DOULTH — In the season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars," actor Daniel Durant and his partner Britt Stewart performed a tango to loud and enthusiastic applause. They are among the teams moving on to the next round of the reality TV show based on the ratings of the on-screen judges and votes from viewers at home.
After the dance, judge Carrie Ann Inaba exclaimed, "That was incredible!" "Such a leading man, you are. It was elegant. It was strong. The lines were exquisite and breathtaking. You took us through every hue of a beautiful tango."
The judges ranked Durant and Stewart sixth out of the 16 teams with a score of 27. Unsurprisingly, Charli D'Amelio, a famous TikTok user and lifelong competitive dancer, is the early front-runner. D'Amelio and her teammate, Mark Ballas, received a score of 32 out of 40.
The two-hour broadcast featured performances and profiles from every team, and it was the first live show to run on the Disney+ streaming service. Viewers saw previously recorded video of Durant (together with his interpreter, Gabriel Gomez) meeting Stewart and starting to practise after a brief introduction highlighting Durant's acting career, which included roles in works such as the Oscar-winning film "CODA."
Stewart remarked on the programme, "I've never had the chance to educate somebody who is deaf, so I'm going to have to develop a fresh technique on how we communicate. "I want to learn ASL, but I don't know it."
Durant and Stewart performed a powerful tango to the actor's music selection, "Barbra Streisand" by the electronic duo Duck Sauce, while dressed in eye-catching green attire.
Durant, who has been deaf since birth, recalled hearing that music for the first time in the club: "I went right up to the speaker and felt the bass all through my body."
Judge Bruno Tonioli declared, "If Streisand were watching, she would be quite happy, and so am I." "You have a fascinating stage presence."
Durant's mothers, Duluthers Lori Durant and Mary Engels, were depicted during the performance expressing their love and support for their son. Durant and Stewart have dubbed their partnership Team Sign To Shine.
"'CODA' gets an Oscar first. In reference to "Dancing with the Stars," Durant said on the programme, "Next, I've got to get a Mirrorball." "award. It will occur.
On Monday, September 26, at 7 p.m., "Dancing with the Stars" will broadcast its upcoming episode live on Disney+. From here, the competition will only become tougher: This week, only one celebrity, Jason Lewis of "Sex and the City," was evicted.
