Former NFL wide receiver, Danny Amendola, was on Season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) and placed fifth overall. He was partnered with professional dancer Whitney Carson, and their emotional dance on “Dedication Night” was a game changer in their run.
Amendola, a two-time Super Bowl champion, had no prior dance experience, not even a touchdown dance. For his first dance, he scored a 20/30 and two of the judges – Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough – noted they wanted to see more personality and character in the dance. The remaining judge, Bruno Tonioli, said he saw power, focus and determination from Amendola.
During week three, Amendola got his first two eights from Inaba and guest judge Rosie Perez. This time, Tonioli pointed out his performance was strong, but he needed to be more lyrical and expressive. Tonioli made a similar comment the following week, saying he has power but lacks artistry. Tonioli and Inaba both agreed Amendola needed more finesse. Guest judge Gene Simmons, however, gave Amendola his first nine.
Week five was “Dedication Night” and Amendola chose to dedicate his dance to his late college football coach, Mike Leach. He performed a contemporary style dance to “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors. During rehearsals, Inaba told Amendola that he needed to lead with emotion, and that was exactly what he did. Immediately following their dance, Inaba said, “That was a breakthrough” and that she felt him. Tonioli said it was his best performance by far. He received his highest scores of the season up until that point with straight nines, tying him at the top of the leaderboard.
The emotion he evoked during that week made the rest of his performances significantly better. He would have had a much shorter run on the show if he had held back that night. The next week, “Disney Night,” he danced a jazz routine to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC from the “Deadpool & Wolverine” soundtrack. The dance became a social media sensation, and he got nines across the board. Inaba said the confidence he had developed was impressive, and that he was delivering powerful routines while having fun.
During week seven, Inaba gave Amendola his first 10 and he scored a 28/30 overall. Tonioli noted he had improved and grown so much. In week eight, Inaba said his transformation from week one to then was “mind-blowing.” He continued to get similar positive comments the last two weeks of the competition, and his final dance received a 29/30, his highest score. Hough mentioned that in football they have playmaker and told Amendola he has been a “moment-maker” on the show, and they will never forget the routines that he has done.
His second half of the season was significantly better than the first. Even though Amendola started out powerful and determined, his performances lacked the artistry and feelings needed to really stand out. When he dedicated his dance to his late coach, he danced with purpose and was emotionally driven. From then on, he took that emotion with him, and it showed through his scores. He never saw anything below a nine paddle after that. Though Amendola and Carson did not win, getting to the finale would not have been possible without his week five dance.
