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Review: Dancing with the Stars’ Tony, Maks and Val mesmerize on ‘Sway’ (Includes first-hand account)

Tony opened the show bringing the crowd to a nostalgic, 1930s setting, with elegant and sultry ballroom dancing performances. He proved to be a true gentleman and charismatic performer. The viewers could have easily recalled scenes from The Great Gatsby film, and that ought to be taken as a compliment.

Tony Dovolani from  Dancing with the Stars

Tony Dovolani from ‘Dancing with the Stars’
ABC/Craig Sjodin

Val’s set began with an inspirational quote, as he paid homage to his roots in Brooklyn, with a more modern and hip-hop influenced performance that was upbeat and a great deal of fun. Most impressive about Val is that he underscored the importance of “family,” and that theme was evident in his portion of the show, especially since he came to the United States as a young Ukrainian immigrant, with his older brother, Maks.

Dancing with the Stars  Val Chmerkovskiy

Dancing with the Stars’ Val Chmerkovskiy
Stefania Orru

Maks began his set interacting well with the fans in the crowd, prior to taking the stage and displayed his passionate side in his “Latin Lover” segment, which was perhaps the fan-favorite, while all of the dancers were talented and noteworthy in their own right. He commanded the stage like no other.

Their show’s music included such contemporary songs as Alesso and Tove Lo’s “Heroes (We Could Be),” Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Zedd’s “Clarity,” which added to “Sway’s” appeal. The dancers’ wardrobe changes were fantastic and creative.

All three professional dancers and their supporting dancers all joined for a grand finale performance to the tune “Sway,” which resonated well with the Hammerstein Ballroom audience, and subsequently earned them a standing ovation.

The Verdict

Overall, Tony, Maks and Val were sensational at “Sway” during their live performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom in the heart of New York City, thus giving their fans a pleasant evening of dancing entertainment. Their supporting cast of dancers and entertainers was equally gifted, and they put the same amount of passion, soul and emotion in the performances. Esteemed choreographers Joao Tiago Fernandes and David Thomas Moore did a brilliant job choreographing this show. Aside from being masters in the craft of dancing, showcased their rich and warm personalities, all of which were infectious. Their “Sway” show was highly effective, and it is recommended for fans of all age groups. It garnered an A rating.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 22,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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