Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars handed dance pro Daniella Karagach a big challenge. This season, she was partnered with NBA star Dwight Howard. He is 6-foot-10, while Daniella is 5-foot-3. WOW. That means that Daniella has to toss a lot of traditional choreography out the window. After his latest performance, judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s critique upset Dwight.
Daniella is probably the best partner for Dwight. She won the Mirrorball during Season 30 with Iman Shumpert, who is 6-foot-5 inches tall. With Dwight’s infectious personality, the couple performed well for the first couple of weeks of competition. Then they started to slide down the leaderboard.
During “Disney Night,” Dwight and Daniella danced a Tango to When Can I See You Again? from Wreck-It Ralph. They earned an eight from all three judges. Unfortunately, that left the couple in a three-way tie for last place after they performed their team dance. Dwight was captain of Team Roar, and the dance was entertaining and energetic. But the group was out of sync, which was their downfall.
However, Dwight had an issue with Carrie Ann’s comments about his Tango with Daniella. The judge mentioned that the duo was at “such a disadvantage” because of their height difference. “You did have a lot of mistakes and you went off time a lot this time. A little bit in the beginning, maybe I’m wrong,” Carrie Ann stated. Dwight seemed surprised, and responded, “Take it slow.” What does that mean?
“Nah, what she said, I was like, ‘A misstep? No.’ I just think she saw I was going slow, and she thought I made a misstep – that was our part,” Dwight told US Weekly. However, Dwight noted that there was “a little hiccup” earlier.
“I noticed it,” Daniella chimed in. “I know, nobody but us!” Dwight said. Daniella explained that she told Dwight to “slow down” during that section. “I got the rebound, put it back up, and I dunked it,” he explained.
Dwight also took a moment to praise his partner. “What’s magical about my partner is that she’s the most honest person, and that’s the best. You know, she’s always telling the truth and always being honest,” Dwight explained. “When you have a partner like that, you can submit and give them full trust.”
Meanwhile, Daniella is also happy to be paired with Dwight. “He’s always very positive. So, if you’re not in a good mood, Dwight will always put you in a good mood,” Daniella said, adding that he is “the best person.”
Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.
TELL US – WAS CARRIE ANN’S CRITIQUE WRONG? ARE YOU ROOTING FOR DWIGHT AND DANIELLA?