Danielle Fishel is a firm believer in the restorative strength of dance. The star of Boy Meets World demonstrated that she is far more than a “tiny little woman,” a description offered by Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba during the previous week’s critique.
Her poignant contemporary performance set to Aerosmith’s “Dream On” during Tuesday’s new episode evoked powerful feelings and resulted in a strongly competitive overall score.
“I am a tiny little woman, but she’s big on the inside she’s powerful, so I need to unleash her,” Fishel joked during rehearsals.
The actress, known to generations of fans as Topanga, elaborated on why the music selection for this week held such significance: “This song really inspires me to live out my dreams, because as my cancer diagnosis showed me last year, you never know when your time could be up.”
“That’s the outlook I have in life, anyway. I have remained incredibly positive since my diagnosis. I’m feeling really proud, and I don’t often feel that way,” she said, dissolving into tears in conversation with pro partner Pasha Pashkov. “I want to show the benefit of being able to take hardship and being able to rise above.”
Fishel observed that “after having cancer last year and wanting to accomplish more of my dreams, this contemporary feels like a big gift.”
The panel of judges was largely in agreement. Guest judge Flavor Flav commented that Fishel and Pashkov were “on point.” Bruno Tonioli, for his part, spoke candidly with Fishel. “Darling listen, we’re all with you. Life can be a b—- sometimes, but you don’t give up. You stay resilient, keep a positive attitude, and it’s not over.”
Tonioli did notice “a tiny mishap,” but he comforted Fishel by saying she “should be proud of yourself.”
Inaba addressed the matter directly, speaking to any unspoken tension that may have remained after her “tiny” remark. “I would like to apologize for my words if they hurt at all, I didn’t mean that at all,” she said. “You are small and you do pack a punch – that’s why I can say that, because I believe in you.”
“It is very, very, very early. It’s technically stage 0,” she informed her ‘Pod Meets World’ cohosts Will Friedle and Rider Strong. “The only reason I caught this cancer when it is still stage zero is because the day I got my text message that my yearly mammogram had come up, I made the appointment.”
Fishel urged listeners to “get in there” and get checked, and assured her fans, “I’m gonna be fine.”
Following her performance, Fishel admitted to DWTS cohost Julianne Hough that week 8 had been “a difficult week. Pasha had to push through a lot of resistance, and I ended up apologizing to him, because I did feel bad. But this dance was bringing up a lot of stuff for me. It was like therapy.”
The actress was awarded a total score of 34, comprised of two 9s (from Inaba and Flav) and two 8s (from Derek Hough and Tonioli), a score that, unfortunately, was not sufficient to maintain her position in the competition.
Despite captaining Team Chicago in the group dances and earning perfect 10s from all four judges in that segment, it was Fishel who was eliminated on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night.
After her elimination was announced, Fishel told the co-hosts that her time on the show had been “life-changing.”
“Every single moment, including this one, has been joyous,” she said. Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu.