responded to during the performance. Inaba focused on the way Frech and Karagach moved together, while Hough highlighted his frame. Tonioli, meanwhile, noticed how much control and focus Frech brought to the dance.
Honestly, there was something pretty special about watching the pair figure out how to make it all work on their own terms.
Ezra Frech Survives the First Elimination
Of course, getting through the dance was only part of the challenge. There was an elimination waiting for the contestants at the end of Night One. That meant Frech and Karagach had to wait and see whether their first performance would be enough to keep them in the competition.
The good news? Yep, they survived.
Frech and Karagach will continue their “Dancing with the Stars” journey after making it through the first elimination of Season 35.
It seems like there is plenty more to see from this partnership, especially after the way they approached their first routine. They found a way to adapt the choreography without losing the personality of the dance, and Frech showed the judges that he was ready to compete.
Let’s be real, the “DWTS” journey is just getting started.
Want to see who was eliminated and get all the details from tonight’s episode? Check out our live post.
And don’t forget to tune in to ABC or Disney+ tomorrow night at 8:00pm ET for Night Two of the “Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 premiere, when the female contestants will enter the ballroom and dance for the first time. And just like tonight, one of them will also be eliminated.
