Dedication Night on “Dancing with the Stars” is the heart-pulling part, and this year was no different. It was also the night that made presenter Alfonso Ribeiro the most “nervous”.
On the October 20 episode, Tatyana Ali honored the late James Avery. The “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star and partner Jan Ravnik danced a Viennese waltz to Nancy Wilson’s “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am.”
Already an emotional number, it became even more heartwarming when Ali was joined by Ribeiro, who replaced Ravnik at the halfway point.
“It was nice. It was the first time I felt really nervous. I never felt nervous, even my whole season,” Ribeiro, who won Season 19 of “DWTS,” tells TODAY.com. “But I was nervous because I wanted to be perfect for him, for James Avery. It wasn’t about me.”
Ali and Ribeiro worked with Avery throughout the sitcom’s six seasons from 1990 to 1996. They played siblings Ashley and Carlton Banks; Avery played Philip Banks, the always wise, tough but gentle father. Avery died on December 31, 2013, at the age of 68.
For the show, Ali waltzed with Ravnik across the ballroom floor, then she and Ribeiro continued the routine in synchronized steps.
At the end of the memorial service, they held hands and a smiling photo of Avery appeared on the screen. They turned to face their former TV dad before embracing.
Ribeiro said he wanted to make the moment great for Ali, which meant making sure he didn’t miss a beat.
“When I was competing on the show… I would hurt myself if I messed up… but I had to lead Tatyana,” he says. “It had to be me in that part of the routine where I took Jan’s place and actually had to lead that dance – a dance I’d never done before.”
Ribeiro, who won with professional Witney Carson, says he has never been able to dance the Viennese waltz. Despite the additional challenges, he says, “It was so great to be a part of it. I was incredibly honored to be asked to be a part of them and represent James Avery.”
As co-host of “DWTS,” she notes that she takes “being impartial to all contestants” very seriously. But he didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
“But this one was special because it was James Avery. James played my father in three different sitcoms,” he says, referring to 1995’s “In the House” and the short-lived series “Things We Do for Love.” “It was very special to be able to do that for her, and it was nice and beautiful to be able to collaborate with Jan and Tatyana on what the story was going to be.”
The “America’s Funniest Home Videos” host also noted that Ross Bagley, who played Nicky Banks in “Fresh Prince,” also attended that night.
When asked if he and Ali heard from Avery’s family after the dedication, he says yes.
“There was a text chain with all of us, and basically everyone was thinking: ‘Well said. Beautifully done. James would be so proud,'” she shares. “So it felt good.”