History Trivia / DancingWiththeStars

* PromotedFangirl:

* RomanceOnTheSet: Season 20 had Robert Herjavec and dance partner Kym Johnson whose frequent “ship teasing” aired segments turned out to be real, continuing to date after his run and eventually marrying and having children together.

* ActorAllusion:
** The most notable of these will typically be when a singer appears on the show, and they dance to at least one of their own songs.
** In season 19, Alfonso Ribero's "Most Memorable Year" dance to Tom Jones's "It's Not Unusual" featured (in addition to the triumphant return of The Carlton Dance) a lovingly faithful recreation of [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir the Banks' living room]], as well as a CallBack to Jones's role as Carlton's idol and guardian angel.
** In season 20, Willow Shields' Week 1 package features a direct allusion to ''Franchise/TheHungerGames'', as Willow, dolled up to resemble Effie Trinket, selects Val as her partner, only for Mark to volunteer instead, Katniss-style. Willow also danced a ''Hunger Games''-inspired contemporary for Most Memorable Year.
** Nick Carter's stint in season 21 had ''many'' Music/BackstreetBoys allusions scattered throughout it, most of them involving the claw move from the official choreography of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)".
** A viewer-invoked variant happened in season 22. Because Jodie Sweetin and Val Chmerkovskiy danced together on ''FullerHouse'', many viewers were expecting them to be paired up when Jodie confirmed she would finally do the show... Only to reveal she was paired up with [[TokenMinority Keo Motsepe]] instead. So when the time came for the seasonal Switch-Up Night, the majority of the viewers, unsurprisingly, voted to pair up Jodie with Val.
** Any time an actor dances to a song from their famous TV show or film. Examples include Kim Fields (''Series/TheFactsOfLife''), Creator/LeaThompson (Huey Lewis' "Power of Love" from ''Film/BackToTheFuture''), and both Florence Henderson and Maureen [=McCormick=] (''Series/TheBradyBunch''; and no, they weren't on the same season). Kim's dance deserves mention because in it, she looked almost the same as she did when she played Tootie back in TheEighties.
*** The TV theme week from season 23 kind of went crazy with this. Besides [=McCormick=], three other contestants that night - Jana Kramer, Jake T. Austin and Marilu Henner - also danced to the themes of shows they appeared on. Kramer, who played Alex on ''Series/OneTreeHill'', danced to "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin [=DeGraw=], which was the show's RealSongThemeTune. Austin, who voiced the title character on ''WesternAnimation/GoDiegoGo'', danced to that show's theme, and while dressed as Diego to boot. Henner performed a foxtrot to "Angela", the theme from ''Series/{{Taxi}}'', on which she played Elaine.
*** Suzanne Somers' ''Series/ThreesCompany'' foxtrot in season 20. It even opened with a short skit that had her basically reprising her role as [[DumbBlonde Chrissy Snow]].
** Elizabeth Berkley, who played Jessie Spano on ''Series/SavedByTheBell'', was a contestant in Season 17. One of the most infamous moments from that show was Jessie's [[CompressedVice sudden and devastating]] addiction to caffeine pills for a VerySpecialEpisode about drug use; Jessie's pill-fueled breakdown--"I'M SO EXCITED! I'M SO EXCITED! I'M SO...SO SCARED!"--is a particularly MemeticMutation. The Internet rejoiced, then, when Berkley had some fun during her Jive routine in Week Five by actually ''dancing'' to "I'm So Excited," and even recreating the hilariously over-the-top breakdown over her addiction to "jive pills" in a set that resembled her room from ''Saved by the Bell'' to introduce the dance.
** If a sports celebrity is associated with a team with a memorable theme song, you can bet they'll do a dance to it. Former Cubs catcher David Ross in Season 24 opened with a quickstep to Steve Goodman's "Go Cubs Go".
** A subtle one: in Season 18, Charlie White's contemporary includes [[https://youtu.be/CA4zW4lXkyA?t=52s this lift at the very end]], which is the same lift used at the end of his and Meryl Davis' [[https://youtu.be/lrFwokp3z48?t=4m38s Olympic gold-medal winning free dance]], just off the ice.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Season 20 had Robert Herjavec and dance partner Kym Johnson who’s frequent “ship teasing” segments turned out to be real, continuing to date after his run and eventually marrying and having children together.

** Any time an actor dances to a song from their famous TV show or film. Examples include Kim Fields (''Series/TheFactsOfLife''), Lea Thompson (Huey Lewis' "Power of Love" from ''Film/BackToTheFuture''), and both Florence Henderson and Maureen [=McCormick=] (''Series/TheBradyBunch''; and no, they weren't on the same season). Kim's dance deserves mention because in it, she looked almost the same as she did when she played Tootie back in TheEighties.

** In Week 6, they decided to show Bruno's role in EltonJohn's video for "I'm Still Standing", in which he's mainly in a speedo humping the air. His face got so red that it nearly threw off the transmission's color balance.

** Amusingly, ''Dancing'' may have called a truce with ''Idol'', as they will air on the same network starting 2018.

** In Season 21, Sharna, who was a huge fan of the Music/BackstreetBoys as a teenager, was ecstatic to find out she was paired with Nick Carter. Many others also turned out to be fans of him, like Julianne, Peta, and even fellow BoyBand member [[BigTimeRush Carlos PenaVega]].

*** The TV theme week from season 23 kind of went crazy with this. Besides [=McCormick=], two other contestants, Jake T. Austin and Marilu Henner, also danced to the themes of shows they appeared on. Austin, who voiced the title character on ''WesternAnimation/GoDiegoGo'', danced to that show's theme, and while dressed as Diego to boot. Henner performed a foxtrot to "Angela", the theme from ''Series/{{Taxi}}'', on which she played Elaine.

** In Season 21, Sharna, who was a huge fan of the BackstreetBoys as a teenager, was ecstatic to find out she was paired with Nick Carter. Many others also turned out to be fans of him, like Julianne, Peta, and even fellow BoyBand member [[BigTimeRush Carlos PenaVega]].

** Season 8 was to be the first season with a husband and wife competing against each other, in this case Ty Murray and Music/{{Jewel}}. Unfortunately, Jewel could not compete because she hurt her tibias before the season started, and was replaced with ''Magazine/{{Playboy}}'' model Holly Madison (she ''did'' appear as a musical guest).

* DuelingShows: A rare DualWielding version; ''Dancing'' is fighting off ''Series/AmericanIdol'' with one hand and ''Series/SoYouThinkYouCanDance'' with the other. The latter is especially funny when you keep in mind all of the ''So You Think'' alumni that went on to become pros on ''Dancing''.
** And now it's fighting ''Series/TheVoice'' as well (Moreso than ''Series/SoYouThinkYouCanDance'' and ''Series/AmericanIdol'' since it battles DWTS in both spring and fall seasons whereas SYTYCD and AI only has one season per year).

** One of the celebrities present for Season 17's finale was ''TheWonderYears'' star and [[BrainyBrunette math wiz]] Danica [=McKellar=], an open fan of the show. In the following season, there she was as an actual contestant -- and partnered with fan-favorite Val Chmerkovskiy to boot.
*** Something similar happened to Rumer Willis, who was in the audience for the Season 19 premiere and expressed her support for Janel and Val in a package during the results show. One season later, not only does she get partnered with Val but she also winds up winning the whole thing.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The show has a "wish list" of celebs that they would like to be on the show and have contacted in the past (some have had to decline for various reasons, but did the show later, such as Melissa Joan Hart, Kirstie Alley, Nick Carter and Jodie Sweetin). Some of the ones on the list include Bill Clinton, Lindsay Lohan, and having Portia de Rossi in the show's first same-sex couple.

* AscendedFangirl:
** In Season 21, Sharna, who was a huge fan of the BackstreetBoys as a teenager, was ecstatic to find out she was paired with Nick Carter. Many others also turned out to be fans of him, like Julianne, Peta, and even fellow BoyBand member [[BigTimeRush Carlos PenaVega]].
** One of the celebrities present for Season 17's finale was ''TheWonderYears'' star and [[BrainyBrunette math wiz]] Danica [=McKellar=], an open fan of the show. In the following season, there she was as an actual contestant -- and partnered with fan-favorite Val Chmerkovskiy to boot.
*** Something similar happened to Rumer Willis, who was in the audience for the Season 19 premiere and expressed her support for Janel and Val in a package during the results show. One season later, not only does she get partnered with Val but she also winds up winning the whole thing.

*** Jake T. Austin not only danced to the theme from ''WesternAnimation/GoDiegoGo'', but he did it while dressed as Diego, whom he had voiced on that show.

** Any time an actor dances to a song from their famous TV show or film. Examples include Kim Fields (''Series/TheFactsOfLife''), Lea Thompson (Huey Lewis' "Power of Love" from ''Film/BackToTheFuture''), and Maureen [=McCormick=] (''Series/TheBradyBunch'').

** Any time an actor dances to a song from their famous TV show or film. Examples include Kim Fields (''Series/TheFactsOfLife'') and Lea Thompson (Huey Lewis' "Power of Love" from ''Film/BackToTheFuture'').

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The show has a "wish list" of celebs that they would like to be on the show and have contacted in the past (some have had to decline for various reasons, but did the show later, such as Melissa Joan Hart, Kirstie Alley, Nick Carter and Jodie Sweetin). Some of the ones on the list include Bill Clinton, Lindsay Lohan, and having Portia de Rossi in the show's first same-sex couple.

** In season 19, Alfonso Ribero's "Most Memorable Year" dance to Tom Jones's "It's Not Unusual" featured (in addition to the triumphant return of The Carlton Dance) featured a lovingly faithful recreation of [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir the Banks' living room]], as well as a CallBack to Jones's role as Carlton's idol and guardian angel.

** In season 19, the return of The Carlton Dance to Tom Jones's "It's Not Unusual" featured a lovingly faithful recreation of [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir the Banks' living room]], as well as a CallBack to Jones's role as Carlton's idol and guardian angel.

** A viewer-invoked variant happened in season 22. Because Jodie Sweetin and Val Chmerkovskiy danced together on ''FullerHouse'', many viewers were expecting them to be paired up for the season, only for Jodie to reveal she was paired up with Keo Motsepe instead. So when the time came for the seasonal Switch-Up Night, the majority of the viewers, unsurprisingly, voted to pair up Jodie with Val.

** A viewer-invoked variant happened in season 22. Because Jodie Sweetin and Val Chmerkovskiy danced together on ''FullerHouse'', many viewers were expecting them to be paired up for the season, only for Jodie to reveal she was paired up with Keo Motsepe instead. So when the time came for the seasonal Switch-Up Night, the viewers, unsurprisingly, chose to pair up Jodie with Val.

* ActorAllusion: In season 19, the return of The Carlton Dance to Tom Jones's "It's Not Unusual" featured a lovingly faithful recreation of [[Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir the Banks' living room]], as well as a CallBack to Jones's role as Carlton's idol and guardian angel.

* AscendedFangirl: In Season 21, Sharna, who was a huge fan of the BackstreetBoys as a teenager, was ecstatic to find out she was paired with Nick Carter. Many others also turned out to be fans of him, like Julianne, Peta, and even fellow BoyBand member [[BigTimeRush Carlos PenaVega]].

* OldShame: In Week 6, they decided to show Bruno's role in EltonJohn's video for "I'm Still Standing", in which he's mainly in a speedo humping the air. His face got so red that it nearly threw off the transmission's color balance.

* HeyItsThatGuy: You'll probably end up saying it watching the show.
** And not just about the celebs! Longtime viewers of ''Series/SoYouThinkYouCanDance'' will most likely recognize Witney, Lindsay and Brittany, among others.