The Big Picture
- Ariana Madix and partner Pasha Pashkov received their first perfect score of the season on Dancing With the Stars, leading them to the finale.
- Ariana's journey on the show has been transformative, as she has grown and improved her dancing skills each week.
- Ariana's work ethic, authenticity, and commitment to her craft make her a strong contender to win the competition.
After dancing a near perfect jive to "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars during the semi-finals of Dancing With the Stars, Ariana Madix and partner Pasha Pashkov closed the episode with a foxtrot to "Trampoline" by Shaed & Zayn that earned them their first perfect score of the season. In a shocking twist created for dramatic effect, Ariana and Pasha found themselves as one of the two couples facing elimination before the finals, waiting to see if they would be eliminated or if it would instead be their neck-and-neck rivals, Marvel wunderkind Xochitl Gomez and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy. The tension was palpable as both ladies even fought back tears, each seemingly thinking it was her moment to leave the show. And then came the twist! There would be no elimination, and for the first time ever, all five couples would be going through to the finale to compete for the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy.
It was a triumphant moment for the Vanderpump Rules alum, who has had a transformational time on Dancing With the Stars this season. Ariana was introduced to viewers as a woman starting a new chapter, following the shocking media frenzy of "Scandoval" earlier this year. When it was revealed that her long-term partner had been having an extended affair with a close friend while filming their reality series, Ariana requested that cameras return to film the fall-out in order to hold the guilty parties accountable. It was heart-wrenching for viewers who have grown to know and love Ariana over the years, and her journey back to herself has been a welcome sight on this season of Dancing With the Stars. Her very first dance on the Premiere night was a tango set to "Love Myself" by Hailee Steinfeld, with Ariana's costume referencing her red revenge dress that she wore for her Vanderpump reunion to confront her ex-partner and Bravo's current persona non grata, Tom Sandoval.
Dancing with the Stars
TV-PGReality TVMusic Video- Release Date
- June 1, 2005
- Cast
- Carrie Ann Inaba , Tyra Banks , Melanie Chisholm , Melora Hardin , Marty Cove , Kenya Moore , Brian Austin Green , Tom Bergeron
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 32
The Charm Of 'Dancing With the Stars' Is Ariana Madix's Growth
Part of the charm of Dancing With the Stars is watching the non-dancer celebrities improve week to week, their journey and development helping them to gain followers and votes over time. Throughout the season, the judges have been encouraging in their feedback to Ariana and have often helped her improve with their minute observations about her performance. Ariana's skills gradually developed each week, as she applied every critique to her next performance. The judges' criticisms eventually turned to hard-earned praise. On the Disney 100 night when Ariana danced a contemporary routine to "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2, Judge Bruno Tonioli said: "What I love is your determination to succeed." For the tribute to Taylor Swift when Ariana and Pasha danced a classic rumba to "Cruel Summer" judge Derek Hough observed: "What I love about you is that you really embody the character and the tone of each dance you do every week." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba has often offered Ariana some of her harshest critiques, but shehas also sung some of her highest praise. On the Halloween Monster night when Ariana danced a tango to "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish, Carrie Ann raved: "Listen, I think you have what it takes to win it. I just do, I think you have something spectacular." She sang high praise again during her semi-finals evaluation of Ariana's jive: "You have everything you need for the finale."
DWTS Night | Episode No. | Ariana Danced | Judges' Score |
Premiere Night | 1 | Tango | 21/30 |
Latin Night | 2 | Samba | 20/30 |
Motown Night | 3 | Quickstep | 34/40 |
Disney 100 Night | 4 | Contemporary | 25/30 |
Most Memorable Year | 5 | Viennese Waltz | 24/30 |
Monster Night | 6 | Tango | 37/40 |
Music Video Night | 7 | Cha Cha | 37/40 |
Whitney Houston Night | 8 | Paso Doble | 39/40 |
A Celebration of Taylor Swift | 9 | Rumba | 37/40 |
Semi-Finals: Dance 1 | 10 | Jive | 28/30 |
Semi-Finals: Dance 2 | 10 | Foxtrot | 30/30 |
Ariana Started 'Dancing With the Stars' With Everything She Needed To Win
Carrie Ann's observation that Ariana has everything she needs for the finale is true, and to take it further, the reality star came to Dancing With the Stars prepared with everything she needed to win the competition. She worked hard to grow and improve her dancing skills each week, which is the key to success on the series. But her authentic attitude and commitment to hard work has always been there, even from her earliest reality TV appearances. From her background as a theater major at university, to her performance history as a former princess at Disney World, to her decade of experience in reality TV, to her more recent shift towards author and small business owner, Ariana has proven she has the charisma required to parlay an already loyal fan base into a voting audience.
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Vanderpump viewers will know that Ariana even got her start on reality TV as a dancer, performing in the background for her friend and sometimes aspiring pop-star, Scheana Shay. In the early Vanderpump days, Ariana was initially not even a cast member and would only appear briefly at Scheana's rehearsals and performances. Despite her camera-shy nature, she eventually went on to join the cast as a no-nonsense bartender, dipping her toe into the messy crew at Lisa Vanderpump's SUR restaurant and lounge. Ariana stood out among the cast as someone who was intensely loyal to her friends (sometimes to a fault), and as someone who had no problem standing up to the mean girl tactics that had become the norm at SUR.
Ariana has been refreshingly transparent on Vanderpump when it comes to her struggles with mental health issues, as she's death with anxiety and depression. She has shown her work life, her friendships, her romantic relationships, even her coming out as a bisexual woman was documented on camera. In reality TV, there is often a danger of the cast attempting to control the narrative, to hide their true selves and the real issues going on in their lives. There is an inauthentic feeling about their appearances that leaves viewers dissatisfied and producers unhappy. What is so refreshing about Ariana as a reality TV personality is that even when she has been caught up in moments of hiding something from the camera, it is usually to protect someone close to her that she loves and trusts. Among the many flaws often demonstrated on reality TV, it is an endearing fault to have.
Hard Work Is In Her History
Her work history is another way that Ariana has brought everything she needs with her to this competition. In rehearsals for Whitney Houston night, Pasha asks Ariana how she manages to "make every single minute count." Ariana noted that she did not grow up in LA, and not coming from wealthy parents, her attitude has always been "the harder I work, the more I'm able to get closer to my dreams." After she and Pasha completed their Paso Doble for the evening, host Julianne Hough asked Ariana about juggling her many projects while training this season. Ariana's response encapsulates her work ethic as a reality TV star and echoes the American Dream: "the hard work kind of motivates me... It's like the harder I work, the harder I want to work."
During this season of Dancing With the Stars, Ariana has kept up her obligations to Vanderpump by honoring her interview commitments and appearances at BravoCon. She has continued to build and promote her sandwich shop, There's Something About Her, with business partner and Vanderpump co-star Katie Maloney. She has been working on her cocktail book Single AF Cocktails which will be published on December 05, 2023. Earlier this year, she booked a guest appearance on dating show Love Island. She also landed a role as a police officer trying to locate a missing teen in the Lifetime movie Buying Back My Daughter. And she continues to channel her notoriety into lucrative sponsored partnerships with brands like Duracell, Bic Razors, Bloomingdale's, Uber One, and Lay's Chips (among others). All of her hard work over the years is now coming to fruition, and it is rewarding for viewers to see. Crowning her as champion of Dancing With the Stars would be a fitting end to her transformational year of heartbreak and hard work.
Season 32 of Dancing With the Stars is available to stream on Disney+. The finale airs on December 5 on ABC. Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules will air on Bravo in January 2024.
